By Gail McCarthy
The work of Gloucester painter Bruce Herman merges contemporary art with faith — two terms not always used together.
His newest work will be unveiled this week during the Advent Festival of the Arts at Gordon College in Wenham, where his exhibit celebrates the birth of Christ and honors his mother, Mary. Herman, a Gordon art professor for 24 years, plays a leading role in this expanded Advent celebration, which includes a panel discussion as well as the opening of his exhibition of the Virgin Mary.
"Christmas is such an important celebration that, over the years, has been taken away by the commercial culture," said Jeffrey Miller, professor of theater arts. "The Advent Festival is an attempt to bring it back."
Herman's exhibit is symbolic of a growing interest in Mary among many Protestants over the past three decades.
The Advent Festival, the newest addition to Christmas at Gordon, features a week-long artistic response to the Magnificat theme, all which explore the life and influence of Mary. The full text of the Magnificat will be in the gallery next to Herman's exhibit.
Herman said his work dovetails with the theme in his focus on the tradition of Marian paintings.
"This young woman is an extraordinary person," said Herman. "In this new work, I'm operating within a sacred art tradition. It's unusual to mix contemporary art with faith. When people hear the word tradition, they think it means conservative and backward-looking.
"I think of tradition as something living and constantly changing," he said. "If you are on the forefront of a contemporary movement, but if you are receptive of tradition, you embody that tradition going forward."
The exhibit is titled "Miriam: Virgin Mother." Miriam is the Hebrew version of Mary.
The paintings in the new exhibition were inspired, in part, by Herman's many visits to Italy over the past three decades where he viewed the works of the Italian masters, such as Fra Angelico and Michelangelo.
In 2005, Herman had an exhibit of paintings in Orvieto, Italy, at Palazzo dei Sette, a contemporary art museum. The Gloucester artist was told that his exhibit drew the largest attendance at the museum in a decade.
Herman recounted a comment by the minister of culture who told him: "You have given our tradition back to us by making it contemporary." He also received a "bear hug" from the local bishop while he was painting during an artist-in-residence program in Orvieto.
After the show at Gordon College, the exhibit will travel to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., then on to Italy, where it is slated to be installed at a monastery in Orvieto.
"I'm hoping people on Cape Ann will head out to the see the exhibit. I have also been inspired by the art and landscape, the sea and by the Italian culture all here in this town," said Herman, who moved to Gloucester in 1972. The artist's work is housed in many public and private collections, including the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art in Rome and the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln.
Rachel Smith, a Taylor University professor who holds a doctorate in Italian Renaissance art history, wrote an essay for the book published in conjunction with Herman's exhibit. In terms of the Magnificat, Smith said Vatican II opened the door for Protestants to reconsider the role of Mary in Christian theology.
She said Herman's work was distinctive for his commitment to bringing tradition into the contemporary moment.
"You preserve that which continues to have vital power and relevance, and that's what Bruce is committed to doing, to preserving that living tradition and give it an accessible form in our own time," Smith said. "His work is incredibly rich. People can approach the work on a range of levels, and continue to plumb deeper and deeper as they engage the work."
She urged interested residents to view the art first-hand.
"His works have to be seen in person," she said. "They really embody the sense of art as being a physical vessel for ideas and concepts."
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.SFlb
IF YOU GO
What: Advent Festival of the Arts
Tomorrow, 7 p.m.: "Making Culture: Tradition and Innovation," with a panel discussion to include exploring the meaning of a "living tradition." Barrington Center for the Arts, Room 138. Panelists are Walter Hansen, professor of global theological education at Fuller Theological Seminary, president of Rivendell Stewards' Trust; Tanja Butler, associate professor of visual arts; John Skillen, director of the Gordon in Orvieto program; Dan Russ, director of Gordon's Center for Christian Studies; and Bruce Herman, a Gordon College professor of art.
Thursday features the official opening of Herman's new cycle of paintings, "Miriam: Virgin Mother," at 7 p.m. in the BCA Gallery on campus. Also on view will be a paintings and collages on the theme by Tanja Butler. The evening will include music and a theatrical response to the mystery of Christ's advent. The drama piece was written by playwright Sasha Irish, a Gordon College graduate. The one-person show is based on Herman's paintings. A book will be published in conjunction with this exhibit.
On Friday at 8 p.m. the Advent Festival celebrates the Magnificat with a vocal concert focusing on the story of Christ's birth to be held at the A.J. Gordon Memorial Chapel. The program's centerpiece is Morten Lauridsen's "Lux Aeterna," performed by choral ensemble Lyricora with special guest and mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel, along with the Gordon College Choir and Women's Choir. Also featured will be well-known and lesser-known pieces written over many centuries. Images from Herman's cycle of paintings will be featured.
Cost: Tomorrow and Thursday's events are free. Tickets for Friday's concert are $10 each.
Details: For more information on events or concert tickets, visit www.gordon.edu/christmas or call 978-867-3400.
