Seminar Report 2022

Convener

Martin V. Rambusch is Chairman of Rambusch Decorating Company.

Description of Work

There was no formal gathering of the seminar this year, as many members did not attend. Informally, a number of seminar members who were present started to create a robust agenda for the 2024 Seattle gathering.

Other Work and Plans for the Future

Seattle plans include a number of presentations that will take advantage of the Cathedral of St. James as well as a tour of a number of sites, including the Curtis Collection at the Rainer Club and perhaps another worship environment.

Seminar Report 2022

Convener

Michael S. Driscoll (Convener pro tem) is Professor emeritus, University of Notre Dame.

Members in Attendance

Michael Driscoll, Jan Robitscher

Visitors in Attendance

Martin Marklin, Paul Turner, Michael Witczak

Description of Work

In spite of the paltry attendance at our meeting this year in Kansas City, MO, the Art and Environment Seminar persevered. Like the motto for the city of Paris (Fluctuat nec mergitur), the ship may have rocked but it didn’t sink. Jan Robitscher with her service dog Veronique and Michael Driscoll were joined by several members of other seminars to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum on the first seminar day. In addition to visiting the museum at large the museum library hosted the NAAL members to exhibit leaves from Books of Hours and oth- er Medieval documents from the Karen Gould Collection. Specialists Linda Ehr- sam Voigts and Brother Thomas Sullivan OSB, librarian from Conception Abbey, presented selected documents and responded to questions. On the second semi- nar day two sites were visited: the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, MO, and the Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS. At the cathedral gathering seminar member Carol Frenning joined the group via zoom to speak about the renovation in 2003 on which she consulted. After her presentation, the group had an on-site visit with docent Bill Blankenship who spoke about the history of the diocese and the building. Finally, the remnant of the seminar drove to Leawood, KS, to visit the megachurch on which Dick Vosko had consulted. Dick put the seminar in touch with Dan Entwistle, CEO and Senior Executive Director of the church, who generously gave his time in show- ing this remarkable mega-church. The seminar is indebted to Paul Turner who generously set up the visits to the museum and the cathedral, where he is pastor.

Papers, Presentations, and Site Visits

There were no papers per se but on-site presentations by docents.

Other Work and Plans for the Future

Discussions for next year’s Seminar are underway.

Seminar Report 2020

Convener

Martin Rambusch, Chairman, Rambusch Decorating Company

Members in Attendance

Carol Frenning, Peter C. Bower, D. Foy Christoferson, Timothy Parker, Martin Rambusch, Jan Robitscher, Richard Vosko, Mark Wedig

Visitors in Attendance

Suzanne Herold, Martin Marklin, Andy Nguyen

Description of Work

Several papers were presented, followed by discussion.

Papers and Presentations

• Eileen D. Crowley, PhD, Associate Professor of Liturgy, Arts, and Communications, Catholic Theological Union, “Liturgical Media Art in Liturgies for Hard Times: Insights from Experimenting with Photography as Environmental Liturgical Art.”

• Timothy Kent Parker, PhD, Director, Graduate Program in Architecture, Associate Professor, History & Theory of Architecture & Art, School of Architecture + Art, Norwich University, “The Religious Architecture of the Second American Revolution/Founding.”
• Richard S. Vosko, PhD, Hon. AIA, Sacred Space Planner, “Nature’s Rotundas,” from a chapter in his new book.

Site Visits

The group participated in the group visit to the MLK site on Friday.

Other Work and Plans for the Future

Discussions for next year’s Seminar are underway.