our vision
The purpose of the Studio for Art, Faith & History is to encourage and equip communities of all sorts to restore the work of art in the places where they do their work.
An icon for the Studio might well be the Belltower of the Duomo in Florence. There, in groups of sevens, the medallions encircling the Belltower:
honor the arts that enhance our collective life as humans (the arts of building, weaving, painting, sculpting; the liberal arts of language and thought; the skills of agriculture and navigation);
celebrate the ceremonies and festivals that give narrative shape and purpose to our collective and personal life (the sacraments of the eucharist, of baptism and confirmation, confession and reconciliation, marriage, the anointing of the sick and dying);
underline the virtues of character needful for life together (prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude; faith, hope, charity).
The visual and performing arts were for many centuries embedded in the settings and celebrations of the church year and the annual cycles of the earth.