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 I was honored to act as Curator for the ECVA’s Fall 2019 exhibition, Universal Christ. In March of 2019 I was invited to be a presenter at the Universal Christ Conference held at the Albuquerque Convention Center sponsored by the Center for Action and Contemplation and everywhere in the crowd of 2300 diverse, loving and hopeful people I saw the universal face of Christ. The conference was fueled and inspired by the presence and words of Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, who touched the hearts of everyone there as well as the 2800 webcasting and via his book, The Universal Christ (Convergent, 2019).
First of all let me express my admiration and gratitude to every artist who submitted to this exhibit because I know from personal experience how vulnerable we all feel. Each submission is unique and deserves to be written about and discussed and each piece reminds just how varied, beautiful and visionary the human spirit is.
This exhibit includes imagery inspired by the Gospel and as well art that honors women as the foundational source of grace. And there are interpretations reflecting God ‘within me’, which is perhaps the most difficult of all expressions. The non-representational pieces, all beautiful, often feel the most honest, as we can never really 'know' but only search for what feels true.
Kathy Bozzuti-Jones’ close-up study 'I am in God God is in me' touched my heart with its vulnerability. I loved that she chose to celebrate this person so tenderly. She writes about 'Communion in the grove', another work in the exhibit, 'On a contemplative pilgrim’s walk through the ancient one-tree forest known as Pando in central Utah (over 100 acres of quaking aspen sharing a single root ball) I could see and smell - and know – the truth that humanity and all creation have never been separate from God.'
Carol Ann Webb’s 'Guardian of the threshold' is a wonderful complement to this exhibit for it is a reminder that the Universal Christ is inclusive of all of God’s creations.
Margaret Adams Parker’s 'Madonna, Angola' is black and white and stark. The clean lines depict the Universal Christ in loving and familiar terms, a mother and child, Mary and Jesus..us. This is what she says, 'But the image of a stalwart mother cradling her infant against a stark black background is emblematic of the plight of all who must flee their homes. And it reminds us that Christ and his Mother were likewise displaced – as are hundreds of thousands around the world today and across the centuries. In this way Christ and Mary stand in solidarity with our experiences and our suffering'.
I hope viewers find inspiration, comfort and delight in this exhibit. As an artist myself I know how important it is to recognize the talent, time, physical effort and soul-searching it took each artist here to create their work and offer it to us. This particular exhibit, timely and needed right now, serves as a unified visual statement of hope and inclusion. The intention is pure. This art, created by the hearts and hands of many, mirrors just how vital it is to experience all people, different creatures, Mother Earth and the Universe itself as reflections of God and of God’s love for us.
Janet McKenzie, Curator, the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont
Painting, Mary & Jesus with the papel picado, collection of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, VT, by Janet McKenzie
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Janet McKenzie came to national prominence for her controversial painting, Jesus of the People. Selected First Place winner of The National Catholic Reporter’s global competition, Jesus 2000, by Juror, the late Sr. Wendy Beckett, her inclusive painting was revealed for the first time on the Today Show. McKenzie’s dark interpretation (modeled by a woman) includes and honors two groups traditionally marginalized and left out of iconography of Jesus – people of color and women. The initial response was hateful with the work receiving a fiercely negative backlash. Jesus of the People was exhibited under protective plexi-glass while on tour for three years, the artist received threats of all kinds, her mail was separated for fear of letter-bombs and the model’s identity was not revealed. Janet McKenzie’s interpretation was not however, created to be controversial. She simply longed to see a painting reflecting a self-evident truth - we are all created equally and beautifully in God’s likeness. Jesus of the People has been featured all over the world and is now celebrated as a true icon of this time.
Holiness and the Feminine Spirit – the Art of Janet McKenzie, published by Orbis Books, features 28 of the artist’s paintings with reflections written by leading writers and theologians - all women. The book won the 2010 First Place Award for Spirituality from the Catholic Press Association.
Janet McKenzie was a presenter at The Universal Christ Conference (2019), held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, New Mexico, sponsored by the Center for Action and Contemplation and founded by Franciscan monk, Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM. She was the 2013 William Belden Noble Lecturer at Memorial Church, Harvard University. Commissions include Loyola School, NYC, Harvard University, St. Mary’s University of MN, and the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the University of Dayton. Collections include the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, VT, Archdiocese of Chicago, Arrupe College at Loyola University, Chicago and Carlow University, Pittsburgh. Mountain Lake PBS and Memorial Church at Harvard University each created short documentaries on her work.
Janet McKenzie’s art is regularly carried in vigils and protest demonstrations across the country in support of racial justice, gender equality and the rights of immigrants and the LGBTQ community.
Janet McKenzie is from New York City and her dedication to honoring women in her work comes from the early loss of her mother and grandmother to cancer. Her faith is broad and inclusive, inspired by the Episcopal Church, the Roman Catholic Church and Judaism, each contributing to her unique view that we are all more similar than different. Her commitment to celebrating diversity in her art comes from her desire to honor each person as a reflection of God. Janet McKenzie lives and works in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and has one son Simeon – the joy of her life.
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