Athena Art Society, undaunted by a Covid year, had its annual juried exhibition at the Canticle Arts Center of Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio. The exhibition was associated with the October 4th Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi and ran from October 4 – November 6. Members submitted artworks based on themes related to St. Francis: ecology, nature, brotherhood, beauty, peace, animals, poverty, music, Feminine perspectives, and landscapes related to Italy or the Lourdes Campus.

The Awards

The award winners, shown above, are: Ann Vreeland, Best of Show, clay/mixed media; Mary Ellen Taylor, 1st place, ceramics; Katie Delay, 2nd place, mixed media; Kay Weprin, 3rd place, mixed media, Ellen Loeffler-Kalinoski, honorable mention, photography. Twenty four members are in the show, 17 of which are represented above. The juror for the show was artist Carol Imes Luscomb.

Lourdes University

The Sisters of St. Francis established Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio as a Catholic and Franciscan institution in 1958. It is accredited by 9 national, regional, and professional organizations. Lourdes’ mission is rooted in Catholic and Franciscan traditions, providing a values-centered education with academic excellence through integration of liberal arts and professional studies. In support of this mission, Lourdes nurtures a diverse intellectual community of students engaging in faith and reason; provides holistic, student-centered education rooted in the liberal arts; and fosters integrity, social responsibility, caring for all creation, and commitment to community service. The Franciscan values are expressed in its identity as a community—a community of learning, reverence, and service. Community is fundamental to the Franciscan tradition and is fostered on the campus with the goal that it flow outward to the religious and civic communities with whom they engage.

The Lourdes University Art Department offers two- and four-year degrees in Art and Art History. Students can also choose to pursue a concentration in Pre-Art Therapy.  The department has been relocated from the main campus to the Canticle Arts Center, a beautiful facility that’s been renovated in recent years to include expansive gallery space where student and community exhibitions can be installed. This dynamic gallery enables the students to showcase their best work and affords them easy access to not only the college population but the broader Sylvania community. “This broader audience is beneficial to the students as their artwork is available for purchase,” says Art  Chair and Athena member Erin Palmer Szavuly, M.F.A.  Athena is happy and proud to be able to exhibit in this special and beautiful space.