By Briana Dunn, Staff Writer

The Angelico Project’s Third Annual Greater Cincinnati Angelico Project Juried Art Exhibition is on display on the third floor of the Gallagher Student Center from Sept. 14 to Sept. 28.

Brad Torline, the Executive Director of the Angelico Project, spoke about the project’s mission to draw people together, which guided the juried art exhibit.

“Our baseline pitch is that a lot of art, thought and culture today focuses on lower things and politics, and there’s a lot of things dragging people down and dividing people,” Torline said. “Our goal is to try and unify people and get people focused on truth, goodness  and beauty again, and coming together. We come from a Catholic perspective, but we’re open for everybody.”

Featuring 37 artists from the region, the exhibit contains over 40 works of various disciplines and conveys a sense of the true, the good, and the beautiful. The jury considered over 120 submitted pieces from nearly 60 local artists for this year’s exhibition. The artists’ names were not displayed during the selection process, for an unbiased process of selection.

Reflecting on the work selected, one of the founders of the Angelico Project and featured artist Nancy-Carolyn Smith noted the sacredness of those chosen.

“Each one can bring you to a place of prayer, which is different than religious art,” Smith said. “It doesn’t have to be an overtly religious image, but it can inspire you to think about creation and the Creator.”

According to Torline, Xavier was not the first location selected for the exhibit this year but he is excited to be supported by the Xavier community.

“We thought we’d had [our venue] for a year, and it just fell out. And so, I shot an email to (Dr. President Hanycz’s) office,” said Torline. “Larry Lampe responded right away, and was like, we can use the third floor of the Student Center, and the students will get to see it.”

Smith noted the exhibit’s location provided challenges and advantages for displaying the work.

“I was daunted by the challenge of (the space) being in an oval, and the lighting is not ideal,” Smith said. “There’s some areas that are darker, so we put moodier pieces over there. And work that was mosaics with some glass, we put by the window so it sparkles a little and catches the eye. Those pieces really should be seen under a light that can catch that gold.”

“There’s also advantages of it being in this space, in that you’re very intimate to the art by the rail and the open part, so it forces you to really be there and attend,” Smith added.

Smith reflected on her experience arranging and hanging the works, allowing each piece to have its moment and influence those surrounding it.

“All these different artists with all their different things to say, the show has to be coherent,” Smith said. “It’s like making a mosaic, a whole other work of art, a composition with all these diverse pieces.”

Reflecting on the exhibit and the Angelico Project, Torline and Smith noted their appreciation for the Xavier community.

“I’m just super grateful to the Xavier administration and the staff and the faculty and the students,” Torline said.

“Everybody’s been very kind and welcoming, and it’s been a terrific experience,” Smith said.

The Angelico Project will return to Xavier on Tuesday, Oct. 29 for an evening with the Pope’s Astronomer Br. Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J. to discuss beauty and order in the universe.