MOCRA Voices

Dr. Aaron Rosen reflects on an artwork that holds deep personal meaning for him, in a conversation with MOCRA Director David Brinker. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 25: Aaron Rosen. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Aaron Rosen and to explore our other episodes.   Original release date: 3/6/2020

When MOCRA opened in 1993, many people were skeptical about a museum focusing on expressions of religion and spirituality in contemporary art. Preconceptions were firmly lodged for those coming from the perspective of art and for those coming from the perspective of faith and spirituality. By the time Founding Director Fr. Terrence Dempsey, S.J., retired from the museum on June 30, 2019, however, MOCRA had convincingly established that the religious and spiritual dimensions continue to nourish vital and varied currents in contemporary art. MOCRA celebrated Fr. Dempsey on Nov. 10, 2019, in a program called Pursuing the Spirit in Contemporary Art: A Celebration of Terrence Dempsey, S.J. The afternoon featured a talk by author and curator Dr. Aaron Rosen, who reflected on MOCRA's significance and took stock of the present and future of the dialogue between contemporary artists and the religious and spiritual dimensions. You can see that talk and other highlights of the celebration here. While he was in St. Louis, Rosen joined MOCRA’s new Director, David Brinker, to talk about Rosen’s scholarly and curatorial projects. In their wide-ranging conversation, they also speculated about future trajectories for MOCRA. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Love as Strong as Death."  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Aaron Rosen and to explore our other episodes.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 3/6/2020

How do you know if you're an artist? Many people would reflexively say they are not, since they cannot draw or paint or sculpt. But in this two-part episode, we hear from several people who have a more expansive understanding of what makes an artist. Their focus isn't on what is produced, but on the act of art-making itself, and the cultivation of an artistic methodology. In Part 1, St. Louis-based artist, author, and educator Con Christeson interviews Federica Thiene. Thiene is an artist based in Italy and co-founder of artway of thinking, a non-profit organization with the aim of researching collective creative processes, where the artist enters actively into the process of social change. Together they explore the origins and scope of artway and what it means to work within a co-creation methodology. Listen to Part 1 of the conversation here. Part 2 brings Christeson together with fellow St. Louis artist Tom Brady and MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker in a conversation about the development of an artistic practice and its role in the community. They reflect on their shared their experiences with Geographica Schema, a project spearheaded by Christeson to introduce artway concepts to artists and others in St. Louis. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Con Christeson, Federica Thiene, and Tom Brady, and to explore our other episodes.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/25/2017 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

How do you know if you're an artist? Many people would reflexively say they are not, since they cannot draw or paint or sculpt. But in this two-part episode, we hear from several people who have a more expansive understanding of what makes an artist. Their focus isn't on what is produced, but on the act of art-making itself, and the cultivation of an artistic methodology. In Part 1, St. Louis-based artist, author, and educator Con Christeson interviews Federica Thiene. Thiene is an artist based in Italy and co-founder of artway of thinking, a non-profit organization with the aim of researching collective creative processes, where the artist enters actively into the process of social change. Together they explore the origins and scope of artway and what it means to work within a co-creation methodology. Part 2 brings Christeson together with fellow St. Louis artist Tom Brady and MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker in a conversation about the development of an artistic practice and its role in the community. They reflect on their shared their experiences with Geographica Schema, a project spearheaded by Christeson to introduce artway concepts to artists and others in St. Louis. Listen to Part 2 of the conversation here. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Con Christeson, Federica Thiene, and Tom Brady, and to explore our other episodes.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/25/2017 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Thanks to her discerning eye and generous hospitality, Martha Schneider has built a reputation as one of the foremost gallerists specializing in contemporary Latin American photography. But 30 years ago, she had no inkling where her passion for art would lead her. She spoke with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about the origins of Schneider Gallery and how she came to represent world-renowned artists such as Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Luis González Palma, and Erika Diettes. They also talk about the highly successful collaborations between the gallery and MOCRA, including 2016's acclaimed exhibition, Erika Diettes: Sudarios. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Martha Schneider, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/23/2017 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Leo O'Donovan, SJ, talks about the compelling contemporary resonances he discerns in a painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner, "The Flight into Egypt." This is an Audio Extra to Episode 22: Leo O'Donovan, SJ.   Original release date: 12/22/2016

Jesuit priest Leo O'Donovan, SJ, has held some prominent roles, including over 20 years as the president of Georgetown University. But he has also kept up a lively engagement with the world of art and art exhibitions, a fact well known to readers of the periodicals America and Commonweal. O'Donovan spoke with MOCRA Director (and fellow Jesuit priest) Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about his s wide-ranging career and his perspective on contemporary religious art. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Henry Ossawa Tanner."  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Leo O'Donovan, SJ, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 12/22/2016 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

What impact can art have on those in training to become pastoral caregivers? Cristina Stevens shares reflections from three of her students about their experiences visiting MOCRA. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 21: Art, Empathy, And Healing. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Cristina Stevens and to explore our other episodes.   Original release date: 8/30/2016

Empathy is a term that surfaces in a variety of fields, including museums. MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker sets out to explore two different angles on museums and empathy. In Part 1, he talks with museum educator Adam Nilsen about how empathy is understood and studied, as well as the ways it is being applied in museum settings. Part 2 features chaplain and pastoral care educator Cristina Stevens reflecting on the role art and empathy play in the training and practice of those who support the spiritual needs of healthcare patients. Listen to Part 1 of the conversation here. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Student Reflections."  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Adam Nilsen and Cristina Stevens and to explore our other episodes.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 8/30/2016; updated on 5/30/2017 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Empathy is a term that surfaces in all kinds of settings, including museums. MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker sets out to explore two different angles on museums and empathy. In Part 1, he talks with museum educator Adam Nilsen about how empathy is understood and studied, as well as the ways it is being applied in museum settings. Part 2 features chaplain and pastoral care educator Cristina Stevens reflecting on the role art and empathy play in the training and practice of those who support the spiritual needs of healthcare patients. Listen to Part 2 of the conversation here. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Student Reflections."  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Adam Nilsen and Cristina Stevens and to explore our other episodes.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 8/30/2016; updated on 5/30/2017 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Pamela Ambrose talks about the ways in which art museums can use their collections to enrich the lives of people living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 20: Pamela Ambrose.   Original release date: 8/30/2016

Pamela Ambrose and Terrence Dempsey, SJ, discuss the inflatable sculpture Paranirvana, by Bay Area artist Lewis deSoto, a contemporary interpretation of a centuries-old Buddhist shrine. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 20: Pamela Ambrose.   Original release date: 8/30/2016

Pamela Ambrose has had a distinguished career as a curator and museum director. On the occasion of her retirement as Director of the Loyola University Museum of Art in Chicago, Ambrose joined MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, to look back over her distinguished career managing both galleries and museums, and talk about her enduring interest in the intersection of art and the spiritual dimension. Be sure to listen to the two Audio Extras, "Lewis deSoto's "Paranirvana"" and "Art and Alzheimer's." You can hear more from Ambrose in Episode 5: Pamela Ambrose and Ena Heller. Also, watch the related video podcast episode, "Art and the Religious Imagination," on the MOCRA Voices Vimeo channel. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Pamela Ambrose and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 8/30/2016 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

The multidimensional, abstract paintings, sculptures, and installations of artist Jordan Eagles have caught the imagination of viewers and critics alike. His invented preservation technique, combining blood, plexiglass, UV resin, and other materials, permanently retains the organic material’s natural colors, patterns, and textures. Eagles speaks with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about his unusual artistic media and his works’ rich symbolic associations. They also discuss Eagles’ continuing growth as an artist, including Blood Mirror, a work created to raise awareness about the FDA’s ban on the donation of blood by men who have sex with men. Jordan Eagles' work was featured in the 2013 MOCRA exhibition BLOOD / SPIRIT. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Jordan Eagles and to explore our other episodes.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 8/30/2016 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Howard Fox is well-known in contemporary art circles as a curator and author. MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, speaks with Fox about his approach to curating exhibitions and discerning trends in art-making, as well as the process of writing essays on contemporary art. Along the way they discuss specific artists who engage the religious and spiritual dimensions in their work.  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Howard Fox and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/31/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections. This two-part episode features people involved with MOCRA's groundbreaking 1994 exhibition, Consecrations: The Spiritual in Art in the Time of AIDS. Listen to Part 1 of the episode here. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about the people behind the voices.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/31/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections. This two-part episode features people involved with MOCRA's groundbreaking 1994 exhibition, Consecrations: The Spiritual in Art in the Time of AIDS. Listen to Part 2 of the episode here. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about the people behind the voices.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/31/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Artists Daniel Ramirez and Buzz Spector were studio mates in the MFA program at the University of Chicago in the 1970s, forging a friendship that has lasted ever since. In this wide-ranging conversation with MOCRA Voices, they trace the evolution of their artistic output over the decades. They touch on the thought of Ludwig Wittgenstein, the music of Olivier Messiaen, divine geometries, book design, and even the finer points of bowing technique. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Daniel Ramirez and Buzz Spector and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/30/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections. This episode features people involved with MOCRA's inaugural 1993 exhibition, Sanctuaries: Recovering the Holy in Contemporary Art.  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about the people behind the voices.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/29/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections. In this episode, MOCRA director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, reflects on three people who played pivotal roles in the creation and development of MOCRA. He encountered art historian Jane Daggett Dillenberger, theologian John Dillenberger, and art historian Peter Selz during his doctoral studies at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, California, a leading center of research in the intersection of contemporary art and religion.  Dempsey discusses how these important scholars shaped his thinking and practice in ways that ultimately led to the establishment of MOCRA. The episode includes excerpts from archival recordings of the scholars themselves.  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about the people behind the voices.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/29/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Menachem Wecker shares his observations of how religious art fares in the international art market. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 13: Menachem Wecker.   Original release date: 5/7/2015

Journalist and author Menachem Wecker has had a long-standing interest in art and religion in contemporary society. He joins MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker to talk about a wide range of topics, including how he identifies and researches topics for reporting, the role social media is playing in the dialogue between art and religion, and how religious scriptures are interpreted in graphic novel format.  Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "The Crucifixion Market." Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Menachem Wecker and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 5/7/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Ellen Dissanayake talks about the evolutionary adaptations that contribute to the influence of mothers on their children's development as artists. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 12: Ellen Dissanayake.   Original release date: 4/24/2015

Ellen Dissanayake knew that a well-known work by Paul Gauguin was the perfect match for her book. But that was just the beginning. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 12: Ellen Dissanayake.   Original release date: 4/24/2015

Author and scholar Ellen Dissanayake has taken a unique interdisciplinary approach to exploring the origins and meaning of human art-making. She speaks with MOCRA director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about her distinctive point of view, as well as the implications of her research for assessing and understanding contemporary art.  Be sure to listen to the Audio Extras, "Where Do Book Covers Come From?" and "Every Mother's Child, an Artist." Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Ellen Dissanayake and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 4/24/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Tobi Kahn is a New York-based painter, sculptor, and educator, who for over thirty years has been steadfast in his commitment to the redemptive possibilities of art. MOCRA director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., spoke with Kahn about integrating faith and heritage with his artistic practice, his commissions for public sacred spaces, and how MOCRA has impacted his career. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Tobi Kahn and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 1/20/2015 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about the people behind the voices.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 6/12/2014 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Showing how art can be a vehicle for interfaith understanding is a key element of MOCRA’s mission. But MOCRA isn’t the only arts institution exploring that possibility. In this two-part episode, MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker speaks with Batya Abramson-Goldstein, Executive Director of the St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council, and Timothy O’Leary, General Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Part 1 focuses on Opera Theatre’s 2011 production of the John Adams opera The Death of Klinghoffer, and how that opera became a springboard for interfaith conversation and action through the arts. Listen to Part 1 of the conversation here. In Part 2, Ambramson-Goldstein and O’Leary discuss the genesis of an interfaith September 11 memorial service, and other lasting positive consequences of the interfaith collaboration that began with The Death of Klinghoffer.  Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Batya Abramson-Goldstein and Timothy O’Leary, and to explore a Listening Guide to the conversation.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 6/7/2014 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Showing how art can be a vehicle for interfaith understanding is a key element of MOCRA’s mission. But MOCRA isn’t the only arts institution exploring that possibility. In this two-part episode, MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker speaks with Batya Abramson-Goldstein, Executive Director of the St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council, and Timothy O’Leary, General Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Part 1 focuses on Opera Theatre’s 2011 production of the John Adams opera The Death of Klinghoffer, and how that opera became a springboard for interfaith conversation and action through the arts. In Part 2, Ambramson-Goldstein and O’Leary discuss the genesis of an interfaith September 11 memorial service, and other lasting positive consequences of the interfaith collaboration that began with The Death of Klinghoffer. Listen to Part 2 of the conversation here. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Batya Abramson-Goldstein and Timothy O’Leary, and to explore a Listening Guide to the conversation.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 6/7/2014 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Mary Reid Brunstrom explains how two major sculptures by Richard Serra prompted a new direction in her life. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 8: Mary Reid Brunstrom.   Original release date: 6/7/2014

From the late 1980s through 2000, Austral Gallery brought St. Louis audiences the best in contemporary Australian art. In this episode, Mary Reid Brunstrom talks with MOCRA director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about founding Austral Gallery, her collaborations with MOCRA, and her decision to return to school to pursue studies in art history. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Serra Shows the Way." Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Mary Reid Brunstrom and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Host: Linda Kennedy Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 6/7/2014 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

An invitation to China's Guangzhou Triennial leads artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons to the unexpected realization that her Cuban family includes Chinese relatives. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 7: Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons.   Original release date: 11/15/2013

Multi-disciplinary artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons came to Saint Louis University in March 2013 to deliver The Kristen Peterson Distinguished Lecture in Art and Art History. Her talk, titled “Rituals and Spirituality in the Performative Photographic Work of Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons,” concerned her exploration of themes of separation, fragmentation, and memory through multiple artistic disciplines. The day before her talk, Campos-Pons sat down with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., and Dr. Olubukola Gbadegesin, Assistant Professor of Art History and African-American Studies at Saint Louis University, for a rich and varied discussion of Campos-Pons' work as an outgrowth of her life experiences and passions, as well as her work’s place in the wider context of diaspora art. Campos-Pons notes, “I am always in awe of the extent of mystery that is there present in our surroundings . . . I see myself not just as an artist but a healer, a messenger dispensing small amulets of good energies to my viewers and centered by respect for all that is animated.” Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, “Porcelain Doll.” Also, check out the related MOCRA Voices video episode, “Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: The Kristen Peterson Lecture.” Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 11/15/2013 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Revered Ralph Peterson and Dr. Jane Daggett Dillenberger reminisce about commissioning artist Louis Nevelson to design the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 6: Ralph Peterson and Jane Daggett Dillenberger.   Original release date: 7/8/2013

Rev. Ralph Peterson has had a lifelong passion for incorporating the arts into his ministry. He speaks with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about his role in commissioning the Erol Beker Chapel of the Good Shepherd, designed by artist Louise Nevelson, and located in St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan. They are also joined by art historian Dr. Jane Daggett Dillenberger, who consulted on the chapel project. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Taking the Narrative Seriously." Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Ralph Peterson and Jane Daggett Dillenberger, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer: Joe Grimaldi Editor: Mike Schrand Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 7/8/2013 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Museum directors Pamela Ambrose, Terrence Dempsey, S.J., and Ena Heller, talk about their favorite exhibitions from their respective museums. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 5: Pamela Ambrose and Ena Heller.   Original release date: 6/6/2013    

MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., is joined by two fellow museum directors: Pamela Ambrose (Loyola University Museum of Art, Chicago) and Ena Heller (Museum of Biblical Art). All three museums focus on art that engages the religious and spiritual dimensions. Ambrose, Heller, and Dempsey discuss a range of topics, including the place of religious art museums in the ecosystems of both art and religion, the challenges of presenting art in a spiritual and religious context, and the wide range of responses each director has fielded from visitors and critics alike. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Favorite Exhibitions." Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Pamela Ambrose and Ena Heller, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer: Joe Grimaldi Editor: Mike Schrand Host: John Launius Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 6/6/2013 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Artist Archie Granot and collector Max Thurm discuss the Jewish concept of hiddur mitzvah and its application to The Papercut Haggadah. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 4: Archie Granot.   Original release date: 8/9/2012

Israeli artist Archie Granot describes a harrowing experience with his chosen artistic tool: a surgical scalpel. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 4: Archie Granot.   Original release date: 8/9/2012

For this episode of MOCRA Voices, MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., and Assistant Director David Brinker talk with Israeli artist Archie Granot and American collector Max Thurm. Thurm and his wife Sandra commissioned a body of work from Granot titled The Papercut Haggadah, which was displayed at MOCRA in 2012.  They discuss a range of topics, including how Granot was drawn to the art of papercutting, how the commission came about, the special considerations engaged in creating an artwork based on a sacred text, and continuity and innovation in the Jewish tradition. Be sure to listen to the two Audio Extras, "Dropped Blade" and "Hiddur Mitzvah." Also, check out the related MOCRA Voices video episode, "The Jewish Experience and the Haggadah." Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Archie Granot, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Joe Grimaldi Host: John Launius Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 8/9/2012 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

These are excerpts from a talk called "The Changing Face of AIDS" delivered by curator and art historian Thomas Sokolowski at MOCRA in 1994. The talk was in conjunction with the exhibition Consecrations: The Spiritual in Art in the Time of AIDS. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 3: Thomas Sokolowski.   Original release date: 12/1/2011

Curator and art historian Thomas Sokolowski is no stranger to MOCRA audiences, having lectured at the museum in 1994 with a talk called "The Changing Face of AIDS" and again in 2002 with a talk called "The Last Impression: Andy Warhol's Art as Belief." In this interview, MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, and Sokolowski discuss issues related to art and AIDS. Topics include Sokolowski's experiences in presenting some of the earliest exhibitions of art about AIDS, and his role in the creation of the red ribbon for AIDS awareness. Also addressed are Sokolowski's role in introducing Dempsey to the late artist Adrian Kellard, and Sokolowski's significant role in making several MOCRA exhibitions possible.  During the interview, several references are made to Sokolowski's 1994 talk at MOCRA. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "The Changing Face of AIDS," which features excerpts from that lecture. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Sokolowski, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Fojammi (Daniel Stefacek) Host: John Launius Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 12/1/2011 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Artist Regina DeLuise and gallerist Susan Schreiber join MOCRA Voices to talk about the life and art of Adrian Kellard (1959–1991). DeLuise and Schreiber share stories of Kellard that serve to illuminate his artistic aims and influences, his distinctive visual style and treatment of his woodcut medium, and the ways in which Kellard's upbringing, sexual orientation, and faith found expression in his work. Kellard was the subject of a retrospective exhibit, The Learned Art of Compassion, organized by MOCRA in 2011. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Kellard, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview.   Recording Engineer and Editor: Fojammi (Daniel Stefacek) Host: John Launius Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 11/1/2011 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.

Artist James Rosen proposes swimming as a metaphor for the act of painting. He's talking with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 1: James Rosen.   Original release date: 6/4/2011  

In this wide-ranging conversation with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, artist James Rosen discusses his childhood in Detroit, his friendship with art critic Meyer Schapiro, the development of his distinctive oil/wax-oil emulsion painting technique, and his use of "veils" to camouflage his images. Rosen was the subject of a retrospective exhibit, The Artist and the Capable Observer, organized by MOCRA in 2010. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Rosen, and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview. Also be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "The Artist as Swimmer."   Recording Engineer and Editor:  Fojammi (Daniel Stefacek) Host: John Launius Producer: David Brinker Original release date: 6/4/2011 This episode was made possible with financial support from the Regional Arts Commission.