ART - Regis University

A
rt
and the
Mission
OF
E D
MAP OF ART AT REGIS
B
S T. J O
HN FRANCIS REGIS CHAPEL
S t. I g n at i u s o f L o y o l a
ART I N S TA L L A T I O NS
L o wel l bo ul evar d
A
Plaza adjoining
Carroll Hall
This bronze statue by
Colorado sculptor Jack
Kreutzer is part of a beautiful
reconfiguring of space between
Carroll and O’Connell Hall.
The plaza includes etched
pavement installations of the
University crest, a natural
rock fountain, and a “compass
rose” whose points articulate
the primary “Jesuit Virtues”
(cura personalis, magis, etc.).
Various plantings continue
the spirit of the arboretum
incorporated on campus.
C
Madonna Della
Strada Chapel
A
D
S t. J o h n F r a n c i s
Regis Preaching
to the People
Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
F
B
Fortune Plaza between
Main Hall and Chapel
Pedro Arrupe, S.J., was the
28th Superior General of
the Society of Jesus, serving
from 1965 to 1981. This
bronze by Brian Hanlon of
New Jersey is based on a
famous image of the Jesuit
in meditation. Its twin is at
Arrupe Jesuit High School
in Denver. Across the stairs
is a glass sculpture by Jim
Fletemeyer and Associates
displaying the “Prayer of
Arrupe” with background
images evocative of a
Japanese scroll painting.
(Arrupe was Superior of
the Jesuit house near
Hiroshima during World
War II.) Plaques explaining
the history of Father Arrupe
accompany the artworks.
REg is boulevard /west 5 0 th Avenue
Jesuit Memorial Garden
C
East end of Boettcher
Commons, near Carroll Hall
This memorial garden, installed in 2013, pays
tribute to the six Jesuits, their housekeeper,
and her daughter, martyred at the Universidad
Centroamericana in San Salvador on Nov.
16, 1989. The Regis Student Government
Association spearheaded the funding and
installation of this memorial space. The
white crosses symbolize the thousands of
“disappeared” persons in Central America,
victims of military and governmental actions.
The rose bush plantings reflect the
memorial garden planted at the UCA.
D
Chapel Narthex niches
This life-sized bronze
sculpture by Jack
Kreutzer of Loveland,
Colorado (Jack also did
the bronze of Ignatius of
Loyola near Carroll Hall)
captures the humanity
and engaging presence
of John Francis, a
touching and compelling
preacher and saint. The
depictions of a young
man and woman across
from him are metaphors
for contemplation and
action, key elements
of Ignatian spirituality.
A biography is cast in
a bronze mountainous
landscape in the Eastern
niche. The bronze bench
on the west side corner
of the entrance lets the
viewer be a part of the
tableau, to contemplate,
“How ought we to live?”
Five Icons of St. Ignatius/
Moments of Discernment,
Icon of Madonna
Della Strada
Dora Bitau, an Eastern
European artist in Rome,
created these original
images of Ignatius and a
representation of the fresco
of Madonna Della Strada
(church of Il Gesu, Rome),
the patron saint of the
original Jesuit enterprise.
The unusual format of the
icons reflects the journey
of the saint’s life.
The Saint John
Francis Regis Chapel
D
Designed by Soderstrom and
Associates Architects of Portland,
Oregon, the Chapel offers a flexible
and energetic space for worship,
reflection and mission-related
activities. It serves as a teaching
place about the Catholic faith and a
place of prayer. Its art, similar to the
cathedrals of Europe, instructs and
inspires through stories of the faith.
S T. J O
HN FRANCIS REGIS CHAPEL
ART I N S TA L L A T I O NS
Crucifixion
E
C h a p e l M e d i tat i o n
Garden, west side
of chapel
On the west side of the
chapel grounds, a striking
image of the Crucifixion is the
focal point of a meditational
garden. In 1998, Denver
sculptor Jan Van Ek created
a crucifix depicting Christ
as an African man using a
life-cast of a Denver native.
The church that requested
the artwork was unable to
complete its part of the
commission agreement, and
Van Ek moved to Oregon.
The sculpture languished in
the workroom of the Fedde
Foundry. Foundry owner Ray
Fedde (who cast the Chapel
bronze doors and Stations
of the Cross) donated the
sculpture to Regis. He also
fabricated a steel cross for
its installation. The cross is
situated against the view
of the mountains, among
beautiful native plantings.
The Tree of
Wisdom, Sculpture
F
Outside Coors Life
Directions Center
Alexander Tylevich of Russia
created this 35-foot-tall
sculpture that incorporates
the cross of Christ, rays of
steel cable, multiple spirals,
and cast symbolic images
of the disciplines taught
in the Felix Pomponio
Family Science Center. It
is crowned by a circle of
stainless steel “ribbons,”
referencing Jesus’ crown
of thorns and the kingship
of Christ. A quote of Jesuit
paleontologist Teilhard de
Chardin, S.J., is set within
the base of the sculpture.
ART
THE IGNATIAN STORY IN
AT
Whether it’s the awe-inspiring paintings in the
caves of Lascaux, the breathtaking sculpture of
the Greeks, or the ritualistic masks of African
tribes, human beings have manipulated earthly
materials to capture the transcendent and
divine. In the Western Christian tradition, images
have been used to share the story of Jesus, his
teachings, and the shifting understanding of who
the Christ is. Artists have used countless media to
tell the bravery of the saints, the mysteries of the
faith, and the work of the Body of Christ.
In the Jesuit tradition, where God is found in
all things, the arts have been used to engage
the human and the divine. For Ignatius, the
appropriateness of any Jesuit pursuit was
discerned by whether it promoted “the greater
service of God and the more universal good.”
As long as the making (and appreciation) of
something achieves that purpose,
there is room for it in the Ignatian world.
Regis’ Lowell campus in north Denver contains
art in the Catholic, Ignatian, and Western
traditions, and images and artifacts from many
other cultures. This embrace of other traditions
indicates the Jesuit embrace of the whole world,
as well as a Catholic sensibility that the spirit of
God pours into all of creation.
This brochure highlights the ongoing collection
of art that illuminate Regis’ Jesuit heritage.
A more comprehensive catalogue is available
online at REGIS.EDU/CAMPUSART.
For more information, contact the
University Office of Mission
303.458.4059 or kphillip@regis.edu