Environment and Art
2003 Indianapolis, Indiana
Letter from the Convener, Tom Slon SJ
October 5, 2002
Dear Member of the E&A Seminar:
For our meeting on Friday January 3, 2003, I propose the following:
| 9:00-10:45 | Academy business as already scheduled |
| 11:00 | departure from Hyatt (Indianapolis) |
| 12:00 | arrival at Visitor’s Center |
| 12:00-12:30 | view short presentation on Columbus at Visitor’s Center |
| 12:30-1:30 | lunch at Papa’s Deli or Smith & Row |
| 1:30-2:15 | First Christian Church |
| 2:15-3:00 | St. Peter’s Lutheran Church |
| 3:30-4:00 | North Christian church |
| 4:00-4:30 | St. Bartholomew’s R.C. Church |
| 4:30-5:30 | Return to Indianapolis |
| 5:30-6:00 | Cathedral in Indianapolis |
| 6:30 | Return to Hyatt |
| Schedule for the rest of the evening is free. |
The Visitor’s Center, restaurants, First Christian Church and St. Peter’s Lutheran are all only blocks apart from each other. The North Christian Church and St. Bartholomew’s are also in close proximity to each other.
We will be joined by Mr. Ed Sovik, renowned architect and liturgical consultant, and pioneer in church architecture for the renewed liturgy. He was the consultant for the renovation of the Cathedral in Indianapolis.
I have asked that we be met at the various sites by someone from the church staff, but I’ve also tried to make it clear that we are not tourists but professional designers, liturgical consultants and liturgists, so lengthy presentations by church personnel at the site would only detract from our study. Especially because our schedule is so ambitious, it is my hope that we leave discussion to the following day when we are back together in Indianapolis at the Hyatt. The site visit is opportunity to see, to read the building, to take notes, to make sketches, to photograph.
I am working to have photos (slides or digital) for Saturday’s discussion to jog and verify our communal memory. (Keep your fingers crossed that appropriate technology comes through.)
In anticipation of Saturday’s discussion, I’d like to remind us of the fruitful discussions we had in Reston on the practice of “the primitive liturgy” of early Christianity, and how that informs or does not inform our various contemporary church practices. (Once again, I refer you to the proceedings, now published, from last year’s meeting. They also appear on the NAAL web site.) Granted that the primitive liturgy is not entirely recoverable, nor is it to be regarded necessarily as “the golden age,” still it speaks of an essential experience, a communion, and a realization that God is doing something on behalf of the world and in the world. Against that background, how will we read these buildings? What do they say about “the experience” by virtue of their plan, their appointments, their aesthetics? What do they say about this experience as an American experience? as a modern experience? Is there a statement of faith to be read, and what is it?
As we did last year, I will be looking to some of the members to make presentations on each of these buildings, based on the visit, and initiate the discussions.
You can visit Columbus by way of their web site, www.columbusconnect.com. Find “architecture” in the left hand side bar.
In order to help me make plans and reservations, would you please let me know whether or not you intend to attend the Academy Conference in Indianapolis? Please take that opportunity to let me know what you think of the proposal as well.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Tom Slon, S.J.