Four Founders: 20 Years of Exhibitions
20 years ago, the idea of having changing exhibitions in Taliaferro Hall was born. Jay Wright and Jean Dodd began putting up collections. Installing a hanging system was a crucial part of the ability to do exhibitions. Jay installed a hanging system similar to those he used in shows with Riverside Fine Arts.
The exhibitions featured individual local artists and artists from St. John's Cathedral's congregation, especially from the classes that Jean and Fr. Lou Towson, the third founder, were teaching. An early annual event was an exhibition of Cathedral Arts Project children's work.
And early on, Dan Hadwin joined the exhibition schedule with an exhibition of his photography. Photography became another visual art added to the shows. At that point, Dan joined Jean, Lou, and Jay as the Exhibition Committee, eventually known as the Art Guild.
The Art Guild worked to enhance the classes by updating the art studio and storage space. The FOUR FOUNDERS, aided by many other staff members and the congregation, have presented the community with 20 years of visual arts presentations and classes.
The Art Guild's cooperation with the St. John's Cathedral Bookstore & Gift Shop is particularly noteworthy. Kathryn Bissette, bookstore manager, has been an integral part of every exhibition since the artwork was offered for sale. The work of Nancy Purcell, director of communications and marketing, has been a key to promoting the visual arts at the Cathedral. The Four Founders thank all who have helped make this ministry a success.
Over the years, work from the Cathedral's collection, such as vestments and sacred vessels and those of St. John's Cathedral members, have been exhibited. Moreover, the Art Guild has presented various themed exhibitions, including the Holocaust and Redlining in Jacksonville, topics that were themes of Dean Kate's books, and collaborative presentations with other Jacksonville churches.
The ability to better exhibit the subject matter was made possible recently by adding state-of-the-art exhibition lighting. Funding for this was made possible by Dottie Dorion and the gift of quilts for sale by Jacque Huber.
Averaging six to seven exhibitions a year, it is estimated that during the past 20 years, the Cathedral has provided over 100 art exhibitions. In the Episcopal tradition of presenting the sacred to its members and the community, the Cathedral hopes to continue its visual arts offerings for many years.
The Four Founders: 20 Years of Exhibitions
A collection of art work from The Four Founders: 20 Years of Exhibitions
