By Luciana Bishay | Special to the Herald
Holy Family Catholic Academy of Honolulu, through a mutual association, was invited earlier this year to participate in the collaborative art project that included 11 Catholic schools from New York. Holy Family was the only school participating outside the state of New York.
Sue Bello, an art teacher at St. Martin de Porres Marianist School in New York, initiated the Christian icon art project to connect the Catholic schools in her state through an artistic expression of faith.
“My goal was to have eighth grade students from different backgrounds and parishes come together and express one faith, one Lord, and one baptism through Christian icon artwork,” said Bello.
The collaboration was such a success that it caught the attention of the National Museum of Catholic Art and History. A museum representative invited all 12 schools to display their art at its Manhattan museum.
Holy Family’s contribution was a depiction of the life of St. John the Baptist on 12-inch wooden squares created by the eighth grade visual art students.
The Hawaii students participating in the exhibition were Nathan Ariola, McGready Bushnell, Richel Cole, Patrick Cullen, Katie Dague, Kaitlyn Gannon, Katie Goetz, Erin Gowenlock, Kacie Harrington, A.J. Lee, Sonia Lillis, Jake Loken, Anuhea Lum, Garrett McCaffrey, Shannon McLellan, Charisse Pacheco, Anuhea Pohina, Rachel Roley, Uakea Street, Maria Tofalo, Tyler Vitelli and Jordan Wynn.
Their teacher said the project gave her students the opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of St. John the Baptist and to express their faith with students on the mainland.
“It is truly an honor to be a part of this wonderful exhibition and for my students to know that their work is on display in a national museum,” said Cathy Kerch, Holy Family’s visual arts teacher.
The Christian Icon Art was on display at the National Museum of Catholic Art and History, May 5-20. You may still be able to view the icon art online at www.nmcah.org/exhibitions_expressions.htm.
Luciana Bishay is the technology director and Hawaii Catholic Herald school news reporter at Holy Family Catholic Academy.