The Catholic Church has historically been known as one of the foremost patrons of the arts. But does the Church still influence the arts in our modern culture? Can beauty, in the famous words of Dostoevsky, actually “save the world”?
CatholicTV host and artist Clare McCallan believes so! In The Renaissance Room, Clare introduces you to painters, musicians, storytellers, fashion designers, and other Catholic artisans whose work and lives bear witness to God’s creative image that is present in all of us—and as active in the Church today as ever.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find in The Renaissance Room.
In this episode, Clare McCallan and Luisamaria Hernandez discuss the lack of beauty both in our world and in the Church. With 24/7 access to screens and devices—which are often sources of disordered beauty—many of us have become “so desensitized to the fact that we’re not intaking beauty on a regular basis,” according to Luisamaria. This motivates her to make art that points others to true beauty and, ultimately, to God himself.
Luisamaria uses her musically trained voice and passion for storytelling to create and perform spoken word pieces centering around themes such as mercy and redemption. Not sure what spoken word art is? Watch the full episode to see Luisamaria perform “Prisoner of Mercy,” a short piece featuring stories of those imprisoned, struggling with addiction, and healing after an abortion.
What would it look like to extend liturgical living to our clothing choices? Fashion designer Veronica Marrinan shows us in her stunning fashion line, Litany, inspired by many of the themes of the Catholic faith including the saints, Divine Mercy, the Blessed Mother, and the Eucharist.
For Veronica, clothes aren’t just garments we cover our bodies with. Rather, they can be contemplative tools to remind us to focus on God throughout the day, helping us go deeper in our relationship with him. Learn more about contemplative clothing as a part of liturgical life and see several of Veronicas original pieces in the full episode.
Jerome Harkins and Culyer Ledyard are young musicians and alumni of St. Joseph’s Home for Artisans, a Catholic creative community on the North End of Boston. In this episode of The Renaissance Room, they talk about the importance of community in the creative life and perform some of the music their band has composed.
As individual musicians coming together to form a band, Jerome, Cuyler, and their bandmates have experienced first-hand what it means to deny themselves and challenge and serve each other, thus embodying the Scripture: “Iron is sharpened by iron; one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17, NAB). The stories these musicians share testify to the beauty of community and the vital role it plays in both creative and spiritual flourishing.
Amanda Cortes is a visual artist whose work in drawing, painting, and sculpture focuses on the human person. Her journey as an artist has taught her that “we’re more than just corporal; we’re more than just dust. There’s something spiritual [in us] that’s yearning to be nourished.”
Amanda believes that artists have a unique opportunity to speak to this spiritual need. To her, true success is found not in being accepted by galleries but in being able to touch the heart of another person through her work. Learn more about Amanda’s vision behind her art and see some examples of her beautiful drawings in the full episode.
Inspired by what you’ve read so far? This is just a sampling of what you’ll experience in The Renaissance Room! Tune in every Monday at 9pm ET or watch on-demand anytime at CatholicTV.org. May the artisans featured in this series challenge you to consider the creative image of God within you—whether or not you’d call yourself an artist—and how Our Lord might use you to point others to himself.
This is the kind of beauty that can truly save the world.
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