“A Jesuit Influence in the Fine and Performing Arts: Creighton Universityʼs Contribution to
American Jesuit University Education since 1964.”
A. Introductory Background
Particularly in the era of post-Vatican II Catholic Church renewal and aggiornamento
since the mid-1960ʼs, Jesuit initiatives in university education reflected the Churchʼs
rediscovery of its sacramental imagination and its connection with the fine and
performing and literary arts. These movements included, to name a few:
a. the revision of the sacred liturgy to be more accessible and transparent to the
worshipping community,
b. prayer and music in the vernacular language,
c. a revised theology of grace, creation, and Incarnation and the Holy Spirit at work
in the body of the faithtul,
d. metaphorical and analogical expression (music, drama, architecture, the visual
and poetic language arts),
e. inculturation of the gospel preaching and teaching,
f. fresh approaches to Holy Scripture,
g. the charismatic renewal
h. expression of the sacred and mystical in creative literature and story
i. and study of Ignatian sources, spirituality, and in particular The Spiritual
Exercises.
To a certain extent, the rediscovery of the arts in Jesuit education was a return to the
pre-eminence of Jesuit education in the arts before the Suppression of the Society of
Jesus (1777-1814) when Jesuit colleges and universities were distinguished by their
attention to the arts and architecture, painting, sculpture, music, theater, dance and
poetry1 as methods for inculturation of the gospel in word and performance2.
The renewed awareness of the arts and education in the arts accompanied the dramatic
changes in culture that occurred in the United States and worldwide during the 1960ʼs.
Artistic expression in music and theater, the visual arts, creative writing, and the
emergence of an energetic youth culture certainly gave energy to the growing awareness
1
O'Malley, John W. S.J. and Bailey, Gauvin Alexander, eds., The Jesuits and the Arts,
1540-1773. Philadelphia: Saint Joseph's University Press, 2005.
2
McNaspy, Clement J. SJ. “Art in Jesuit Life,” Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits V: 3
(April, 1973), 94-99.
of the importance of the arts in the development of the “whole” human person during the
social and educational movements of the 60ʼs.3
An important historical event that highlighted the increasing awareness of Jesuits in the
importance of the vocation of the artist in the worldwide Church and Society, as well as in
the educational ministry of the Society, was the meeting of the Jesuit General Fr. Pedro
Arrupe with a gathering of the Jesuit Institute for the Arts in Rome at Mondragone,
Frascati, Italy on June 16, 1972. Often quoted words by Fr. Arrupe:
“You [Jesuit artists] are the fortunate ones. You speak and all listen, all understand. More
than the preacherʼs word, it is the musicianʼs touch that is bringing the youth to God
again. More than the politician, it is the folk singer who draws the races hand in hand.
Heart speaks to heart in mysterious ways, and it is the artist who holds the key to the
mystery. He can touch the wellsprings of the human heart, and release energies of the
soul that the rest of the world does not suspect.”4
“In a 1973 [sic] talk given in Italy, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, former superior general of the
Jesuits, said Ignatius believed artists had a great responsibility to direct the view of the
average person and to speak for the average person. Arrupe went on to say that,
according to Ignatius, Jesuit and Jesuit-related art has five goals:
•To illustrate Godʼs greater glory, elevating humans to the fullness of God
•To teach, and thereby enrich humanity
•To form and lead young people to a Christian life
•To help other artists and lead them to Christ
•To focus on Christ as the inspiration and goal for all art.”
From “Ignatian Imprints.” Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, 2007.5
Fr. Arrupeʼs remarks to Jesuit artists have been interpreted as a commentary on
Document 30 of the 31st General Congregation (1965-66) in which it was stated:
“…in our day especially works of art can exert a vast influence, whether it be with respect
to the growth and unfolding of human personality, or to the development of civil society,
or to the mutual union of men, a union that paves the way to union with God….The 31st
General Congregation, taking into consideration both the tradition of the Society and the
signs of the times, and aware of the importance of the arts for building up the kingdom of
God, wishes to encourage the activity of its members who toil in this field [the arts] for the
greater glory of God.”6
3
McNaspy. “The Culture Explosion.” America Magazine 104: 10 (3 Dec. 1960), 340-42.
Arrupe. Pedro SJ. “Art and the Spirit of the Society of Jesus,” Studies in the Spirituality
of Jesuits”. V: 3 (April, 1973), 91.
5
Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. “Ignatian Imprints,” 2007.
6
”Cultivating the Arts in the Society”. Documents of the 31st and 32nd General
Congregations of the Society of Jesus. St. Louis: The Institute of Jesuit Sources,
1977; Document 30, 243-44.
4 3
B. The Early Contributions of Jesuit artists in Omaha and at Creighton University.
1. 1962: Fr. Leland Lubbers returned from finishing a doctoral degree in Aesthetics
from the University of Paris to Creighton Prep in Omaha. He started a program in
art and art history at Prep.
1964: Lubbers came to Creighton University as a professor of Fine Arts and
began an academic program in Fine Arts within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Lubbers became the first department Chair and recruited a number of Jesuits to
become members of the faculty including Randall Hall SJ, and Don Doll SJ.
Lubbers recruited faculty members in Visual Arts and Dance, and he located the
Art Department in the former Pharmacy School library near 15th and Chicago Sts.
2. 1970ʼs: The Fine Arts program expanded to include Theater courses, formerly
offered within the department of Speech and Communications, directed by Tony
Weber SJ.
3. 1970ʼs-present: Under the leadership of Lubbers, Frances Kraft, and Don Doll SJ
as department Chairs, the Fine Arts program developed a curriculum in Visual
Arts (Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Photography, Ceramics, and Printmaking), Art
History, Theater, Dance, Music History and Chorus.
4. Jesuit art faculty who served in the department from its foundation to the present
were exceptional in number compared to any of the other 28 Jesuit colleges and
universities in the United States, particularly given the size of Creighton University
and the comparatively small number of Jesuits who had been professionally
trained in the arts during that period:
Jesuit Faculty: Creighton Fine and Performing Arts
Leland Lubbers, Sculpture, Art History, Aesthetics, Creativity
First Department Chair
Randall Hall, Printmaking
Tony Weber, Theater
Don Doll, Photography, Journalism
Department Chair
Bernard Portz, Music and Choral Direction
Joseph Brown, Artist in Residence: Theater, Creative Writing
Jonathan Haschka, Artist in Residence: Sculpture
Michael Flecky: Photography
Gerald Walling: Theater
Ted Bohr: Art History
Charles Jurgensmeyer: Music
1964-1989
1964-1972
-1972
1967-1977
1969-2002
1977-1990
1970-1985
1975-1980
1977-1984
1981-present
1996-2009
1998-2008
C. The Academic Legacy of Creighton Universityʼs Fine and Performing Arts
Department.
1. By 1976, the Department of Fine and Performing Arts had expanded to offer the
Major in Visual Arts and Dance, as well as the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in
Visual Arts and Dance. Visual Arts studios offered the full range of traditional
studio arts courses including Foundations, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking,
Photography, Ceramics, Sculpture, as well as Art History. Dance studios offered
classical ballet and modern dance, as well as accreditation by the Royal
Academy of Ballet.
2. By 1977, a Theater Major was developed with a full production schedule including
main stage and studio performances and courses in Direction, Lighting, Set and
Costume Design. Music Courses were offered in Appreciation and Choral
Performance.
By 1977, Creighton University had the only Fine and Performing Arts Department
among the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States with a full
complement of Studio Arts Majors and BFA degrees offered in the Visual and
Performing Arts.
3. The Jesuit Institute for the Arts:
The story of American Jesuit artists in the last 45 years must acknowledge the
contribution of the national Jesuit Institute for the Arts, inspired largely by Fr.
Clement J. McNaspy. Under McNaspyʼs informal direction, artists from across the
United States gathered formally during the summer of 1970 at Holy Cross
College, in 1971 at Santa Clara University, and in Rome. The purpose of the
Institute was to enable Jesuits professionally trained and engaged in the fine arts
to gather for reflection, prayer, creative expression, and criticism. While American
in origin and original membership, the Institute became increasingly international.7
Besides meeting in Rome and cultural centers such as Mexico, Greece, and the
Holy Land, Jesuits of the Institute sponsored tours of art museums, musical
performances, and exhibitions. It was during one such gathering in Rome on 16
June 1972 that Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the General Superior of the Society of Jesus,
delivered his historic address to Jesuits regarding the central importance of the
arts and artists in the Mission of the Society.8
4. The Jesuit Institute for the Arts at Creighton University:
7
8
Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits, editorʼs forward. v-vi.
Arrupe. Pedro. “Art and the Spirit of the Society of Jesus”, Studies in the Spirituality
of Jesuits”. 83-92
What began in 1970 as an informal and occasional gathering of Jesuit artists
became institutional to Creighton University in the late 1970ʼs. In cooperation with
the Creighton Summer School and the Department of Fine and Performing Arts,
the JIA met in Omaha to celebrate the role of Jesuit artists in exhibitions, lectures,
liturgy, and prayer. Credit courses taught by visiting Jesuit artists and regular
Creighton faculty were offered in the traditional art studios, as well as special
performances in music, theater, dance, and circus.
Among the memorable and unique events from the JIA Summer sessions were
the classes and performances of the Royal Lichtenstein Quarter Ring Circus
with Nick Weber SJ as ringmaster and the Shakespeare in the Garden
performances directed by Bill Cain SJ. The success of the Shakespeare in the
Garden performances led to the formation of the annual Omaha Shakespeare
on the Green productions which have been conducted in Omaha for many years
with the original encouragement of Don Doll SJ as Creighotn Fine Arts Chair and
Creighton Professor Alan Klem, Shakespeare on the Green co-founder.
The visibility of Jesuits in the arts at Creighton University and Creighton among
Jesuit institutions of higher learning was greatly enhanced by the presence of the
national Jesuit Institute for the Arts on the Creighton campus during the summers
of 1976-1980. The Jesuit Institute for the Arts attracted Jesuit artists, writers,
teachers, directors, musicians, and performers from around the country, as well
as young Jesuit students, to share not only their professional talents and training,
but also their vision of the emerging role of art in service of the Church and in
Jesuit university education. The JIA also attracted lay faculty colleagues to join in
the work of professional art and education, as well as lay art students from
Creighton and the surrounding Omaha community.
Among those visiting Jesuits from around the United States who participated in
the JIA Summer Schools, some for several summers, were the following:
Jesuit Institute for the Arts (1976-1983)
C.J. McNaspy, Loyola University New Orleans, Music and Art History
Kevin Waters, Seattle University, Music
Ernesto Ferlita, Loyola University New Orleans, Theater
Nick Weber, Royal Lichtenstein Quarter Ring Circus
Bill Cain, Boston Shakespeare
Tom Cully, Loyola University New Orleans, Music
Dennis McNally, St. Joseph University, Painting
James Dockery, Loyola University Baltimore, Theater
Bob Pospisil, Seattle University, Sculpture
Jerome Pryor, Xavier University Cincinnati, Painting
William Lynch, author Christ and Apollo
Brad Reynolds, Oregon Province, Photography
5. The Jesuit Humanities Program at Creighton University:
An extremely important event in the educational history of this period was the
foundation of the Jesuit Humanities Program at Camion House on the Creighton
University campus. From 1979-2000, young Jesuits in their collegiate course of
studies, came to Creighton University for courses in the Humanities with an
emphasis on writing and speaking. Along with their courses in liberal arts, Jesuit
students were encouraged to develop their interests and talents in music, acting,
art appreciation, and the fine arts. Jesuit students and faculty in the community at
Campion House of Studies also offered an outreach to talented lay students who
enrolled in courses specially designed for a challenging encounter with the
humanities in a contemporary Jesuit educational context.
Students who originally became exposed to the performing and fine arts at
Creighton while participating in the Jesuit Humanities Program have gone on to
pursue further studies and careers in the Fine and Performing Arts and some
have become leaders in their artistic fields.
Jesuit Professional Training in the Fine and Performing Arts
The nexus of Creighton University Jesuits, members of the Wisconsin Province of the
Society of Jesus, and national and international students in the Jesuit Humanities
Program provides the following partial list of professionally trained Jesuit artists from
the last 40 years:
Joseph Brown, Creative Writing, MFA Johns Hopkins University
Jonathan Haschka, Sculpture, MFA University of Georgia
Michael Flecky, Photography, Rochester Institute of Technology
Donald Fehrenbach, Painting, MFA George Washington University
George Drance, Theater, MFA Columbia University, Artist-in-residence at
Fordham University, Lincoln Center
Grant Garinger SJ, Theater, MFA California Institute for the Arts, professor of
Theater Arts at Loyola Marymount University
Uwem Akpan, Creative Writing, MFA University of Michigan
David Smith, Sculpture, Art Education
John Paul, Theater
D. The Liturgical Music of the St. Louis Jesuits and Creighton University
Another noteworthy connection between Creighton University and the Jesuit
contribution to the arts in America is that of Creighton and “The St. Louis
Jesuits” musical group. Although the name would suggest otherwise, two of
the remaining four members of the highly influential musical group, Bob
Dufford SJ and Roc OʼConnor SJ, are from Omaha and were educated at
Creighton Preparatory School. Bob Dufford served a number of years in Campus
Ministry and at St. Johnʼs Parish at Creighton University, and Roc OʼConnor is on the
Theology faculty and currently serves as Rector of the Creighton Jesuit Community.
The “St. Louis Jesuits” continue to write, record and perform their liturgical worship
music and have had an extremely important impact on the development of postVatican Catholic parish liturgical reform. Recent concerts in Minneapolis and at the
Holland Performing Art Center in Omaha have played to capacity houses.
E. Creightonʼs Fine and Performing Arts Alumni: Professional Artists and Educators
Perhaps the truest measure of the strength of an academic program is the success
and influence of its graduates. In Fall 2004, Company Magazine, a quarterly
publication of the Jesuits of the United States, published an issue devoted to the
many graduates of Jesuit colleges and universities who have achieved noteworthy
success in their fields. The article lists nearly 200 illustrious graduates of Jesuit high
schools, colleges, and universities in fields as diverse as Acting, Business,
Government, Law, Media, Music, Public Service, Religion, Sports, and Literature.9
The impressive credentials of the graduates of Jesuit institutions nationwide
suggested a similar compilation and analysis of the graduates of the Creighton
University Fine and Performing Arts Department, particularly with attention to their
success in the fields of professional studio arts, performing arts and music, dance,
arts education, and art history.
The following is an attempt to begin to list the activities, advanced degrees, and
professional careers of Fine and Performing Arts graduates that I have kept in touch
with personally. I intend to add information that can be supplied by my colleagues in
the Fine and Performing Arts Department, as well as the Creighton alumni records.
Given the tremendous energy that goes into attracting students to come to Creighton
as beginning students, it seems equally and perhaps even more important to track
the significant achievements in the careers of Creightonʼs Fine and Performing Arts
graduates. In addition to an information bank that would be helpful in promoting the
Arts at Creighton for prospective students and their parents, information about
graduate success in the Arts would allow for alumni collaboration and networking
and promotion of their work in the local and national communities that Creighton
serves. And finally, an added area for assessment of the effect of their Creighton
educational experience in the Arts would be the question of how the goals and
specific inspiration of the Jesuit Mission in education has affected and enriched our
graduates in their personal and professional lives as artists and human beings.
A Catalogue of Graduates from the Fine and Performing Arts in the Last 45 Years:
Margie Quinn BFA
Tom Quinn BFA
Art Chair, Omaha Central High School
PhD, University of Nebraska Lincoln
Professor of Anatomy and Surgery
Creighton University
Nancy Nye BFA
9
“Most Likely to Succeed”, Company Magazine (Fall 2004).
Susan Vecchio BFA
Marcia Honz BFA
Ron Geibert BFA, Photography
Pat Sullivan BFA, Ceramics
Tom Rossi BA, Ceramics
Jim Killian BFA, Theater
Jim Butkus BFA, Photography
Tom Langdon BFA, Photography
Jim Coenen BFA, Ceramics
Mary Bednar BA
John Lajba, Sculpture
Peggy Reinke BFA, Painting
Becky Herman BFA, Painting
Liz Doherty (Mazzotta) BFA, Dance
Mary Beth Quinn BFA, Dance
Karen Zuegner, BA, Painting
Cliff Dossel BFA, Photography
Margaret Axiotes (Doan) BFA
Johnna Marcil (Eck) BFA, Painting
Alan Norris BFA, Photography
Joe Townley BA, Photography
John Andrews BFA, Printmaking
Ulla Gallagher BFA, Photography
Kristen Pluhacek BFA, Painting
Michael Montag BFA, Sculpture
Kim Cominsky BFA, Sculpture
Katie Pavlik (Holman) BA
Yanna Raemakers BFA Sculpture
Rachel Schieffer BA
Jill Rizzo
Joel Davies BFA
Tim Guthrie BFA
Tancy Jahn BFA, Printmaking
Brandon McKenna BA, Photography
Professor of Photography, Wayne State
University
Professional Potter, Omaha Studio and Kiln
MFA, Rochester Institute of Technology,
Photography
Professor of Photography, Metropolitan
Community College, Omaha
University of Iowa
Jewelry Studio, Des Moines Iowa
Professional Sculptor, Omaha Studio
Graduate Studies in Art Therapy
MFA, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Professor of Imaging and Media Arts
Metropolitan Community College, Omaha
MFA, Queens College NY, Painting
MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago Sculpture, Museum Studies
Installations Manager/Registrar, Southeastern
Center for Contemporary Art, WinstonSalem NC MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago,
Design
MFA, University of Chicago, Painting
Art Dept. Head, Omaha Skutt High School
Professional Photography Studio, Barcelona
Spain
M.D. Creighton University, Ophthalmology
MFA, University of Iowa, Painting
MFA
MA, Art Therapy, Emporiav(KS) State University
MFA, Indiana State University
Professor of Journalism, Creighton University
MFA, University of Idaho
Professional Photography Studio, Omaha
Matt Dehaemers BFA, Sculpture
Matias Bilbao BA, Photography
Shanna Crosby BFA, Printmaking
Amy Nelson BFA, Ceramics
Aspen Hochhalter BFA, Photography
Ben Isburg BFA, Painting
Maggie Phelan
Nathan DePuydt BA
George Martin BA
Antonio Martinez BFA, Mixed Media
Michael Cameron BFA, Photography
Brian Flannery BA
Michael Mayer BFA,
Photography and Design
Chris Cloyd BFA, Theater
Carolyn Mullaney BA
MFA, University of Wisconsin, Sculpture
MFA, University of Miami, Photography
MFA, East Carolina University, Ceramics
Professor of Ceramics, Creighton University
MFA, East Carolina University, Photography
Professor of Photography, UNC Charlotte
MFA, East Carolina University, Photography
Graduate Studies in Art History
MA, Creighton University, Art Education
Magis Program
Creative Services, ALPS Holdings Inc.
MFA, East Carolina University
Professor of Photography, SIU Carbondale
MFA, Cranbrook Academy 2008
Photography and Video
MFA, University of Southern California,
Cinematic Arts
MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
(in progress)
F. Annotated Bibliography
Arrupe, Pedro SJ. “Art and the Spirit of the Society of Jesus.” An address to the Jesuit
Institute of the Arts: June 16, 1972. Frascati, Italy.
In a 1973 talk given in Italy, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, former superior general of the
Jesuits, said Ignatius believed artists had a great responsibility to direct the view
of the average person and to speak for the average person. Arrupe went on to
say that, according to Ignatius, Jesuit and Jesuit-related art has five goals:
•To illustrate Godʼs greater glory, elevating humans to the fullness of God
•To teach, and thereby enrich humanity
•To form and lead young people to a Christian life
•To help other artists and lead them to Christ
•To focus on Christ as the inspiration and goal for all art.
“Heart speaks to heart in mysterious ways, and it is the artist who holds the key
to the mystery. He can touch the wellsprings of the human heart, and release
energies of the soul that the rest of the world does not suspect.”
From “Ignatian Imprints.” Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, 2007.
(http://www.ignatianimprints.org/spring07/art.shtml)
Company Magazine, “Most Likely to Succeed”, (Fall 2004).
(http://www.companymagazine.org/v221/likelytosucceed.htm)
Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education. “The Arts.” The National Seminar on Jesuit
Higher Education: Fall, 1998: No.14.
Includes articles by
J. Robert Barth SJ, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Boston College;
Gerald T. Cobb SJ, Chair of the English Dept. at Seattle University;
Cynthia Anne Caporella, Director of Music and Liturgy at John Carroll
University;
Sally Metzler, Director of the Martin DʼArcy Gallery of Art at Loyola University
Chicago;
Philip C. Rule SJ, Associate Professor of English at the College of the Holy
Cross;
Michael Flecky SJ, Professor of Fine and Performing Arts at Creighton
University;
Michael Tunney SJ, Chair of the Department of Fine Arts at Canisius University;
Walter Ong SJ, University Professor Emeritus of Humanities at St. Louis
University;
Brennan OʼDonnell, Associate Professor of English at Loyola College in
Maryland;
and Judith Rock, Writer and Actress and Teacher in New York City.
Documents of the 31st and 32nd General Congregations of the Society of Jesus. St.
Louis: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1977.“Document 30”, 243-44.
Fontana, Tom. “Putting God in the Box,” Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion.
Summer, 1999: No. 23, 81-109.
Tom Fontana, screen writer and producer of numberous television dramatic
series and specials, has received three Peabody Awards, three Emmy Awards,
three Writers Guild Awards, four Television Critics Awards, and the Humanitas
Prize for his work. In this article, he describes the influence of his Jesuit high
school education at Canisius High School in Buffalo NY during the period of
Vatican Council II upon his thinking and imagination as a screen writer.
Greeley, Andrew. The Catholic Imagination. Berkeley: University of California Press,
2000.
Lynch, William F. SJ. Christ and Apollo. NY: Sheed and Ward, 1960.
. Christ and Prometheus. University of Notre Dame Press, 1970.
McNaspy, Clement J. SJ. “Art in Jesuit Life,” Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits: V: 3
(April, 1973), v-vi, 83-111.
McNaspy summarizes the change in Jesuit appropriation of Ignatian traditions in
understanding the connections between religious experience, mysticism, and
high art:
“In attempting today [1973] to rediscover the full Ignatian tradition we have to be
critical of the limitations of the rather recent (Roothaanian?) tradition in which
many of us were initiated. That tradition, for a variety of questionable
philosophical reasons, placed a high premium on the pure intellect abstracted
from feeling and from the physical and symbolic embodiments of human
experience. Indeed, these were commonly treated as suspect or somehow evil.
Not so today. [p. 104]
. “The Culture Explosion,” America 104:10 (December 3, 1960), 340-42.
. “Jesuits and the Fine Arts,” Woodstock Letters 95: (Fall, 1966), 418-440.
Publication of a small symposium with edited statements by Jesuit artists
concerning what their vocation entailed. All were full-time artists, mainly painters
and sculptors, from three continents. Like many artistic manifestoes, their words
express high aspiration. They expressed the need to be “present and active in
artistic creation, to salvage the truncated imagination, to reflect the reality of the
life and love of God penetrating all and summing all up in Christ, who is both
spirit and flesh, through art giving people a feeling for God, offering a very, very
special instance of the fusion of the supernatural and the natural creative power
to be builders of a prophetic bridge between the world of art and man.”
Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. “Ignatian Imprints.” Maryland Province of the
Society of Jesus, 2007. (http://www.ignatianimprints.org/spring07/art.shtml)
O'Malley, John W. S.J. and Bailey, Gauvin Alexander, eds., The Jesuits and the Arts,
1540-1773. Philadelphia: Saint Joseph's University Press, 2005.
Rahner, Hugo. Man at Play. “Eutrapelia: A Forgotten Virtue.”
Rahner, Karl. Theological Investigations IV. Essays titled “The Theology of the Symbol,”
“Poetry and the Christian,” “Theological Remarks on the Problem of Leisure.”
Tracy, David. Analogical Imagination. New York: Crossroads, 1981.
Prepared for the Jesuit Higher Education Seminar
Creighton University
December 2009
Michael Flecky SJ
Fine and Performing Arts Department