MOCRA Voices

When MOCRA opened in 1993, many people were skeptical about a museum focusing on expressions of religion and spirituality in contemporary art. Preconceptions were firmly lodged for those coming from the perspective of art and for those coming from the perspective of faith and spirituality. By the time Founding Director Fr. Terrence Dempsey, S.J., retired from the museum on June 30, 2019, however, MOCRA had convincingly established ...

How do you know if you're an artist? Many people would reflexively say they are not, since they cannot draw or paint or sculpt. But in this two-part episode, we hear from several people who have a more expansive understanding of what makes an artist. Their focus isn't on what is produced, but on the act of art-making itself, and the cultivation of an artistic methodology.

In Part 1, St. Louis-based artist, author, and educator Con ...

How do you know if you're an artist? Many people would reflexively say they are not, since they cannot draw or paint or sculpt. But in this two-part episode, we hear from several people who have a more expansive understanding of what makes an artist. Their focus isn't on what is produced, but on the act of art-making itself, and the cultivation of an artistic methodology.

In Part 1, St. Louis-based artist, author, and educator Con ...

Thanks to her discerning eye and generous hospitality, Martha Schneider has built a reputation as one of the foremost gallerists specializing in contemporary Latin American photography. But 30 years ago, she had no inkling where her passion for art would lead her.

She spoke with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about the origins of Schneider Gallery and how she came to represent world-renowned artists such as Maria Magdalena Ca...

Jesuit priest Leo O’Donovan, S.J., has held some prominent roles, including over 20 years as the president of Georgetown University. But he has also kept up a lively engagement with the world of art and art exhibitions, a fact well known to readers of the periodicals America and Commonweal.

O'Donovan spoke with MOCRA Director (and fellow Jesuit priest) Terrence Dempsey, S.J., about his wide-ranging career and his perspective on con...

Empathy is a term that surfaces in a variety of fields, including museums. MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker sets out to explore two different angles on museums and empathy.

In Part 1, he talks with museum educator Adam Nilsen about how empathy is understood and studied, as well as the ways it is being applied in museum settings.

Part 2 features chaplain and pastoral care educator Cristina Stevens reflecting on the role art an...

Empathy is a term that surfaces in all kinds of settings, including museums. MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker sets out to explore two different angles on museums and empathy.

In Part 1, he talks with museum educator Adam Nilsen about how empathy is understood and studied, as well as the ways it is being applied in museum settings.

Part 2 features chaplain and pastoral care educator Cristina Stevens reflecting on the role art ...

Pamela Ambrose has had a distinguished career as a curator and museum director. On the occasion of her retirement as Director of the Loyola University Museum of Art in Chicago, Ambrose joined MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, to look back over her distinguished career managing both galleries and museums, and talk about her enduring interest in the intersection of art and the spiritual dimension.

Be sure to listen to the two Audi...

The multidimensional, abstract paintings, sculptures, and installations of artist Jordan Eagles have caught the imagination of viewers and critics alike. His invented preservation technique, combining blood, plexiglass, UV resin, and other materials, permanently retains the organic material’s natural colors, patterns, and textures.

Eagles speaks with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about his unusual artistic media and his work...

Howard Fox is well-known in contemporary art circles as a curator and author. MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, speaks with Fox about his approach to curating exhibitions and discerning trends in art-making, as well as the process of writing essays on contemporary art. Along the way they discuss specific artists who engage the religious and spiritual dimensions in their work. 

Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about H...

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections.

This two-part episo...

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections.

This two-part episo...

Artists Daniel Ramirez and Buzz Spector were studio mates in the MFA program at the University of Chicago in the 1970s, forging a friendship that has lasted ever since.

In this wide-ranging conversation with MOCRA Voices, they trace the evolution of their artistic output over the decades. They touch on the thought of Ludwig Wittgenstein, the music of Olivier Messiaen, divine geometries, book design, and even the finer points of bow...

MOCRA has been shaped by many people and events over the years. “MOCRA Memories” episodes delve into particular moments in MOCRA’s history.

In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between...