by Dennis Dalman
A new, unique work of art that is 36 feet long is now on display at the Gathering Place next to the Sacred Heart Chapel on the campus of the College of St. Benedict.
The work can be seen, free, from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. every day until the end of July.
The art work is a very long scroll containing 34 pages of printed mulberry paper, side by side, that were letter-press printed. Among the pages are 18 linoleum-block-printed carvings colored by hand with touches of gold leaf applied. The work is a collaboration between Richard Bresnahan, a master potter of St. John’s University; and Mary Bruno, master printer and owner of Bruno Press in St. Joseph.
The inception of the work began in 2019 when an anonymous donor provided funding for an art project that would honor the “Rule of St. Benedict” and the nuns and monks who have lived by that Rule for generations. The donor contacted Bresnahan, and he then contacted Bruno to ask if she would be willing to collaborate.
Altogether, six scrolls were printed: one for the anonymous donor, one for Bresnahan, one for Bruno, one each for the archives of SJU and CSB and one to be placed inside of a sculpture time capsule at the Hassler Sculpture Garden at SJU.
This 36-foot long scroll art work is dedicated to “The Rule of St. Benedict” and to all the nuns and monks who have lived by those rules at CSB and SJU for generations. Funded by an anonymous donor, the work was a collaboration between master potter Richard Bresnahan of SJU and Mary Bruno, master printer and owner of Bruno Press in St. Joseph. It is on display, free, from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. every day through the end of July at The Gathering Place at the Sacred Heart Chapel on the CSB campus.
