Upcoming Workshops
New workshops will be announced.
Examples of Past Workshops
ARCHITECTURE FOR LITURGY I with Fr. Daniel McCarthy, OSB
St. John Paul II Center, Denver, CO - January 20-24, 2020
Join Fr. Daniel for part one of this two-week course in the architecture or our sacred spaces. The First Liturgy Week (Architecture for Liturgy I) begins with a pictorial journey through the ancient basilicas of Rome. Next, we consider several different arrangements for churches that arose during the discussions held at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). From these we shall consider the three primary human experiences and their respective places: personal illumination with light in the baptistery and font, ongoing maturation by the word in the hall and at the ambo, interpersonal communion through consummation at the dais and altar-ciborium. Both liturgy weeks include visits to selected churches with guided discussions on the liturgical principles realized, and not yet fully realized.
For more information, visit: architectureforliturgy.org
MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPT ILLUMINATION with Tony Silvestri
Good Shepherd, Shawnee, KS - Saturday, July 21, 2018, 9am - 6pm
This one-day workshop with instructor Dr. Tony Silvestri will focus on the materials and techniques of Medieval manuscript illumination. Participants will use calfskin parchment, pure pigments, gold, and traditional techniques for painting and gilding to create a small illuminated letter of their own design.
Location: School Art Room, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Shawnee, KS
Date: Saturday, July 21, 2018, from 9am – 6pm (we will break for lunch, so be sure to bring your own!)
Fee: $100
Materials for Medieval Illumination Workshops
I will provide all the materials you need: calfskin parchment, pigments, binders, gold, and tools. But you could help by bringing the following:
-- An idea of the Letter you might like to illuminate, and an idea of the kind of decoration you might like to explore--floral, geometric, Celtic, Gothic, Modern, etc. For some inspiration, just Google "Illuminated Letters" and behold the astonishing array of styles and ideas. Please reduce your letter to fit in a box approximately 4 x 6 inches (preferably 3 x 5 inches). We will be working VERY SMALL. You will be given a 5 x 7 inch piece of vellum, so your complete design must fit well within a 4 x 6 inch area for adequate framing. I STRONGLY encourage you to focus on one Capital letter only, rather than a whole text. I do not have time in this workshop to instruct you in the art of calligraphy; so unless you are comfortable with your own hand as it is, I suggest you stick to a single letter.
-- one or two round watercolor brushes, size 00, 0, or 1.
-- a sharp pencil, preferably a hard one, or mechanical pencil
-- a small 6 or 10-well plastic palette for mixing paints (esp. if you want to bring prepared paints home with you)
-- a magnifying glass or reading glasses if you think you might need them for small work
-- your own meals and accommodations for each day
Your Instructor:
Dr Tony Silvestri: An acclaimed lyricist, Charles Anthony Silvestri specializes in providing bespoke poetry for choral composers, especially texts in Latin, both sacred and secular. In addition to writing choral lyrics, Silvestri is also an accomplished artist/painter, specializing in replicating Medieval manuscript illumination and recreating the techniques and materials of Gothic and Renaissance panel painters and iconographers. He is a member of the CRAA and the Catholic Fine Arts Council, and has exhibited works internationally. He has earned Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in Ancient and Medieval History from Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California. He currently lives with his children in Lawrence, Kansas, and teaches history at Washburn University. For more information, please visit his website: www.charlesanthonysilvestri.com
St. John Paul II Center, Denver, CO - January 20-24, 2020
Join Fr. Daniel for part one of this two-week course in the architecture or our sacred spaces. The First Liturgy Week (Architecture for Liturgy I) begins with a pictorial journey through the ancient basilicas of Rome. Next, we consider several different arrangements for churches that arose during the discussions held at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). From these we shall consider the three primary human experiences and their respective places: personal illumination with light in the baptistery and font, ongoing maturation by the word in the hall and at the ambo, interpersonal communion through consummation at the dais and altar-ciborium. Both liturgy weeks include visits to selected churches with guided discussions on the liturgical principles realized, and not yet fully realized.
For more information, visit: architectureforliturgy.org
MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPT ILLUMINATION with Tony Silvestri
Good Shepherd, Shawnee, KS - Saturday, July 21, 2018, 9am - 6pm
This one-day workshop with instructor Dr. Tony Silvestri will focus on the materials and techniques of Medieval manuscript illumination. Participants will use calfskin parchment, pure pigments, gold, and traditional techniques for painting and gilding to create a small illuminated letter of their own design.
Location: School Art Room, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Shawnee, KS
Date: Saturday, July 21, 2018, from 9am – 6pm (we will break for lunch, so be sure to bring your own!)
Fee: $100
Materials for Medieval Illumination Workshops
I will provide all the materials you need: calfskin parchment, pigments, binders, gold, and tools. But you could help by bringing the following:
-- An idea of the Letter you might like to illuminate, and an idea of the kind of decoration you might like to explore--floral, geometric, Celtic, Gothic, Modern, etc. For some inspiration, just Google "Illuminated Letters" and behold the astonishing array of styles and ideas. Please reduce your letter to fit in a box approximately 4 x 6 inches (preferably 3 x 5 inches). We will be working VERY SMALL. You will be given a 5 x 7 inch piece of vellum, so your complete design must fit well within a 4 x 6 inch area for adequate framing. I STRONGLY encourage you to focus on one Capital letter only, rather than a whole text. I do not have time in this workshop to instruct you in the art of calligraphy; so unless you are comfortable with your own hand as it is, I suggest you stick to a single letter.
-- one or two round watercolor brushes, size 00, 0, or 1.
-- a sharp pencil, preferably a hard one, or mechanical pencil
-- a small 6 or 10-well plastic palette for mixing paints (esp. if you want to bring prepared paints home with you)
-- a magnifying glass or reading glasses if you think you might need them for small work
-- your own meals and accommodations for each day
Your Instructor:
Dr Tony Silvestri: An acclaimed lyricist, Charles Anthony Silvestri specializes in providing bespoke poetry for choral composers, especially texts in Latin, both sacred and secular. In addition to writing choral lyrics, Silvestri is also an accomplished artist/painter, specializing in replicating Medieval manuscript illumination and recreating the techniques and materials of Gothic and Renaissance panel painters and iconographers. He is a member of the CRAA and the Catholic Fine Arts Council, and has exhibited works internationally. He has earned Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in Ancient and Medieval History from Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California. He currently lives with his children in Lawrence, Kansas, and teaches history at Washburn University. For more information, please visit his website: www.charlesanthonysilvestri.com
Spiritual Education through Sacred Art Workshops
One of the main goals of the CRAA is to provide opportunities for sacred artists to learn and develop new skills, explore new media, and especially to deepen and enrich their faith. Our workshops are held in various locations, most often at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, KS, or at St. Benedict's Abbey in Aitchison, KS. Check out the Home page and/or the News/Events page for information and registration for upcoming workshops.
Previous workshops offered by the CRAA in the Kansas City area have included instruction in:
• Neo-Medieval Illumination in various techniques taught by Tony Silvestri, Elizabeth Zeller, and Christi Jentz
• Traditional Icon Painting, taught by Elizabeth Zeller, OFS, and David Clayton
• Calligraphy taught by Jude Billings
• Sacred Space-Architecture for Liturgy taught by Fr. Daniel McCarthy, OSB, SLD
• Small Bronze Sculpture taught by Elizabeth Zeller
• Drawing taught by Elizabeth Zeller, OFS
• Color taught by Donna Aldridge
• Devotional Poetry taught by Brian Nelson and Tony Silvestri
• Music Composition taught by Brian Nelson
• Gilding taught by Tony Silvestri
Previous workshops offered by the CRAA in the Kansas City area have included instruction in:
• Neo-Medieval Illumination in various techniques taught by Tony Silvestri, Elizabeth Zeller, and Christi Jentz
• Traditional Icon Painting, taught by Elizabeth Zeller, OFS, and David Clayton
• Calligraphy taught by Jude Billings
• Sacred Space-Architecture for Liturgy taught by Fr. Daniel McCarthy, OSB, SLD
• Small Bronze Sculpture taught by Elizabeth Zeller
• Drawing taught by Elizabeth Zeller, OFS
• Color taught by Donna Aldridge
• Devotional Poetry taught by Brian Nelson and Tony Silvestri
• Music Composition taught by Brian Nelson
• Gilding taught by Tony Silvestri
Monastic Workshop/Retreats
We also seek to share sacred art with those who do not have the opportunity to travel to Kansas City for our workshops, especially members of religious communities. It is a special ministry of Elizabeth Zeller, OFS, to reach out to those in religious communities who cannot travel, and offer to them a chance to create art while continuing to participate in their community's schedule. She has offered retreat/workshops in several monastic communities for religious, oblates, catechists, and lay persons.
If you would like to arrange for a Sacred Art Workshop/Retreat for your Community, contact Elizabeth Zeller directly.
If you would like to arrange for a Sacred Art Workshop/Retreat for your Community, contact Elizabeth Zeller directly.
Elizabeth Zeller, OFS, leads a Workshop/Retreat for the monks at St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, KS, focused on the Great O Antiphons.
Here are some images from some of our past workshops.
