Sinsinawa Mound Center will host an art exhibit from November 12 to January 30 titled, An Enduring Grace: Selections from the Vintage Collection of Sister Catharine Wall, OP (1867–1938), which celebrates the life, artistry, and legacy of an exceptionally gifted artist. Featuring selections from the Sinsinawa Dominican art collection, the exhibition highlights Sister Catharine’s beautiful craftsmanship in portraiture and her mastery of the art of Renaissance painting techniques which she used to create copies of masterworks by Fra Angelico, Raphael, Da Vinci, and others found in museums in Rome and Florence during her years of study there from 1902 to 1905. An Opening Reception will be held Thursday, November 12 from 4 to 6 PM with a 5 PM Gallery Talk by Sister Priscilla Wood, OP.
Orphaned at an early age, she and her sister found a home at St. Clara Convent in Sinsinawa where they also received their education at St. Clara Academy. Gifted in both music and art, Catherine graduated with highest honors before traveling to New York City to further her art studies. After five years, she returned to Sinsinawa and entered the congregation, making her profession in 1891 and taking the religious name of Sister Catharine. She served as professor of art at St. Clara Academy and later St. Clara College in Sinsinawa. During the 1920s and 1930s, she helped establish the art department at the newly founded Rosary College in River Forest, Ill. (now Dominican University). She painted more than 50 copies of Renaissance masterpieces which adorned the halls of the congregation’s convents and schools and were also presented as gifts to friends and benefactors of the Sisters. Through her teaching and artistic contributions, Sister Catharine left a legacy of art and education.
Sinsinawa Mound, an event center and Motherhouse of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters in Wisconsin, is about five miles northeast of Dubuque, Iowa, and ten miles northwest of Galena, Illinois. The main entrance is located at the intersection of County Roads Z and ZZ. For more information visit Sinsinawa.org/moundcenter.
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