On Wednesday the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art hosted a panel called “Vocation To Create: A Conversation with Fr. Austin Collins, C.S.C., and Fr. Martin Nguyen, C.S.C.”
The event took place in the central lobby of the museum and attracted roughly sixty spectators. The museum curator, Joe Becker, welcomed the audience. He spoke about his intention to provide the community with a distinct connection between art and religion.
Becker highlighted the expansive work of both speakers within the University of Notre Dame as professors and within the Holy Cross community.
“You are going to spend more waking hours in your profession, more even than with your spouse, so you should love what you do,” he said.
Collins expressed his artistic passions as a direct reflection of the beauty he found while studying art around the world. He tied these experiences directly to his aspiration to relay his passions to a broader platform.
“I think that art, at least for me, is an instinct that we need to trust,” Collins said.
Nguyen posed a different approach, which was to support the human necessity to explore art as a means to understand his own life-experiences.
As the priests talked about their experiences intertwining with their religious devotion and artistic exploration, the audience was allowed to see the creations of both artists through a slideshow.
With a central focus on sustainability and repurposed materials from machinery, Collins’ artwork was geared at positioning structures amongst nature around the United States.
Nguyen had an alternate aesthetic and explored the dynamics of life and interactions with others.
Having grown up in Vietnam and fleeing the country later in life, Nguyen expressed his gratitude for the freedoms and opportunities granted to him, which he now expressed through art.
He talked about his distaste for the fast-paced lifestyle that social media promotes and curated an expansive panel which showcased the faces of hundreds of people from his Facebook. His intricate attention to detail audibly impressed the audience.
When asked to connect his work back to the materials used and inspiration, Nguyen reiterated the importance of reflecting on the graces and blessings of a life where freedom allows art to be explored.
“It is wonderful to live in this country, and on this campus, we are truly blessed to the highest. Because of that, I need to show free thinking through art and materials,” Nguyen said.
