by Delaynna Trim, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art Curator of Collections
Did you travel somewhere this summer for vacation? Maybe to see family or friends or just to see someplace you had never been before? Fr. Gregory Gerrer, OSB traveled extensively during his lifetime. He moved to the US from France with his family when he was just 5 years old. In the spring of 1886, he traveled by train from Omaha, Nebraska,
to San Francisco, California, then to Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. He traveled while performing with the Hurlbert & Leftwich Circus in 1891. In December 1891, he decided to become a monk at Sacred Heart, later St. Gregory’s Abbey.
The current exhibit at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, Fr. Gerrer’s Travels, explores some of the places Fr. Gerrer traveled to during his lifetime. We get to see where he traveled through his eyes by looking at the paintings he made during and after these travels. During 1904, he traveled all around Europe including Florence and Vienna. In 1907, he travelled with the Fr. Chrysostom who was writing for the Catholic Encyclopedia to trace where Christopher Columbus first landed in the new world. You can see some of his paintings from this trip to Cuba in the exhibit. He visited New York and Canada many times including in 1917 where he visited Cap Trinité and Cap Éternité as well as Reversing Falls, which because of underwater ledges the water can move in either direction. These small paintings he would have painted right there looking at those natural landmarks. This is called plein air painting – painting outside.
Fr. Gerrer traveled extensively throughout North America from Canada, throughout the US, and into Mexico. In 1930, he again visited Europe including Bruges, Belgium; Rhonda, Spain; Venice, Italy; as well as Tétouan, and Tangiers, Morocco. You can experience all these places and many more in Fr. Gerrer’s Travels. There is even a Creativity Corner to create your own travel postcard and other activities and books about world travel for all ages. The MGMoA is offering free admission until the end of August thanks to the generous donors – Avedis Foundation, BancFirst, and St. Gregory’s Abbey.
Art Project: Design A Map for a Fictitious Country
Supplies needed: paper, pencil, colored pencils
You get to create your own country! What would be in your country – mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, or beaches? Would there be lots of big cities or small towns or just countryside? Would this country be big or small? Use your creativity. For some ideas and other map activities, check out www.mgmoa.org/art-projects.
