Members and friends of Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral's Trinity “O” Club in Chicago, IL enjoyed an afternoon of fellowship and sacred art Sunday, January 25, 2015 with a guided tour of the Art Institute of Chicago’s exhibit, “Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium.”

After a brown bag lunch following Divine Liturgy and braving a short bus ride from the Cathedral through snowy weather, the group of 17 Orthodox faithful enjoyed a one hour tour of the temporary exhibit.   The collection of 63 artworks from the early Christian and Byzantine era were selected from a larger collection originally exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.  

A knowledgeable museum docent gave insight into many of the items displayed, which included many examples of iconography spanning centuries and varying from icons used in churches and in processions to smaller triptych’s meant for personal use in home worship.  Also on view were architectural elements, a scroll of the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, a liturgical cloth and a preserved parchment from a Gospel book.

After the tour, the group was treated to behind the scenes information about how the exhibit was planned and brought to Chicago from Harriet Stratis, Senior Research Conservator at the museum and also a parishioner of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in Chicago [OCA].

Ms. Stratis shared that while the museum originally had concerns over whether or not the Chicago public would be interested in such an exhibit, it has attracted thousands of visitors since it opened in September 2014, with attendance to date coming second to the Magritte exhibit held the previous year.  The Cultural Minister of Greece recently approved the extension of the exhibit past the original Feb 15 closing date to May 10 of 2015.  

While the group dispersed to explore other artwork, some attendees chatted informally with Ms. Stratis about her planned trip in February to visit the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala as well as experiences of others at Project Mexico’s Saint Innocent Orphanage in previous years.

Afterward, the group was able to spend some free time exploring other artwork and the museum gift shop before boarding the bus back to Holy Trinity Cathedral.  It was a wonderful stress-free way to enjoy some fellowship and learn more about how iconography has evolved to what we see today.