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Opening lecture and reception set for Feb. 11
A new art exhibit at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library refocuses the traditional narrative of Holy Week—the final days in the earthly life of Jesus Christ—and challenges viewers to reconsider their perception of Mary Magdalene and her significant role in history.
Seeing Mary Magdalene with Different Eyes features five original commissioned artworks by Lázaro Ceballos Fernández as well as prints by contemporary artists Sue Ellen Parkinson, Janet McKenzie and Laura James. Together, these works examine three Gospel stories and provide a counterpoint to the traditional focus of Holy Week, which centers on Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, and the disciples’ flight. Instead, the exhibit centers on the anointing of Jesus, in which he promises that the anointer will be remembered throughout the world (Mark 14:9); the women who accompany Jesus and witness the crucifixion (all Gospels); and, finally, Mary Magdalene proclaiming the resurrection to the disciples (John 20:18).
“Long diminished by the church as the penitent sinner or prostitute and frequently represented at the feet of Jesus in church-commissioned art, Mary Magdalene is portrayed here in her power and authority as the ‘Apostle to the Apostles,’ commissioned by Jesus to announce the good news of his resurrection, making her the first evangelist,” said Charlotte Lew, coordinator for digital projects at the Divinity Library, who curated the exhibit along with Beth Maczka, MTS’23. Fernández’s original works in the exhibit center on the women present during Holy Week as depicted in the Gospels—figures often overlooked or omitted.
Maczka initially commissioned Fernández’s “La Unción,” which depicts Jesus’ anointing, as part of her master of theological studies work at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Based on this and a second commission, “La Proclamacíon,” she later commissioned three more paintings that together present a unified Holy Week theme: The Women of Holy Week—the Anointer, the Witnesses and the Proclaimer. Notably, “La Proclamacíon” and “The Proclaimer” are based on Maczka’s original research on fourth-century sarcophagi.
As part of the exhibit, a wall panel at the Divinity Library invites visitors to share their reflections on who Mary Magdalene is to them. “This open dialogue wall is designed to inspire viewers to savor the artists’ intentional and unintentional messages and seize the opportunity to re-envision the familiar,” Lew said. The feedback will be collected and incorporated into the exhibit’s online component to foster further discussion among participants.
A lecture and reception celebrating the exhibit’s opening is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 11, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Divinity Library Reference Room. The event, hosted by the Divinity Library in partnership with the Divinity School, the Department of History of Art and Architecture and local churches, will include Jelena Bogdanovic, associate professor of history of art and architecture, and Maczka discussing the importance of depicting underrepresented figures from scripture. Ellen Armour, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Feminist Theology and director of the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender and Sexuality, will highlight the evolution of Maczka’s work from a previous exhibit for her dual certificates in Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture and Religion, Gender and Sexuality.
Seeing Mary Magdalene with Different Eyes is made possible by a Curb Center Creative Inquiry Grant, which supports Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff as they engage in arts-based inquiry and action on campus and in the local community. In addition to the physical exhibit, an online exhibit showcases freely accessible digital scholarship on the interpretations of Mary Magdalene, reaching a global audience beyond those who view the art at the Divinity Library.
Per the artists’ permission, the featured works will be made available in the Art in the Christian Tradition database, a subset of Vanderbilt’s Revised Common Lectionary website. Established in 1996, the Divinity Library’s site has become an authoritative source for the RCL, receiving more than a million visits each year for the last five years across the United States and the world—making it Vanderbilt University’s second most-visited site on the web.