In an upcoming talk, professor Tim Gray of the Augustine Institute will discuss how art is a powerful vehicle to elevate one’s heart and mind to God, and not just something to decorate churches and homes.
“I’ll show how art works,” Gray told the Denver Catholic Register. “Because it’s not just decoration, it actually is doing something. There’s a tradition within art of how that art works on us, and we have to be trained to be able to read the art, literally, and then deepen our own experience of it.”
During the talk titled “At the Altar of the Aesthetic: A Catholic Vision for the Significance of Art,” he will draw on pieces from great artists such as Giotto and Michelangelo to show how art can train everyday people toward contemplation.
“I’m no artist,” he said. “I’m not giving a talk to artists, but to those who view art (and) how it should be viewed and read by the average lay person.”
The free talk is being sponsored by the institute, in conjunction with the Colorado Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. It is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Augustine Institute at 6160 S. Syracuse Way in Greenwood Village. It is open to all, and will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. Registration is available at www.augustineinstitute.org/pavm. The presentation will also be recorded and a link available at http://www.augustineinstitute.org/. For more information, email info@AugustineInstitute.org or call 303-937-4420, ext. 125.