Colorful And Expressive Works Of Art By Father Jerome Tupa Illustrate His Spiritual And Artistic Pi

Exhibition at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington D.C. will feature artist's interpretative compositions of Italian architecture and landscape Washington, D.C. - The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center will present The Road to Rome: A Modern Pilgrimage from October 11, 2002 to May 7, 2003. The exhibition comprises a series of approximately 50 works in oil, watercolor, pen, ink and pencil, created by artist and Benedictine monk Father Jerome Tupa. The works were created during and following a 1999 spiritual and artistic pilgrimage, which took Father Tupa from Milan through various Italian towns and cities and finally to Rome.

The exhibition is sponsored by Target Stores.

Retracing traditional routes to Rome that pilgrims have traveled for nearly 1,700 years, Father Tupa spent weeks in Italy sketching sacred sites, street scenes, and landscapes as a way to record his personal search for meaning as a pilgrim. The preliminary sketches and watercolors rendered during his journey, and the colorful large-scale paintings completed later, will enable exhibition visitors to take their own visual pilgrimage through Italy.

"Father Tupa's colorful and exuberant works, imbued with vitality, will help visitors experience Italy's beautiful landscapes and some of its most sacred shrines," said Father G. Michael Bugarin, executive director, Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. "From the sunflowers of Urbania to the domes of Padova, Father Tupa's paintings are steeped in religious tradition and history, but his works are boldly modern, and highly original."

"Target is proud to be part of the exhibition The Road to Rome: A Modern Pilgrimage. A gifted painter and monk, Father Jerome Tupa's art acts as a guide to his personal journey of the spirit and, perhaps, may encourage others to pursue their own pilgrimage," said Laysha Ward, Director of Community Relations, Target Corporation. "This exhibition, the accompanying book and school curriculum material are all part of Target's ongoing commitment to the arts and education."

The Exhibition - Father Tupa's "Road to Rome" pilgrimage resulted in more than 300 works of art, of which approximately 50 are presented in the current exhibition. The works in the exhibition, organized loosely by chronology, will follow Father Tupa's pilgrimage throughout the Italian countryside - portraying the many ancient, sacred sites and shrines he encountered passing through 21 towns and cities on his way to Rome. Many works will be displayed outside the exhibition space throughout the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center to further enhance visitor's feelings of participation in an artistic pilgrimage and the accompanying sense of discovery.

The exhibition includes a range of works, from small drawings on paper to large-scale paintings on canvas, depicting major sites in towns and cities such as Milan, Padova, Ravenna, Assisi, Florence, San Gimignano, Siena, Orvieto, and Rome. Visitors will be able to see large, colorful and highly-stylized paintings including Milan: San Ambrosia, which depicts the church in which St. Ambrose is buried; Padova: Onion Domes of Santa Giustina, showing the church named for St. Justine; Assisi: The Basilica of Saint Francis, which depicts St. Francis' final resting place; Florence: The Duomo, which depicts the city's first cathedral; Siena: San Domenico, which depicts the basilica that contains the head and finger of Saint Catherine; Subiaco: Santa Scolastica, which portrays the abbey were St. Benedict began his life as a monk; and Vatican: Scala Reggia, which depicts the "royal stairs" leading out of St. Peter's Basilica and ending at the Sistine Chapel. Other works included in the exhibition further the historical and artistic mission of Father Tupa to educate visitors and to convey the emotions he experienced while visiting the shrines, holy sites, and landscapes of Italy.

Father Jerome Tupa - Father Tupa is a modern day version of a Renaissance man. A professor of French at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota with a doctorate in French literature, Father Tupa eloquently expresses his spiritual devotion through his lively and engaging paintings. Colored by his eclectic interests, his unique depictions provide a fascinating glimpse into the world of a man who is a monk, an artist and a teacher. Father Tupa's previous exhibitions include The Uncommon Mission, which featured 58 paintings and watercolors depicting the rich history and cultural heritage of the California missions.

"Painting is a place to express various parts of my psyche, or other parts of my inner self that are not exposed in my daily life. Painting, like spirituality, is liberating. Both are expressions of one's distinct and deeper relationships with the world - and with God," said Father Tupa.

Curator and Catalogue - The exhibition was curated by Mark Krisco of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and organized at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center by Rebecca Abbott. A fully-illustrated book, The Road to Rome: A Modern Pilgrimage, published by Welcome Books, will accompany the exhibition. The book can be purchased for $40.00 in the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center gift shop.

Pope John Paul II Cultural Center - A one-of-a-kind museum, the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center provides a dynamic environment in which visitors of all ages and denominations engage in an intriguing exploration of faith and culture. Through state-of-the-art technology, art exhibits, and cultural programs, visitors explore spirituality and culture, learn about the faith of others, and engage in inspirational activities designed to put their faith into action in their everyday lives.

The Cultural Center is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m. It is closed Mondays, except for holiday Mondays. Admission is by donation. The fee for groups is $4.00 per person. Contact [email protected] or call 202-635-5400. See www.jp2cc.org for further details.

Target Stores - Minneapolis-based Target Stores serves guests at 1,107 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target Stores, along with its parent company Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.