“How do you create a fresh vision that is as spiritually inspiring as works of the past?” This is a question with which painter Father Jerome Tupa has challenged himself for fifty years.
The Basilica is honored to have some of his paintings on display in our John XXIII Gallery and Teresa of Calcutta Hall from February 1 to April 27. Father Tupa will be here at The Basilica on Thursday, February 27, for an artist reception from 5:00-7:30pm with a program at 6:00pm. All are welcome at this inspiring event.
A Benedictine monk, priest, and professor of French at Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, Father Tupa graduated from Saint John’s with a B.A. in French and a minor in Art in 1968. He continued studies at Sorbonne in Paris and received three degrees: License in 1972, Maitrise in 1974, and Doctorat Troisieme Cyclle (Ph. D.) in 1976.
His website, tupa.art, says “Ultimately, this intense study of the language is what led Father Tupa back to his study of painting. His understanding of art history was informed by the French, whom he described as ‘rich and colorful.’” In 1982 Father Tupa returned to St. John’s to be ordained in the priesthood and receive his Master of Divinity Degree from the School of Theology. He completed several painting series, including the Feu d’Artifices, Sentinels of Fire, Goddess, Inscription, Eye of the Needle, Eclipse, Memoire, and Road to Rome.
In 1991 he began his Pilgrimage series including a commission to paint all the California missions, involving physical journeys to individual sites, exploring bright, sunny palettes and flowing, bending forms. In the spring of 2001, Father Tupa “set out on a pilgrimage from Paris to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, sketching and painting the sacred sites along The Way of Saint James (El Camino de Santiago).”
In this Jubilee year, when Pope Francis has called people of faith from around the world to pilgrimage to Rome or their local basilicas and cathedrals, Father Tupa’s paintings are a fitting artistic journey to inspire us all. “Though we had some of Father Tupa’s art on exhibition at The Basilica before,” shares Dr. Johan vanParys, our Director of Liturgy and Sacred Arts and Managing Director of Ministries, “I am so excited we were able to host a solo exhibition of his art. I have admired Father Tupa’s art for decades. The bold colors, the daring lines, the often mysterious message draws one into the painting and invites a meaningful encounter between the art and the beholder which leaves a lasting impression.”
Join the Pilgrimage: Paintings by Fr. Jerome Tupa
Exhibition: February 1 – April 27, 2025
Artist Reception: Thursday February 27, 5:00-7:30pm with program at 6:00pm
In John XXIII Gallery and Teresa of Calcutta Hall
As a masterly painter of over fifty years, Father Tupa’s art celebrates his relationship with the world, and with God. He is a seeker whose art is spiritually inspired – and spiritually inspiring. Tupa.art
Melissa Streit
Director of Engagement