Featured Exhibit:
Illuminating the Word: The Saint John's Bible

When:
April 10 - July 3, 2005

Where:
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Donald Jackson, with Andrew Jamieson & Sally Mae Joseph
To the Ends of the Earth c. 2002
Natural hand-ground ink on calfskin vellum.
Image copyright 2002 Saint John's Bible

If you were raised a Christian, there's more than a good chance that you, your parents or grandparents own a bible. We may not ever actually open and read the bible; its purpose is often reserved for a different use. Many have become treasured genealogical heirlooms that record the births, marriages and deaths of a family.

It's easy to take a printed book such as The Holy Bible for granted. Whether you buy a new copy with gold-edged pages or a tattered one from a garage sale, they are easily accessible and affordable. But during the Middle Ages owning a book such as the bible was an extremely expensive purchase. During this time books were valued not only for their content, but also for the laborious process of their production--each book was hand made using animal skin (vellum) and a quill. Whether by monks or by laymen every letter and decoration had to be carefully placed on the page. Even though booksellers often utilized several scribes and artists (illuminators) to create their books, the production process was extremely slow.

Andrew Jamieson
Islamic border decoration, c. 2002.
Natural hand-ground ink on calfskin vellum.
Image copyright 2002 The Saint John's Bible and Saint John's University

The exhibition, Illuminating the Word: The Saint John's Bible, now on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Art displays a rare opportunity to view the first handwritten bible in 500 years.

Although centuries have passed since the creation of medieval manuscripts, the technique and materials have experienced renewed interest. In 2000, tucked away in a scriptorium in Wales, a team of artists and calligraphers began creating this extraordinary bible. Commissioned by the Benedictine monks at St. John's University in Minnesota, The Saint John's Bible is sure to be a marvel of illuminated manuscripts.

During the last four years Donald Jackson, the artistic director of the project, and his colleagues have been creating the bible entirely by hand, using medieval materials such as quills, paints, and precious minerals and stone.

Aidan Hart, with Donald Jackson & Sally Mae Joseph
The Sower and the Seed, c. 2002.
Natural hand-ground ink on calfskin vellum.
Image copyright 2002 The Saint John's Bible

The completion of The Saint John's Bible has been an interfaith effort. Catholic theologians as well as scholars from other faiths have collaborated to create illuminations that reflect life in the 21st century. Apart from its adherence to medieval book production practices, The Saint John's Bible is very much a bible for the new millennium. Instead of a Latin text, an English translation will is used.

Chris Tomlin, with Donald Jackson
Milkweed and Butterfly, c. 2002.
Acrylic ink on calfskin vellum.
Image copyright 2002 The Saint John's Bible and Saint John's University

And rather than relying on traditional illustrations to interpret scripture, The Saint John's Bible reflects a contemporary multicultural society far removed from its medieval predecessors. The illuminations will include imagery from other sources such as science, technology Eastern religious traditions, Native Americans, as well as incorporating the flora and fauna of Minnesota.

This exhibition features the first three completed volumes. When it is completed in 2007, The Saint John's Bible will consist of 1,150 pages in seven volumes.

According to Jane Satkowski, the exhibition's curator, "The Saint John's Bible is a magnificent work of art. It is at once an authentic revival of medieval craftsmanship and a masterpiece of calligraphy, as well as a showcase for contemporary illuminations that interpret a timeless sacred text."

Visit the Minneapolis Institute of Arts web site to learn more about this special exhibition.

Visit Amazon to purchase:
Illuminating the Word: The Making of the Saint John's Bible
by Christopher Calderhead, Jerry Kelly

The Saint John's Bible: Gospels and Acts
by Donald Jackson