Learning about a Catholic Arts Center in New York inspired Maureen Teller to create The Angelico Project. Involvement with Chicago’s Catholic Arts Guild prompted Nancy-Carolyn Smith to do the same.

They approached the Archdiocese of Cincinnati with a business plan and secured funds to kickstart the non- profit they co-founded—along with Loraine Muldoon–The Angelico Project.

“There are artists making beautiful art in our region and we want to showcase that,” said Smith, director of the Catholic Arts Guild. “Our outreach is to nurture artists in their faith and work. It’s also the idea that we need to know our faith. A big part of the guild and The Angelico Project is philosophy and theology.”

Through its Catholic Arts Guild, The Angelico Project provides artists using various mediums (such as music, writing, theater and visual art), with opportunities to grow and share their art through classes, workshops and shows.

“It’s evangelizing through beauty,” said Smith. “We want to build community between the artists, let the community know what’s being produced and network with patrons.”

The first event was a Mass for artists, which now opens every season at St. Cecelia Parish in Cincinnati. The first of their four art shows took place in January 2020 with 300 attendees.

“Every time we put out a call for an event, people have come because there is a need for connecting with a group that’s true and beautiful [and] for showing the goodness and truth that the Church knows,” said Smith. “We artists can be stronger together than working individually.”

Not just for artists, The Angelico Project is for everyone interested in any art form.

“We are a Catholic culture organization,” said Brad Torline, The Angelico Project’s executive director. “We’re trying to evangelize through art, thought and culture. It’s helping people encounter God through immersive experiences in the truth, goodness and beauty of the Catholic faith. It could be anything from food, music, [an] art show [or] film screenings.”

It hosts family movie nights, small group meetings, classes for philosophy and theology, church tours in the archdiocese and holy hours with sacred music.

“We try to tie it [the holy hour] in with the Liturgy,” said Torline. “You’re [steeped] in Church history and in the presence of our Lord. It’s really trying to draw all these elements together for a wholesome immersive experience. Faith is an act of the whole person—the intellect and the mind. If you immerse the whole person, it makes it easier for that person to take that leap or grow in that habit.”

The Angelico Project also looks at secular art, drawing out wholesome messages and seeing God within them. “Art in general has a powerful effect on human beings,” said Torline. “One of the problems in our culture is that we have a lot of beautiful, engaging art that makes us desire things that are not good or true. That is what the Angelico Project is trying to remedy.”

“Now is a great time to get a season pass because we’re about to launch our biggest season ever,” said Torline. Its seasons run from September through early June; find events posted on the Facebook page and website (www. angelicoproject.org). Join as an artist or receive a season pass to all ticketed events as a founding member for $10 per month at www.angelicoproject.org/join. The organization is about 100 members from its goal of 500.

For more on the history of The Angelico Project, go to www.anglicoproject.org

This article appeared in the September 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.