Guillermo Esparza’s Grand Deesis Mural Icon On View At Edward Cardinal Egan Catholic Center At New York University, On Loan From Maria Andriasova And Guillermo Esparza
New York, New York (PRWEB) July 12, 2014 -- The historic Grand Deesis monumental mural Icon by the Vatican Artist Guillermo Esparza is on view at The Edward Cardinal Egan Catholic Center at New York University, part of NYU’s Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life, and is on loan from Maria Andriasova-Esparza and Guillermo Esparza’s private collection. The mural Icon of the Pantokrator, The Grand Deesis by Guillermo Esparza is installed at the Edward Cardinal Egan Catholic Center at New York University. The Green and May-Eyed Red Seraphim by Guillermo Esparza are installed at the John Henry Cardinal Newman Chapel at the Catholic center at NYU.
The exhibition is part of the on-going award-winning sacred art exhibit by Guillermo Esparza, “Arcanum Angelorum” (“Mystery of the Angels”), which originated at The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, where Guillermo Esparza is an artist-in-residence since 2009. Guillermo Esparza was honored for the exhibit by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2009. The exhibit is presented and sponsored by Maria Andriasova-Esparza and Guillermo Esparza.
The mural Icon of the Pantokrator, The Grand Deesis, depicts Christ in His Majesty (“Majestas Domini”). The figure to the left of Christ is John the Baptist, Prodromos, the Fore-Runner. The figure to the right of Christ is the Virgin, Theotokos, Mother of God. The Deesis means “prayer, or supplication”. The mural Icon is dedicated to the memory of the late Archimandrite Theodore Roberto Guadalupe Isaias Moreno (1931–2009); Don Manuel Martinez Esparza (1889–1955); Gilberto Martinez Esparza (1916–1989), and Don Benito Hernandez y Quiroz (1890-1975). It was part of the historic 200-year anniversary celebrations of The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City and was displayed in the Holy Name Chapel at The Basilica as part of the on-going award-winning sacred art exhibit “Arcanum Angelorum” (“Mystery of the Angels”.)
Mr. Esparza started writing (composing) The Grand Deesis mural Icon at his Manhattan studio, and completed the Icon at his studio at The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mulberry Street in Little Italy / SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. The mural Icon became the central part of the award-winning sacred art exhibit by Guillermo Esparza, “Arcanum Angelorum” (“Mystery of the Angels”.) New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg honored Guillermo Esparza's sacred art exhibit "Arcanum Angelorum" ("Mystery of the Angels") at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, and proclaimed its opening date of February 26, 2009 as the official “St. Patrick's Old Cathedral Day” in New York City.
Guillermo Esparza, together with Msgr. Donald Sakano, the presiding Pastor at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, started the renovation and decoration of the lower church, The Holy Name Chapel, in 2008, and, together with Maria Andriasova-Esparza, the Executive Director of Guillermo Esparza Studio, they maintained the Holy Name Chapel (the lower Church) for the next five years, until the Chapel closed in July 2014 due to the start of major renovations of the catacombs.
In February 2009, St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City commemorated its 200 year anniversary with “Arcanum Angelorum” exhibit by American artist Guillermo Esparza, for which Guillermo Esparza was awarded a Proclamation from New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
Guillermo Esparza was the subject of the documentary film “Guillermo Esparza, an American Iconographer”, an original production by Los Angeles filmmaker Veronica Aberham for London-based Studio International. Original soundtrack to the film was composed and performed by Maria Andriasova Esparza. The film was released in June 1st, 2009 and premiered at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral for its 200-year anniversary on June 7th, 2009 after a historic Mass by Archbishop of New York Timothy Michael Dolan. Composer and pianist Maria Andriasova Esparza received the coveted "Mozart Award" from the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, UK for her original music to the film. The Old Cathedral was designated a Basilica by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on March 17, 2010.
Due to an extraordinary popularity and demand from the public, Guillermo Esparza's sacred art exhibit "Arcanum Angelorum" ("Mystery of the Angels") was extended and remained open to the public from February 2009 through May 2014 at The Holy Name Chapel at The Basilica, where two daily masses were served by the presiding Pastor, Msgr. Donald Sakano, Msgr. John Ahern, Rev. Andrew Thi, and visiting clergy, including His Eminence Crescenzio Sepe, Cardinal Archbishop of Naples, Italy, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, who created and proclaimed Cardinal-Deacon of Dio Padre misericordioso by Pope John Paul II in the Consistory of 21 February 2001 and was one of the Cardinal electors who participated in both the 2005 and 2013 conclaves that selected Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis respectively.
Due to major renovations at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral and the Chapel now closed for renovations, Guillermo Esparza’s sacred art exhibit was moved from The Basilica and is now displayed for public viewing at The Edward Cardinal Egan Catholic Center at New York University, part of NYU’s Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life.
The blessing of Guillermo Esparza’s mural Icon of The Deesis took place on October 28, 2010 in a private ceremony in the Holy Name Chapel (the lower church) of The Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City and was celebrated by Msgr. Donald Sakano, The Basilica's presiding pastor.
The Cardinal Egan Catholic Center sits at the corner of Thompson Street and Washington Square South. Besides the chapel, which can accommodate approximately 181 people, the 10,500-square-foot center includes a lecture hall for 200 people, a meeting room for 180 and a common room holding another 100 people, plus a confessional room, a kitchen and other amenities.
It is one component of NYU’s five-story Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life. The Catholic Center is owned and operated by the Archdiocese of New York, with its programs staffed by the Dominican Friars, Father John McGuire, O.P., a former longtime director of the center who is pastor of nearby St. Joseph’s-Greenwich Village, the university parish; Father Allan White, O.P., director of the Catholic Center, and Father Austin Litke, O.P., assistant director. The Edward Cardinal Egan Catholic Center at New York University was dedicated by His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
Permanent installations by Guillermo Esparza, which were commissioned by private donors in New York area, include the following Cathedrals and Churches:
Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. John The Theologian in Tenafly, NJ
Saints Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church, Somerset, NJ
The Church of the Holy Innocents, Manhattan
The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, Manhattan
The Church of St. Paul The Apostle, Manhattan
Msgr. Donald Sakano, the presiding Pastor at The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, has been an important patron, friend, and spiritual advisor to Guillermo Esparza for many years. They were involved in several projects, including a recent restoration of the historic icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help that was installed in the transept of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue at its dedication, and is now at the Church of the Holy Innocents on West 37th Street. The building of the shrine and the icon restoration has been commissioned by Msgr. Donald Sakano. Mr. Esparza also restored and gilded the tabernacle and ciborium in St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, once again under the guidance and patronship of Msgr. Donald Sakano.
Guillermo Esparza has also worked closely with another important supporter and patron of his studio: businessman and philanthropist Michael Parlamis of Tenafly, New Jersey. One of their projects is a 60-foot Peace Dove mural that is installed at the Peace Memorial Gymnasium adjacent to the St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tenafly, NJ. The mural was commissioned by Mr. Parlamis and his relatives to commemorate the victims of the Lockerbie terrorist attack. Mr. Parlamis' niece, Alexia Tsairis, died aboard Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. Guillermo Esparza was working on the dove at his studio when the World Trade Center was attacked. The windows were blown out and a cloud of dust filled the studio, a block from the Twin Towers. Some debris and dust attached itself to the canvas where it remains today. "The dust is sealed into the painting under a layer of white pearlescent paint,'' Esparza says. "The dust came in and there is no going back. Once it came in, it was on the painting. I took it to the cathedral and unrolled it there on the floor and the parishioners came there to touch it.'' The mural was blessed by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios in 2002, and by His All Holiness Bartholomew I in 2004.
Guillermo Esparza's monumental sculpture of Archangel Michael, which he carved out of Vermont marble, is installed at S.S. Peter and Paul Byzantine Church in Somerset, NJ. Mr. Esparza designed and built the Shrine as well, including carved glass doors and icons. The sculpture took two years to carve, and was blessed by Bishop Michael Joseph Dudick.
Another major work by Guillermo Esparza in New York area is his original Mural Icon of the Pantokrator, 15 foot by 20 foot painting in oil and 24 karat gold on Belgian linen. It is installed 60 feet above the nave of the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, and is a gift from the Very Rev. Robert V. Wilshire, who served for 20 years as Dean of the Cathedral, seat of the Long Island Episcopal Diocese. Dean Wilshire died on July 22, 1999. The Rt. Rev. James Cordone and The Rt. Rev. Orris G. Walker Jr., Bishop of Long Island, were instrumental in having this project funded and realized.
In July 2011, blessing of the Cherub bronze sculpture by Guillermo Esparza dedicated to the holy innocents took place at The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, where it was permanently installed at the entrance to the catacombs. The blessing of the sculpture was celebrated by Msgr. Donald Sakano, The Basilica's presiding pastor.
Sacred art installation of mural and table for the shrine of "Our Lady of Lujan" by Guillermo Esparza unveiled at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York on September 27, 2009 as part of the continuing events celebrating the Cathedral's 200-year anniversary. The mural and table for the shrine of "Our Lady of Lujan," commissioned by Rev. Carlos Mullins and the Argentinean-American Association of Our Lady of Lujan, became permanent installation at the Cathedral. The mural of "Our Lady of Lujan" by Guillermo Esparza was executed in oil and gold on linen. It depicts the miracle of Our Lady of Lujan, which took place in 1630 in Argentina. The shrine was blessed by the Cathedral's pastor, Msgr. Donald Sakano.
Guillermo Esparza’s “Arcanum Angelorum” (“Mystery of the Angels”) sacred art exhibit is presented and sponsored by Maria Andriasova-Esparza and Guillermo Esparza.
ABOUT GUILLERMO ESPARZA:
Guillermo Esparza is a world-renowned artist with works in permanent collections at the Vatican Museum in Rome, the Phanar Museum in Istanbul, the US National Archives, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as numerous cathedrals, churches, museums, and private collections internationally. Esparza's original compositions for Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Byzantine Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches have had the great distinction of being declared Icons. A visionary in the world of public art in the US, Guillermo Esparza is the first recipient of the "Percent-For-Art" public commission from the State of Arizona in 1986, thus opening the door to the next generation of artists competing for public commissions. Guillermo Esparza has been honored for his work by His All Holiness Bartholomew I, His Holiness the late Pope John Paul II, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and others. In 2009 Guillermo Esparza was the subject of an award-winning documentary film by Los Angeles filmmaker Veronica Aberham, produced by Studio International (Los Angeles, CA - London, UK), "Guillermo Esparza, An American Iconographer."
Guillermo Esparza lives in New York City with his wife, Maria Andriasova-Esparza, an award-winning composer and concert pianist, daughter of the legendary Soviet dissident, composer and philosopher Iosif Arshakovich Andriasov. In 1995, Maria Andriasova was invited to perform at the Gala concert dedicated to His Holiness Pope John Paul II's visit to the U.S. to commemorate the International Year of the Family and to celebrate the friendship between the United States and the Vatican. At this event she met her future husband, Guillermo Esparza, whose Ecumenical sculptures were commissioned by Archbishop Iakovos, Former Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, funded by the American Greek Orthodox community and a Catholic community of the US. His Emminence Archbishop Iakovos presented the silver sculptures to the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, on his historic visit to the Vatican, presented the sculpture to His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and kept the other sculpture at the Phanar in Constantinople. Maria and Guillermo Esparza were married by Bishop Michel at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York, under Guillermo Esparza's Mural of the Pantrokrator, Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Maria and Guillermo Esparza live and work in New York City.
EXHIBITION IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
All artwork exhibited is on loan from the private collection of Maria Andriasova-Esparza and Guillermo Esparza.
EXHIBITION ADDRESS:
The Catholic Center at New York University
238 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012
Corner of Thompson Street and Washington Square South
EXHIBITION HOURS:
9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday
For additional information, please visit: http://www.guillermoesparza.com.
Maria Andriasova-Esparza, Guillermo Esparza Studio, http://www.guillermoesparza.com, 347-419-6585, [email protected]
Share this article