Pittsburgh’s rich immigrant history has given birth to many hidden treasures. One of these treasures is the water color tempera murals painted on the walls of St.Nicholas Church in Millvale. We give gifts during the Holidays and Croatian artist Maxo Vanka said that the murals were his "Gift to America.” These paintings mix both secular
and religious images to tell the story of the Croatian immigrant experience in
the United States.
The Holiday Light Tour is sponsored by “The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka.” This tour is a good way to experience these paintings with new LED lighting and learn about their social justice, anti war and reverence for women themes.
The Holiday Light Tour is sponsored by “The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka.” This tour is a good way to experience these paintings with new LED lighting and learn about their social justice, anti war and reverence for women themes.
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| St Nicholas Croatian Church |
Reflection.
St. Nicholas church was built in 1900. It is the first Croatian church established in the U.S. In 1937,
Vanka, from NYC, was commissioned by the
church priest, Father Zagar, to paint images that would remind the Croatian congregation of their homeland. At this time there were about 200,000 Croatians
living in the surrounding area of Pittsburgh.
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| Croatian Mothers Raise Sons for War |
Vank's elevation or appreciation of women in his art was of interest. The main alter is adorned with a huge Byzantine icon style Madonna holding the baby Jesus.
However, the Virgin Mary was not thin like most icon images but robust to emphasize the strength of and his reverence for peasant women. Vanka, although
a Nobel, was raised by a peasant woman until 8 years of age when he was then sent to a boarding
school.
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| American Mother Raise Sons for Industry |
The subject matter of war's impact on mothers and their love for their children is used in various paintings throughout the church. The church's right back wall has a painting titled, “Croatian Mothers
Raise Sons for War” which depicts peasant women lamenting the death of a solder. The left back wall has a paining
called, “American Mothers Raise Sons for Industry,” showing women crying following a mining accident. There is a side wall with the Old Testament stories of Moses and Aaron. This wall has a picture of a mother chained to a cross. This was
painted at the time of World War II and represents the idea that mothers are unable to help their
sons of war.
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| Mother chained to cross |
Croatia, like present Bosnia, was often in flux of some type of war. Thus Vanka
had a strong adversity to it. He said that his paintings were his gift to the country (America) that gave his people a life free from war. Interesting how art can be applicable in any era.
You can catch the Holiday Light Tour on December 27th and 29th. You can enjoy
the art at St. Nicholas Church anytime.
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| Secular and religious images |
Spiritual Reflection
They ran to the village and found Mary and
Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherd told
everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about the child.
All who heard the shepherd’s’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured
these things in her heart and thought about them often. (Luke 2: 16-19).
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| New LED lighting on the sides |
Holiday Light Tour https://www.facebook.com/pg/VankaMurals/events/