VOCATION OF THE ARTIST

In his Letter to Artists in 1999, Pope John Paul II discussed the “special vocation” of the artist by beginning with the unique relationship between the artist and the creator. While God is the ultimate creator of all that is good and beautiful, “with loving regard, the divine Artist (God) passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power.” Letter at 2. This “spark” comes from the Holy Spirit, the “Breath” who is the “mysterious Artist of the universe.” Letter at 10. Indeed, it was the Pope’s hope that “all artists might receive in abundance the gift of that creative inspiration which is the starting-point of every true work of art.” Letter at 10. For it is the “divine breath of the Creator Spirit that reaches out to human genius and stirs its creative power” in what might by analogy be considered “moments of grace.” Letter at 10. It is during these moments of intuition that “spring from the depths of the human soul” that the artist glimpses the “mysterious unity of things” and is touched by a “fleeting vision of beauty” that he/she then seeks to capture in a work of art. Letter at 4.

Although the vocation of the artist is difficult, it is also necessary because the world desperately needs the beautiful for “beauty is the visible form of the good, just as the good is the metaphysical condition of beauty.” Letter at 3. Even when artists “explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, artists give voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption.” Letter at 7. Thus, it is the artist who is commissioned with this special task or vocation; that is, to use his/her gift of artistic talent to bring beauty into the world and thereby promote the good. In doing so, the artist “enriches the cultural heritage of each nation and of all humanity.” Letter at 3.

With this in mind, the CDVF seeks to affirm artists and offer them hospitality whether it be through the Fra Angelico Celebration of Art & Spirituality, the Windows to the Divine Collector Salons or the various retreats and special gatherings for artists.

¹Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Artists at 10 (April, 1999).