Benedictine University has been blessed with donations of art over the last few decades. So much so that when the university was finally able to open its first official art gallery in 2013, named the Komechak Art Gallery, the opening exhibition featured a number of works by various donors. It was a celebration of many supporters for the gallery, but also for the donors who have been generous to share their collections with the Benedictine community.
One of those donors was The Very Reverend Joseph Kelchak, or Fr. Joe, as he was often called. His legacy to the university was his wide-ranging and eclectic art collection which spanned many subjects, media, and styles. Eventually, Fr. Joe's donations would become so numerous that he became the art collection's largest donor. When one visits the campus at Benedictine University, they can see works from his donations in virtually every building. The Komechak Art gallery is proud to display a sampling of Fr. Joe's collection (from June 1 - July 20, 2019) in celebration of his many contributions.
The exhibition features works donated in recent years, including paintings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics. As a global art collector, Fr. Joe's vision included religious works as well and contemporary art from Europe, Israel, Mexico, Africa, the South Pacific rim, Native American works and artists from the United States. Some notable names from his donations include Henri Matisse, Gino Severini, Georges Rouault, Maurice Utrillo, Robin Branham and many others.
One of the first persons to call me as the new curator of the university collection was Fr. Joe. He introduced himself and explained that he was a close friend of my predesessor, Fr. Michael Komechak. Fr. Joe told me what he'd recently donated, and then proceeded to tell me all about the pieces. Whenever I visited his home, he would take me around and introduce me to his collection. He was very excited about it and loved relating stories about how he acquired the pieces, and from whom. It was always a treat to go to his home to see what was added to his collection, and see how he arranged it to best advantage. Those afternoons were a delight, and will remain fond memories.
Below are some more selected images from the current exhibition. If you are able to attend, the gallery's summer hours are M-TH 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The gallery's 2019-2020 schedule is found at www.ben.edu/artgallery.
