Events

Exhibit of Icons by Sister Jeana Visel, OSB

Saint Meinrad Archabbey Library Gallery, St. Meinrad, IN, will host an exhibit of icons by Sister Jeana Visel, OSB, from September 3 to October 15, 2025.

Sister Jeana has been studying the craft of iconography since 2008, attending workshops with traditional icon painters, most notably Xenia Pokrovsky and Marek Czarnecki. She is currently enrolled in an Icon Painting Certificate Program in association with St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary, under Greek master iconographer George Kordis. Sister Jeana aims to combine the order and stability of the Russian tradition with the more creative and dynamic elements of the Greek tradition.

She explains, “Iconography is like translating Scripture. One wants to use the most complete, most correct sources to transmit the tradition. We do not introduce our own vision of reality but aim to convey what the Church teaches in visual form. We learn humbly from the masters who have gone before us. At the same time, the iconographer has a spiritual responsibility. We aim to create artwork that enables people to pray, to connect with the world of heaven.”

Icons are painted on wood panels using egg tempera to bind the pigments to the surface, and sometimes using gold leaf. Sister Jeana’s icons can be found in the Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology collection and various private collections.

She is a sister of Monastery Immaculate Conception, Ferdinand, Indiana, where she entered in 2003, made first profession in 2006, and perpetual profession in 2010. At Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, she is dean of School of Theology Programs, overseeing the non-seminary programs, and adjunct assistant professor of spirituality. She also serves as a cantor and assists with Saint Meinrad’s chant offerings. Her first book, Icons in the Western Church: Toward a More Sacramental Encounter, was published by Liturgical Press in 2016. In 2025, Behold Visio Divina published Receiving the Gaze: Praying with Icons.

For library hours, call (812) 357-6401 or (800) 987-7311, or visit the Archabbey Library’s website: https://www.saintmeinrad.edu/library/library-hours/.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. Those wishing to view the exhibit may want to arrive at least 30 minutes before closing time.