An artistic legacy worth celebrating in new exhibit

Creativity is not hard to find among the Sisters of Providence, and that’s been apparent from the very start of the community’s westward expansion. 

The creative skills of foundress Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart helped literally build the early community from the ground up — including designing education and health care institutions to accomplish her overall goals of caring for the poor, sheltering the homeless, and tending to the sick. Mother Joseph’s artistry could also be found on a smaller scale, including once famously transforming a candle box into a striking tabernacle. Many Sisters have since celebrated providence through their art. 

A new exhibit, Providence in Art, within the Legacy Room at the Mother Joseph Administrative Center in Renton celebrates the living legacy of the Sisters’ artistic talents. 

“It’s our mini museum,” says Jessica Long, the artifacts collections curator for the Providence Archives. Long curated the exhibit, which showcases works of 21 deceased Sisters — from professionally trained artists to skilled hobbyists. 

And while Long was impressively able to assemble the exhibit mostly from afar – she’s based in Spokane — over the course of a few months, she says the impact of this project will remain with her deep into the future. 

“You can feel a connection to a Sister through her artwork – even if you never knew her,” said Long. “You really get to see how their hand shaped the paint or the clay. It’s just a very personal piece to have.” 

Among the artists featured in the gallery is former Sister Bernard of Jesus (Lillian Hogan) who entered the novitiate in 1920 and spent more than five decades in the community. Her numerous ministries included teaching art, and she earned painting and design degrees at the University of Washington in the 1930s. In a 1963 interview, she also reflected on the personal process of creativity: “Art should be practiced by everyone for what it does to [them] interiorly and not just for the finished product… it isn’t about how well you draw, but how well you understand.” 

Creativity has guided the Sisters to meaningful and successful ministries of all sorts, and that inspired work continues today.  

Sr.  Mary Trinitas Morin, SP: A passion for art becomes a cornerstone for campus community 

Sr. Mary Trinitas Morin, SP, (1908-1965) was a prolific artist who pursued her passion with inspiring vigor. Her first ministry as a Sister of Providence was as an art teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes, a school founded by the Sisters in Wallace, ID. She would go on to earn multiple art degrees, including a master’s degree in fine arts from Catholic University of America.

A hallmark of her artistry was her ability to create in almost every medium she tried her hand at: from metalwork to calligraphy, and oil paintings to features within worship spaces (including — but not limited to — candlesticks, chalices, side altars, and Stations of the Cross). 

For nearly 30 years, Sr. Mary was a sought-after art instructor at what was then College of Great Falls (CGF) in Montana and eventually served as the college’s head of the Division of Arts as part of her ministry. 

In 1994, CGF (now University of Providence) unveiled the Galerie Trinitas to honor and celebrate Sr. Mary’s many artistic contributions to the campus. 

Learn about each Sister featured in the exhibit

• Sr. Elizabeth of Providence (Paul), SP (1883-1930)
  • Held a passion and a talented touch for calligraphy painting.
• Sr. Mary Aloysius (Small), SP (1894-1983) 
  • Was often in high demand for her elegant greeting cards, with the showstopper being the one-of-a-kind roses she created through a unique and colorful blend of watercolors. She also enjoyed painting ceramics. 
• Sr. Vincent of Foligno, SP (1895-1975)
  • Enjoyed artistic talents across a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpting, ceramics, and fashioning rosaries.
• Sr. Joseph Amable (Chapdelaine),SP (1897-1977)
  • A talented hobbyist in oil painting, which she especially enjoyed upon retiring following her Golden Jubilee in 1966.
• Former Sr. Bernard of Jesus (Hogan) (1900-1980)
  • Enjoyed sculpting all sorts of materials and explored modern and abstract styles across several mediums.
• Sr. Marie-Blanche Thibault, SP (1901-1998) 
  • An avid painter of natural settings, her awe-inspiring creations were never based on actual landscapes but rather where she imagined she’d like to spend time with friends. A plethora of her work was in the oil medium, but she also worked with watercolors.  
• Sr. Maria Reilly, SP (1906-2000)
  • A creative mind who held a degree in church music, she ministered for more than four decades as a music instructor. She was also an accomplished writer and watercolor artist.
• Sr. Mary Carmel Huls, SP (1907-1999)
  • A talented hand at clay portrait creation, she also enjoyed painting.
• Sr. Ann Ellen Bailey, SP (1910-2001)
  • An accomplished hands-on artist who was most intrigued by ceramics and metalwork, her artistry resulted in the creation of many useful tools and liturgical objects. She earned a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Notre Dame and was the director of the Saint Ignatius Providence art studio for more than 20 years. 
• Sr. Hilda Beelaert, SP (1911-1999)
  • A talented tailor and a licensed beautician, she was also passionate about creating decorations including drawings.
• Sr. Ann Dolores Ybarrola, SP (1919-2015)
  • Among her favorite hobbies were calligraphy and decorative painting.
• Sr. Mary Hoiland, SP (1921-2001)
  • Among a complement of adventurous hobbies was oil painting.
•  Sr. Georgette Bayless, SP (1922-2016)
  • Created vivid watercolor paintings.
• Sr. Carol Marie Morin, SP (1922-2012)
  • A frequent award winner at the Spokane Interstate Fair for her painted porcelain art. She also taught arts and crafts as part of her ministry.
• Sr. Rose Bryne, SP (1924-2018)
  • An excellent painter, especially on fabric.
• Sr. Marita Chesnut, SP (1926-2008)
  • Studied art at four institutions of higher education and maintained a fully-equipped studio to fuel her passion — including handcrafted clay sculptures and ceramics, and oil painting.
• Sr. Wilma Fitzgerald, SP (1928-2013)
  • Infused creativity in her ministry as an instructor of mediaeval paleography, and in her retirement enjoyed creating intricate ribbon lace and painting ceramics.
• Sr. Lucy St. Hilaire, SP (1929-2013)
  • A natural artist who first honed her skills by sketching greeting cards for her family as a child. She also enjoyed creating via pottery, quilt making, oil painting and stitching.
• Former Sr. Diana (Mansford) (1937-2020)
  • Enjoyed oil painting in her time with the community from 1955-1960.
• Sr. Cecilia Norma Montoya, SP (1939-2009)
  • A gifted artist among a wide range of mediums, including drawing, pottery, painting, sculpting, wood carvings, sketching and watercolor.

Special thanks to artifacts collections curator Jessica Long, visual resources archivist Brian Drischell, and Providence Archives for the historical imagery and biographical details featured in this story. All historical imagery is credited to and used with permission from Providence Archives. Sisters wishing to see the exhibit in person at the Renton office are encouraged to pick up a well-researched pamphlet produced by the Archives team.