What's Happening

September 19, 2024, Ann Arbor, Michigan – After buying popular art from local artists in Brazil and Peru for about 30 years, Sister Barbara Cervenka, OP, and Marion “Mame” Jackson have one more task: to return the more than 750 pieces of art, primarily to the state of Bahia, Brazil. 

Sister Barbara and Mame, then professors at the University of Michigan, made annual trips to Latin America, predominantly to Brazil, to locate and purchase popular art – art created by the people – to bring back to the United States. “We put the collection together originally to open cultural doors between North and South America,” Mame said in a recent article in The Guardian. 

Through their nonprofit organization, Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas, they arranged exhibits in museums throughout the United States to give voice to the artists and to popularize their work within the North American culture. One of the organization’s earliest exhibits, Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints, featured the popular art from Northeastern Brazil and explored the history and culture of the Black people who settled there. Through the years, Con/Vida received some of its funding through the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Ministry Trust Fund.

Once the artwork – including paintings, religious objects, and sculptures – are returned to their native land, many will be exhibited for the local people to enjoy and appreciate.

Read more about Con/Vida and its use of popular art to bridge the gap between South and North America – and efforts to return the art – in an article by Tiago Rogero in The Guardian.
 

Caption for above photo: Sister Barbara Cervenka, OP, left, and Marion “Mame” Jackson

April 19, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – The Lunch and Learn series at Weber Retreat and Conference Center continues through the summer with new topics of interest to nourish your mind. Lunch and Learn is offered from 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. 
Upcoming sessions are as follows:

•    May 15, 2024 – Sam Beauford Woodshop. Learn about the many offerings and events at the Sam Beauford Woodshop, located at the Adrian Center for the Arts.

•    June 12, 2024 – Adrian Resilient Community Update. Hear about the exciting developments on the East Side of Adrian, born from a partnership of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, ProMedica, the A3 Coalition, and the Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee. Speakers are Frank Nagle, Director of Community Impact at ProMedica, and Jennifer Hunter and Sister Sharon Weber, OP, Co-Chairs of the Adrian Resilient Communities Committee.

•    July 17, 2024 – Keeping your Heart Healthy. Pam Miller, Team Coordinator for Cardiac Rehab at ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital, shares strategies for a healthy heart.

•    August 14, 2024 – The Secrets of Canning. Mary Donaldson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture shares the best ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables all year through canning.

Those attending may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch for $7 from Weber Center. Drinks and desserts will be provided for everyone. If buying lunch, please register at least two days in advance. Call 517-266-4000 or email [email protected]. 

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered parking lot. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call 517-266-4000.