Exhibition of Drawings
in the
Helen and Mary Boyle Gallery
Watching the Vatican: Perceptions of Frederick Franck
Pacem in Terris, Warwick New York
Frederick Franck’s drawings of the Second Vatican Council are currently on exhibit at Pacem in Terris, 96 Covered Bridge Road, Warwick, NY. The exhibition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Vatican II, convened by Pope John XXIII in 1962, and will be on view through October.
Frederick Franck and Pope John the XXIII
Frederick Franck was born in 1909 in Maastricht in Holland on the Belgian and German borders. At that time the region was largely Catholic; Frederick however was from an agnostic family. Nevertheless the symbol rich environment in which he grew up fed his young imagination and is the seedbed of many of the images seen here at Pacem in Terris.
From the time he was a very young man Frederick Franck studied D.T Suzuki’s writings on Zen. He also deeply admired Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s philosophy of Reverence for Life and worked at his African hospital during the late 1950s and early 1960s. However during the dark days of the Cuban Missile Crisis the hope and profound humanity contained in Pope John’s call for the renewal of the Catholic Church struck a chord in Frederick and he and his wife Claske left for Rome immediately. He became the only artist to draw all the sessions of the Second Vatican Council. For this he received the Medal of John’s Pontificate. Upon their return from Rome Frederick and Claske were inspired to build Pacem in Terris. It is dedicated to Pope John the XXIII, Albert Schweitzer, and D.T.Suzuki.
Pacem in Terris is an oasis of solitude, art, inspiration, and natural beauty. Located along the Wawayanda River, Pacem offers a simple, quiet place to visit and find renewal for daily life.
Pacem in Terris is a not for profit organization. It is open daily, 11-4 weekdays; 11-6 weekends and holidays, May thru October - weather permitting. Admission is free, donations are always welcome. (845) 986-4329 www.frederickfranck.org
