Sr. Philomene McAuley
Life
Sister Philomene McAuley was born in 1888 in Belleville, Ontario, but grew up in North Dakota. In 1910 (or 1912)* she became a novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in St. Paul, Minnesota, and received her habit in that same year (or 1917). When she joined the art department faculty at the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1914 (or 1919), the school had only been open for a number of years. The first college – level class had just graduated in 1913.
McAuley appears to have been a dynamic force within the local arts community of the time, being an active member of the Minneapolis Art Organization, the Western Arts Association, the St. Paul School of Art, and the Catholic Art Association, among others. In 1924 (or in 1943) she became the national secretary of the Catholic Art Association, a position she held for 3 years. During that time she helped to frame the goals of that association:
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To foster a truly Christian social art after discovering what human art is and what Catholic art is.
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To work for eliminating “the blasphemy of ugliness” from our churches
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To encourage and facilitate art activity in Catholic schools
Clearly a lifelong learner, McAuley took instruction at several different institutions throughout her life, including the School of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley, California, and the Art Institute of Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Philosophy in Art and Education from the University of Chicago in 1929 and her Master of Arts from the University of Chicago (or Columbia University) in 1931. In 1933, she became the head of the art department at the College of St. Catherine, a position in which she was able to bring home all she’d learned elsewhere.
Along with her participation in local arts groups, McAuley gave lectures at other institutions and exhibited her artworks several times. Her 1935 exhibit at Mendel Hall on the St. Catherine campus included 14 charcoal drawings she had recently completed while studying at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. Her last exhibition, the Twin City’s Artists’ exhibition, was held at the St. Paul Gallery.
McAuley died in 1946. Her impact on the local community is clear in the response from the Catholic Art Association’s president: “I shall say … 30 Gregorian Masses for her happy and eternal repose…The CAA has lost its most generous and willing member” (Art association president sends letter of tribute, 1946).
Work
The work of Sister Philomene McAuley has been described as “…not the spectacular kind. It was the better kind which endures” (Art association president sends letter of tribute, 1946). This is clear in the pieces included in the St. Kate’s Fine Arts Collection. The angular features of the figures, the dynamic shading, and simple subject-matter of each seem to transcend the style of the time and make them intriguing and relevant still today. In fact, the instructor of painting and drawing at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts stated in 1935 that McAuley had “a keen sense of the traditional great art of the past as well as an emotional sympathy of the modern attitude expressed by the great artists of today” (Art teacher exhibits charcoal drawings). Her charcoal portrait of a woman in a blouse is a particularly exemplary: the portrait is simple, but the stylized features, heavy lines, and geometric background create drama and echo contemporary artists. Although the “today” McAuley’s instructor spoke of meant 1935, her works will continue to fascinate local viewers today and beyond.
See the gallery below to view McAuley's work from the St. Catherine University Fine Arts Collection, and a timeline of her and other Minnesota artists at St. Kate's work.
*Facts noted in parentheses represent conflicting information between sources. The 1946 edition of The Catherine Wheel is the main source of conflict.
Sources Cited
Art association president sends letter of tribute. (1946). The Catherine Wheel, 13(6), 1, 3. Retrieved from St. Catherine University Digital Collections: http://content.clic.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16120coll16/id/1521
Art teacher exhibits charcoal drawings. (1935). The Catherine Wheel, 2(1), 1, 3. Retrieved from St. Catherine University Digital Collections: http://content.clic.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16120coll16/id/322
C.J. Hibbard & Co. (1920?). College hall art classroom [digital image]. Retrieved from St. Catherine University Digital Collections: http://content.clic.edu/cdm/ref/collection/cscphoto/id/125
Department head dies. (1946). The Catherine Wheel, 13(6), 1, 3. Retrieved from St. Catherine University Digital Collections: http://content.clic.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16120coll16/id/1521
Spayde, J. (2009). Our Lady’s spirit. St. Catherine Alumnae News, 84(3), 38. Retrieved from http://www.sanfordberman.org/hist/handi/scan1009.pdf
Years of growth, years of change: A history of the College of St. Catherine. (1984?). Retrieved from St. Catherine University Digital Collections: http://content.clic.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16770coll7/id/340
