CHICAGO.- This November, the Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) begins the holiday season with its newest exhibition, Art and Faith of the Crèche: The Collection of James and Emilia Govan. The exhibition, which will be on display from November 17, 2007 through January 27, 2008, features 100 contemporary crèches, otherwise known as Nativity scenes.

Composed over a period of 30 years, the Govan collection includes crèches from more than 100 different countries and cultures. To supplement this rich exhibition, and to provide a Chicago flavor, LUMA has also borrowed two elaborate szopki, crèches traditionally made in Krakow, from the Polish Museum of America and Mitchell and Frances Wiet.

Derived from medieval religious pageants, crèches have been created by artists for generations. Although historically rooted in the Christian faith, the Nativity story has transcended its traditional meaning among a variety of cultures, a people of all faiths. Thus, while traditionally displayed by Christians, these crèches are made by artists from a wide range of cultures and faiths, including Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist, and Jewish artists who have adapted and modified the Nativity scene to reflect their own architecture, clothing, and cultural traditions,” says Pamela Ambrose, director of LUMA.

Singaporean artists Amos and Albert Tay, for example, have created delicate crèches made of cinnamon wood paste. These artists have expressed their Taoist tradition by modeling Mary after Kuan Yin, the bodhisattva of mercy. Stable has taken the form of a pagoda. Such unique depictions of the Christmas story instill the Nativity with a meaning that resonates with Christians and non-Christians alike.