the academy journal
a larger scene for a New Church teacher, used at
first in a school setting, later coming to Glencairn.
In 2012, Mary Sandstrom Cooper created a similar scene on a slightly smaller scale and donated
it to the Museum. It’s easy to see that these delightful nativities are related. All told, Bernice and
Mary have created hundreds of representations for
homes in several countries, as well as for schools
and at least one church, the New Church in Mitchellville, Maryland.
It is significant that the majority of the nativities on display this year were gifts from our generous friends, Alan and Mary Liz Pomeroy, collected
over many years from around the world as they
traveled for Alan’s work. Once again, Kathleen
Glenn Pitcairn created unique settings for almost
all the sets, adding immeasurably to their appreciation, a deeply appreciated gift of time and talent.
Christmas in the Castle, Glencairn’s first
Christmas tour, gave about 600 participants the
chance to learn how the Pitcairn family celebrated
Christmas when Glencairn was their home and
explore works of art in the Museum’s collections
depicting the Nativity. Carefully researched displays were mounted along the tour route and the
tour itself was scripted. Our esteemed interpreters
mastered the content before leading their first tour
group. In exit surveys, we received many affirmative comments about this tour including these
four: “The tour put me in the mood to celebrate
the real meaning of Christmas,” and, “Nice combo
of religious art & family love. Seeing Mildred’s
dress warmed my heart,” then, “I continue to be
impressed by the people and community of Bryn
Athyn. Our tour guide was phenomenal,” and finally, “Everything is so beautifully done… It’s a
great way to learn so much and to kick off the holiday Season! Can’t wait to see the Cathedral and
Cairnwood and to inform my family and friends
of what a “must see” place this is, especially for the
Holiday Season.”
icon writer, Susan Kelly vonMedicus, works in an
unbroken tradition developed during the earliest
centuries of Christianity. Her brilliantly painted
and gilded icons of biblical stories and characters,
saints and other religious topics, together with a
well-attended lecture and two workshops proved
to be popular with our audiences. In her lecture
the artist discussed the symbolism of religious
icons and the important place they hold in the
prayer life of many Christians. She illustrated the
ancient technique of creating egg tempera using
ground mineral pigments and the art of gold leaf
application.
Tours and Outreach
This year, 7,000 visitors were introduced to the
Museum’s collections and mission through either
a guided or self-guided tour. Each adult tour began with an orientation video, introducing visitors
to the history of Bryn Athyn and the mission of
the Museum. Visitors learn about our schools as
they enjoy a spectacular view of both campuses
from the tower, and learn about New Church beliefs both through the symbolism in Glencairn’s
chapel and the four decorative themes that appear
throughout the building – “family,” “school,” “nation,” and “church.” It is through an explanation
of these themes that visitors are introduced to the
New Church concept of service to the neighbor,
the neighbor as an individual, but as increasingly
larger communities of individuals, too.
The tour invites visitors to look at objects in
the collections to see what they can tell us about
religious beliefs and how people act from those
beliefs, for these objects are the human expressions of faith over time. These objects are gateways
through which we can seek to understand the
religious beliefs of their creators and the ways in
which they sought to act from those beliefs. Two
recent surveys show that not only are increasing
numbers of people coming to the Museum, but
that they appreciate the mission of the Museum
and the message they are receiving through their
tour. 91% of visitors on one survey reported being
“very interested” in what they learned, while 100%
on another reported that they would recommend
Glencairn to a friend.
WINDOWS INTO HEAVEN
This is the title of an exhibition of icons that was
featured in the upper hall most of the year. In the
Orthodox tradition of Christianity an icon is often
called a “window into heaven,” because figuratively speaking the viewer is meant to look through
it, beyond the surface of the painting into heaven,
to the religious subjects depicted. Philadelphia
Kudos For A Historic District Tour
In May, a group from New England, the Five Col-
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