RADNOR, Pa. (Sept. 5, 2014)—Personal stories of vow fulfillment and divine intercession will be depicted through metal, silver, and paint at the ex-voto exhibition “Graces Received: Painted and Metal Ex-Votos From Italy” beginning Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Grace and Joseph Gorevin Fine Arts Gallery at Cabrini (610 King of Prussia Road, Wayne, Pa.)
Dating from 1865 to 1959, the ex-votos on display are from the collection of Leonard Norman Primiano, Ph.D., chair and professor of religious studies at Cabrini College. An ex-voto is a voluntary offering to a saint or divinity, crafted in gratitude for a favor, blessing, or healing received.
During a reception open to the public on Sept. 18, 5–7 p.m., Primiano will speak about his collection that includes metal objects that form afflicted body parts or hearts representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as painted tablets that capture the dramatic moment intercession was requested.
As developer and curator of Cabrini’s Religious Folk, Popular, Liturgical Arts Collection, Primiano coordinated for the College the acquisition of the Don Yoder Collection of Religious Folk Art in 2006.
Primiano sits on the executive board of the American Folklore Society, and is co-producer of The Father Divine Project, a multimedia documentary and video podcast about Father Divine, Mother Divine, and the Peace Mission Movement.
“Graces Received: Painted and Metal Ex-Votos from Italy,” will run through October 2014.
About Cabrini University
Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University is a Catholic institution that empowers students to become advocates of social change through an Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership development.
Cabrini enrolls approximately 1,300 undergraduates in more than 35 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations, and minors on its serene 112-acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The University also enrolls 900 students in graduate, doctoral, and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, PA, and at five off-campus locations.