When MOCRA opened in 1993, many people were skeptical about a museum focusing on expressions of religion and spirituality in contemporary art. Preconceptions were firmly lodged for those coming from the perspective of art and for those coming from the perspective of faith and spirituality. By the time Founding Director Fr. Terrence Dempsey, S.J., retired from the museum on June 30, 2019, however, MOCRA had convincingly established that the religious and spiritual dimensions continue to nourish vital and varied currents in contemporary art.

MOCRA celebrated Fr. Dempsey on Nov. 10, 2019, in a program called Pursuing the Spirit in Contemporary Art: A Celebration of Terrence Dempsey, S.J. The afternoon featured a talk by author and curator Dr. Aaron Rosen, who reflected on MOCRA's significance and took stock of the present and future of the dialogue between contemporary artists and the religious and spiritual dimensions. You can see that talk and other highlights of the celebration here.

While he was in St. Louis, Rosen joined MOCRA's new Director, David Brinker, to talk about Rosen's scholarly and curatorial projects. In their wide-ranging conversation, they also speculated about future trajectories for MOCRA.

Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "Love as Strong as Death." 

Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Aaron Rosen and to explore our other episodes.

Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand
Theme and Incidental Music: Stephen James Neale
Producer: David Brinker

Original release date: 3/6/2020