Menno Simons art exhibition shows sinister, saintly sides
By Clarissa Gaff
The Good Library Art Gallery strangely resembles the federal post office this month; portraits of a wanted man cover the walls. However, "dead or alive" no longer applies to this fugitive, Menno Simons, a central figure in Mennonite history. The gallery is hosting a traveling exhibit, "Menno Simons: Image, Art and Identity" in a belated celebration of the Anabaptist leader's 500th birthday in 1496.
In the exhibit, Simons is depicted in three ways: the Hunted Dissenter, the Pious Saint, and the Learned Scholar.
GC Director of Church Relations Sheldon Burkhalter,
who served on the committee that arranged for the exhibit to visit GC, pointed
out an interesting depiction of Simons. "One of the earliest [works
of art] is a portrait prepared for a booklet by one who considered Mennonites
to be heretics, so Menno is portrayed as a sinister character-one you wouldn't
want to associate with."
Bethel College (KS) Professor of History and curator of the exhibit, Keith Sprunger, thinks evolving portrayals of Simons are important. He said, "Through the centuries, Mennonites have revised the portraits and tried to make the message of faith up to date and relevant. We need to keep doing that."
Artists chose to portray Simons in mediums such as engraving, etching, and woodcuts. Other mediums, like t-shirts that say "Menno Power," and refrigerator magnets, thrust Menno into the realm of pop culture. Professor of Art Marvin Bartel contributed a piece of pottery with Simon's likeness on it.
No portraits of Menno Simons are based on an actual description or visual depiction of Simons, possibly because of his fugitive status. Instead, all the portraits in the gallery are artists' imaginative renderings.
According to Sprunger, this should not deter one from viewing the exhibit. He said, "All groups, including Mennonites, like to visualize their leaders. To see a face, even if we cannot be sure of its accuracy from history, helps to make a message concrete and believable. A name without a face is a vague presence."
The exhibit opened this Sunday at 3 p.m. in Umble Center, with a reception and an entire program devoted to Menno Simons. Professor of History John D. Roth gave a presentation titled, "Why Should Menno Matter?" Roth answered his own question by saying, "He brought a unique, distinctively Anabaptist perspective . . . that we recognize today as the very heart of the Anabaptist vision which Mennonites today continue to claim as a heritage of faith."
Also during the program, GC students performed a series of skits written by GC seniors Steven P. Miller and Sidney King, junior Tim Kennel, and sophomore David Fast. Titled, "From Menno to Modernity: A Conglomeration of Five Mennonite Trickster Tales," the skits portrayed Simons, as well as modern day tricksters.
The program also included a one-man portrayal of Simons titled, "Mennologue: Crisis of Conscience," by John Sharp, director of the Historical Committee and the Archives of the Mennonite Church.
Finally, Professor of Music and Department Chair Doyle Preheim sang, "The Prince of Peace: A Song Cycle," which was based on the words of Menno Simons and composed by '87 GC graduate James Clemens.
The exhibit originated in the Kauffman Museum in Newton, Kansas, and will be at GC through Feb. 16.