October 4, 2005

Liberal Arts announces gift of religious icons to Purdue Galleries

Katherine "Betsy" Scheuring

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University Galleries' permanent art collection will be home to one of the largest private Orthodox Christian icon collections in the country, thanks to a gift announced Tuesday (Oct. 4) from an Indianapolis ballet instructor.

Katherine "Betsy" Scheuring, a longtime resident of Indianapolis, is giving 132 Russian and Ethiopian religious icons to Galleries. The gift is valued at more than $308,000. Included in the collection are a variety of religious figures, such as Jesus, the Virgin Mary and saints, as well as images from Judeo-Christian writings. Scheuring's collection ranges from the 16th century to the 21st century.

"Most people expect to find these religious icons only in the homes of Orthodox Christians or in churches," said Thomas Adler, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts. "But Betsy Scheuring has made it possible for people – whether they are spiritually inspired by these images, curious to learn more about Russia's political history, or captivated by such fine craftsmanship from Ethiopia and Russia – to have access to this incredible collection."

Russian icon of Christ Pantocrator
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caption below

The icons are predominantly rectangular and range from 2 by 3 inches to 15 by 21 inches. The majority are made from wood and painted with a dull-finished paint called tempera, and some are enclosed by a metal casing called riza (pronounced REE-za) that protects the print. The Orthodox Christian religion, which broke with Roman Catholicism in 1054 over disagreements about doctrine and tradition, is heavily rooted in Greece, Russia and Eastern Europe. Icons are one of the religion's most universally recognized symbols.

Scheuring, who is not Orthodox or Russian, became interested in Russian history through her love for ballet.

"While studying ballet in New York City, I met some wonderful dancers from Russia," said Scheuring, who taught ballet in her Indianapolis basement studio for 30 years. "It's impossible for admirers of Russian music and ballet to avoid falling in love with Russian tradition.

"Despite the rich history of these icons in Russians' lives, they were forbidden, and many were destroyed during the communist rule in the 20th century. However, many made their way to our country, and that made it easier for people like myself to collect them."

Story of St. George
Slaying the Dragon
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Scheuring studied ballet in New York City, and her father and brothers attended Purdue. Scheuring and her late husband, Paul, started collecting the icons in the 1970s.

"I never tired of looking at the icons, and I am so thrilled that Purdue will take care of them and, more importantly, allow people to see them," she said.

In 1996, 74 pieces of her collection were shown in Purdue's Union Gallery. That showing, called "Emblems of Radiance: Icons from the Betsy Scheuring Collection," was the only public display outside of her home.

"Betsy Scheuring's icons are not only glorious religious images, but their artistic design and craftsmanship is amazing," said Galleries director Craig Martin. "These religious icons, some of which are patterned after designs that are centuries old, reflect a deep and passionate spirituality.

"Purdue Galleries' permanent collection is mostly composed of contemporary print work and art of the Americas. This new addition offers viewers a chance to appreciate historic artwork with a very different purpose."

Pieces from the Scheuring collection will be displayed in the fall of 2006, which is the time of year when these icons are traditionally used in Orthodox celebrations.

The announcement is part of a two-week celebration leading up to Purdue's Oct. 15 Homecoming. Events focus on ways Purdue is improving education and helping the state of Indiana as part of the university's strategic plan and $1.5 billion fund-raising campaign.

Purdue's Galleries, which opened in 1978, are free and open to the public. The Robert L. Ringel Gallery is in the Purdue Memorial Union and the Stewart Center Gallery is in Stewart Center across from Fowler Hall. They are sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, with additional support from the Friends of the Galleries.

The next exhibits for Purdue Galleries open Oct. 24 and are "The Paper Sculpture Show" and "Art/Science: Photography of David Goldes." "The Paper Sculpture Show" features three-dimensional paper sculptures to be assembled by visitors and will be in the Robert L. Ringel Gallery, and "Art/Science: Photography of David Goldes" will take place in the Stewart Center Gallery.

The College of Liberal Arts is composed of the departments of communication; English; foreign languages and literatures; health and kinesiology; history; philosophy; political science; psychological sciences; sociology and anthropology; speech, language and hearing sciences; and visual and performing arts. The college also is home to 13 interdisciplinary programs.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Sources: Tom Adler, (765) 494-3661, tadler@purdue.edu

Craig L. Martin, (765) 494-3061, cdmartin@cla.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Journalists interested in interviewing Katherine "Betsy" Scheuring should contact Amy Patterson Neubert, Purdue News Service, at (765) 494-9723, apattersons@purdue.edu. Journalists are welcome to attend the gift announcement at noon today (Tuesday, Oct. 4) at the Prusiecki Banquet Room at the Dick and Sandy Dauch Alumni Center, 403 W. Wood St. The announcement will be made during dessert.

PHOTO CAPTION:
This Russian icon of Christ Pantocrator is one of 132 icons Katherine "Betsy" Scheuring is giving to Purdue Galleries' permanent collection. Scheuring, a longtime Indianapolis resident and ballet instructor, has collected Russian and Ethiopian icons since the 1970s. This icon is an oil painting on panel with silver riza, and was made during the second half of 19th century. (Photo provided by Purdue Galleries)

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/uns/images/+2005/icons-russ1.jpg

PHOTO CAPTION:
This Russian icon shows an image from the story of St. George Slaying the Dragon. The icon, which is painted with egg tempera on a panel, is part of the 132 icons Katherine "Betsy" Scheuring is giving to Purdue Galleries' permanent collection. (Photo provided by Purdue Galleries)

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/uns/images/+2005/icons-russ2.jpg

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