Our Lady Of

Our Lady Of takes its title from the honorific designation given to the Virgin Mary – the mother of Jesus Christ. Common examples of Our Lady include Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Sorrows, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Typically associated with Catholicism, several of these iterations are revered in non-Catholic communities around the world. Within the permanent collection of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, there are 176 works that have a title that contains the phrase “Our Lady of,” many of which were produced in the Southwestern United States and Mexico during the 18th and 19th centuries. The mythology of Our Lady of Guadalupe is heavily tied to Mexican national identity, and she is broadly affiliated with Latinx culture, both in the Americas and in the diaspora.

Our Lady is a constantly changing symbol with multiple meanings. Her presence can provide comfort and protection–like a mother. She can elicit past traumas associated with religious institutions, colonization, and genocide. An emblem of multiplicity, she is simultaneously weaponized and used as a tool of oppression by political movements, satirized by artists and performers, and worn daily by individuals who want a piece of their community held close. This selection of artwork from the collection provides multiple windows to view how artists have and continue to engage with this history and iconography. Ranging from retablos, bultos, lithographs, and photographs, these works survey the varied meanings and associations with Our Lady.

Savanah Pennell, Curatorial Paraprofessional

2022

From June 3rd, 2022 – September 18th, 2022 a selection of these works are on view in Where the Saint Lives, curated by Savanah Pennell. Click here for more information on the exhibition.