LUMA’s ‘Art and Faith of the Créche’ Displays Diversity in Christmas Celebrations

Marking the return of a Loyola holiday tradition, more than 60 crèches — visual displays of the birth of Christ — are on show in the main gallery of the Loyola University Museum of Art, located at 820 N. Michigan Ave. 

Residing in the red bricks of Lewis Towers on Loyola’s Water Tower Campus, LUMA’s annual “Art and Faith of the Crèche” exhibition returned Nov. 13. With scenes formed from ostrich egg, wire, brass, wood and clay, the collection’s variety reflects Christmas’ diversity. 

LUMA ceased its regular public hours in 2019 for financial reasons, The Phoenix previously reported. Despite this, LUMA staff have continued to loan artifacts to other museums and host programming like the yearly crèche exhibit and Steve McCurry’s “Icons” in 2023, according to Museum Manager Kyle Mathers.

Now with more regular public hours and a growing number of exhibits on display, LUMA is making a comeback. A celebration of the museum’s rich library of artwork, the “Art and Faith of the Crèche” exhibit, inquires into the diversity of ways people around the world rejoice in a common story of faith.

The exhibition has been held nearly every year since 2009, after crèche collectors James and Emilia Govan donated more than 700 works from their personal collection to LUMA. 

“I didn’t fully understand the scope and breadth of the collection until I saw it,” Mathers said. “Seeing all the different cultures, materials, the techniques, hopefully it could — pretty much as any exhibit — spark interest into looking more into a specific culture or style or artist.”

Varying in size, medium and focal point, the Govan collection houses nativity scenes from over 100 countries.

“While they’re all more or less around the same biblical story, you can see how different cultures interpret that story and what they focus on with it,” Mathers said. “It’s a chance to see how different cultures celebrate Christmas.”

This year, a Christmas carol theme guides attendees through three conjoining display rooms. Wall graphics displaying lyrics from holiday songs illustrate why certain crèches were grouped together, according to Museum Coordinator Hannah Luchtenburg.

The first room aligns with “The First Noel,” displaying elaborate scenes focusing on the shepherds who led their flocks to Bethlehem to see newborn Jesus. The use of strong, natural materials like wood and clay seem to reflect the power of awe and faith experienced by these travelers. 

More understated, simply composed crèches are found in the exhibit’s second space focused around both “Away in a Manger” and “Silent Night.” These works foster a sense of intimacy with a subdued stature that highlights the humility of Jesus’s birth in the stable.

Opposite these works, the three wise men of the biblical tale are prominently featured in a “We Three Kings”-inspired segment. Works like a Russian nesting doll crèche creatively focus attention on the human figures, whose socio-political status and religious prominence remain notable and revered.

Beyond this, a small inset room plays a video of James Govan discussing how he began and grew the worldly collection from a gift to his wife.

Farthest back lies the “Joy to the World” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” room, holding the brightest and largest crèches. The elaborate, multicolored architecture of towering churches and brass mangers seem to highlight the joys of festive celebration.

Mathers said the crèche collection sees more return visits than any other LUMA exhibit. Stopping by the exhibit has become a holiday tradition for church groups, senior centers and many in Loyola’s community. The museum rotates through works from the Govan collection to ensure returners get the chance to explore something different each year, Mathers said. 

While changing themes allow LUMA to cycle through an extensive library of crèches, Luchtenburg said some pieces are displayed more often because they fit multiple themes well or are museumgoer favorites — like a nativity scene entirely shaped out of kitchen utensils and one carved into a walnut. 

Mathers and Luchtenburg said they attempted to differentiate the country of origin for each displayed crèche. 

“It’s good content for that kind of humanistic inquiry of why a certain culture would portray this a certain way or what they choose to focus on,” Luchtenburg said.

Inspiring curiosity is a goal of the exhibit, according to Luchtenburg and Mathers, who both said they encourage Loyola students to check out LUMA’s wide-ranging collections. 

“Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it’s something that’s really fun to just explore,” Luchtenburg said.

“Art and Faith of the Crèche” is on display at LUMA from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday through Dec. 21. Admission is free, but donations of gently used clothes and toiletries are appreciated.