As students return to St. Edward’s University to begin their spring semester, the winds of change whisk in the air as many are greeted with new challenges and delightful surprises. Aside from the Ragsdale Center now being open for dining, the Munday Library has also decided to make a few changes. With the help of Hollis Hammonds, the chair of the visual studies department and professor, the library has established a public art exhibit that currently showcases art created and collected over the years by Brothers of the Holy Cross.

“The exhibit is the legacy of the Holy Cross brothers, and it is a reminder to people that they are still a part of our community. Which was the plan we had going into this project,” Hammonds said.”It is also nice having it in such a common place like the library because it allows more faculty and students to be exposed to art since the main art gallery is tucked away in the Fine Arts building.”

Students can walk around and in between the exhibit upon entering the library. The walls are tall, white and decorated with tapestries, sculptures, photographs and paintings.

Most pieces cover the historical events of St. Edward’s, like the 1903 Main Building fire, missionary excursions, portraits and landscapes surrounding the university. Hand-stitched crests, tapestries, religious figure stained glass and moments from the lives of the Brothers of the Holy Cross, whose creative works now fill the library with ambiance and vibrant colors.

It was brought to the attention of the visual studies department that some students may be unaware or unable to access the Fine Arts building, where most of the school’s art exhibits are displayed. 

The show’s significance is to highlight the lineage of the brothers who established St. Edward’s in 1925 and began a new chapter of an inclusive space where all are welcome to see and connect with art.

“The exhibit is definitely being interacted with, and I think the [Munday] Library is a good spot for it because it does not matter what major you are; you are still being exposed to the work, making it accessible to everyone,” said Milo Dufresne-MacDonald, a student ambassador for the library. “It makes the invisible people visible; the Brothers of the Holy Cross founded St. Edward’s, and people should know where their institution came from and the mission statement it was built upon.”

Students could soon see an influx of art within the exhibit space. There is also a possibility that art submissions will be open to the entirety of the student body and not solely towards fine arts and visual studies majors.

With the hope of more expressive outlets appearing on campus, students can now use the library for more than studying last-minute for tests and projects and instead have a space to gather and share creative ideas for semesters to come.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Kennady Basdekis-Morin / Hilltop Vi

Entrance to the newly built exhibit space inside the Munday Library.