Renewing a Masterwork

Reflections on Nevelson Chapel

“Nevelson’s work is like 1940’s bebop jazz; built on the notes of familiar melodies but totally new to the ear. Her use of recycled materials, repetition, and monochrome finishes blazed a trail that I walk along to this day.”

— Willie Cole

“The Chapel was created to be a place of peace - a harbor for the spirit of all who visit. The restoration will bring back the vitality of this inspiring environment as Nevelson conceived it.”

— Laurie Wilson

“Marvelously dynamic, mesmerically placid. A womb for the soul.”

—Christopher Rothko

“Louise Nevelson’s first significant foray in white, Dawn’s Wedding Feast, debuted in 1959 at The Museum of Modern Art. Almost twenty years later, Nevelson was commissioned to realize a sculptural surround in white at Chapel of the Good Shepherd (1977). As a place of worship, the site became known for its spiritual humanism, a deep sanctity that abstract art can achieve by pervading space.”

— Brooke Kamin Rapaport

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