Media Type: Video

In the Catholic tradition, the month of May has been dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. Yet all too often, images of Mary have been limited or lacking — depicting her in ways that feel outdated or unrelatable to many of the faithful today.

FutureChurch proudly welcomes contemporary artists Gracie Morbitzer and Dani M. Jiménez who reflect on their personal relationships to faith and art, discuss their artistic processes, and share images of Mary that are contemporary, layered, and multi-racial. Together, they offer a vision of Mary that speaks to a diverse and modern Church.

About the artists:

Gracie Morbitzer-Collins has always been drawn to the arts, storytelling, and crafting curated experiences. At the Columbus College of Art & Design, she received a Bachelor’s Degree in the Interior Architecture and Design program, studying museums, set design, and immersive experiences. The Modern Saints is a project that was born out of Gracie’s transition from a Catholic education to CCAD – In the summer of 2021, she decided to leave her job to pursue full-time this project that had become a small business. She now has a studio at 400 West Rich St. Art Studios in the Franklinton Arts District in Columbus, Ohio. She is always working on painting new commissions, fulfilling print orders, designing special projects, and working to make the saints relatable by bringing them into the current day. In December of 2023, her first book, The Modern Saints: Portraits and Reflections on the Saints, was released. She also books speaking engagements all over the country and has been published in many articles and interviews about this work. Visit https://www.themodernsaints.com to learn more about Gracie and her art.

Dani M. Jiménez is an artist based in San José, Costa Rica. Dani identifies an illustrator, an iconographer, a muralist and a mixed-media artist, as well as a writer, an essayist, and a poet. Her website, ‘And Her Saints,’ started out as a blog meant to document her process as a queer Catholic revert, but It has become her main source of income and creative outlet. For the past five years Dani has devoted every moment to building towards a future where Queer kids won’t believe God hates them for existing as they are. Dani is a member of the Young Caucus at both Dignity and Pax Christi. Dani has painted hundreds of pieces centered around the experience of the marginalized within an organized religion. She has worked with Jesuit Media Lab, Women’s Ordination Conference, Catholics4Choice, Penguin Random House, as well as many other organizations, ordinary people and independent publications. Her written work has been featured in U.S. Catholic Magazine, Call to Action, and other religious and lay publications. She also runs her own Substack. Visit https://andhersaints.com to learn more about Dani and her art.

Opening Prayer:

Reader 1: Mary of Nazareth, Jewish mother of Jesus,
Reader 2: Make us hearers and bearers of the Word. 

Reader 1: Mary of Nazareth, Icon of She Who Is,
Reader 2: Enable us to be heavy with God. 

Reader 1: Mary of Nazareth, dangerous bearer of truth and integrity,
Reader 2: Show us God in you and in ourselves. 

Reader 1: Mary of Nazareth, Magnificat Mother of the One Who Saves,
Reader 2: Open us to you and to the world. 

Reader 1:  Mary of Nazareth, liberating and protecting sister,
Reader 2: Keep us company in our struggles to be who God created us to be. 

Reader 1: Mary of Nazareth, partner with God in the work of redemption,
Reader 2: Walk with us as we journey to join you in the Communion of Saints 

We ask all this through the intercession of Mary, fierce and loving Mother of God– Amen.