American Artist Nancy Lamb Invited to Interpret the "Pilgrimage of the Holy Robe" in Trier, Germany

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- What does a religious pilgrimage that dates back 500 years look like through the eyes of contemporary artists from around the world? 

As part of the Pilgrimage of the Holy Robe, to be held in Trier, Germany, April 13 through May 13, 2012, American artist Nancy Lamb, along with artists from Rwanda, Africa, the Republic of Georgia, and Bolivia, have been invited to witness the Pilgrimage of the Holy Robe from their own perspectives and backgrounds, and then interpret the event artistically for a review and exhibition entitled "Bring Together What is Divided," to be held at the Bishop's Museum in Trier, Germany, in 2013.  Trier, Germany's oldest city, is associated with Lamb's hometown of Fort Worth, Texas through the Sister Cities International Organization.

Lamb, a highly regarded and collected artist from Fort Worth, Texas, said she was thrilled to be selected for the commission by the Fort Worth Gesellschaft (Association) of Trier.  "I'm looking forward to witnessing the Pilgrimage of the Holy Robe as an educational opportunity with a mystical experience on the side," said Lamb.  "The Bishop's Museum, in the spirit of the theme, was intent on exploring the Pilgrimage from the perspectives of people with different cultural backgrounds, and I'm interested to see how the other artists reflect the same experience in their own ways as well." 

The Pilgrimage of the Holy Robe has taken place only three other times in the last one hundred years.  The Holy Robe – Christ's Seamless Tunic said to have been worn by Jesus during or shortly before his crucifixion – is Trier Cathedral's best known treasure and is only displayed during Holy Robe Pilgrimages.  The Holy Robe is a mix of legends, tradition and history.  Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, is said to have uncovered the relic during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the year 327 or 328 and donated it to the church of Trier on her return.

The first Pilgrimage of the Holy Robe took place in 1512 when German Emperor Maximillian I made a formal visit to Trier.  At his command, the Holy Robe was put on display and pilgrims flocked to the city for the public showing.  Since that first pilgrimage, millions of people from all over the world have come to honor the Holy Robe with a program that has expanded well beyond Christian beliefs to include the common hopes of the modern world.  This year's pilgrimage marks the 500th anniversary of the historic event and is expected to draw more than 1 million people. 

Lamb, born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1956, is a sculptor and painter formally trained at Texas Christian University and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, where she taught ceramics from 1970 to 2004.  She has exhibited at the Dallas Museum of Art; Kimball Art Museum, Fort Worth; Kidder Smith Gallery in Boston Massachusetts; Galveston Art Center, Galveston, Texas; Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles, California; the McClaren/Markowitz Gallery, Boulder, Colorado; and many other institutions.  Her work has been featured in Harper's Magazine, Texas Monthly, and New American Painting.  Notable works include designs for two 200-foot terrazzo floors at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and murals for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Her work is also represented in numerous corporate and private collections.  She is associated with and represented by Artspace 111.  Her work can be viewed at www.artspace111.com/artists/nancy-lamb. 

SOURCE Nancy Lamb