Ade Bethune Collection:
About the Collection
Visiting the Collection | Holdings
| History | Policies
Holdings of the Collection
The Ade Bethune Collection occupies some 450 linear feet consisting of
manuscript and printed materials, as well as nontextual materials (graphic,
sound, and artifact).
The current holdings of the Collection include: correspondence; original
manuscripts of books, articles and lectures; over 2,000 drawings; published writings; memorabilia, sketchbooks, and photographs; approximately
250 architectural drawings; some 400 small wooden and electroplated printing blocks; 100
audiotapes and 800 slides; and single artifacts of wood, metal, paint,
stained glass, textiles and clay.
Highlights of the Collection
- Correspondence with Dorothy Day and others in the Catholic Worker movement
- Correspondence with Graham Carey regarding the Catholic Art Association and views on liturgical art in general
- Papers and architectural drawings of the Church Community Housing Corporation, an organization providing affordable housing in Newport, RI, including Newport's first solar house
- Papers, architectural drawings, and photographs of many of her church design and renovation projects
- Design drawings for the bronze candlesticks used on the outdoor alter for the solemn closing of the Second Vatican Council
- Manuscripts and published writings on liturgical and social justice topics
- Six complete nativity scenes and scale models of her architecture projects
- Examples of her work in many media: paper, metal, wood, textile, clay, and stained glass
Topics of Special Interest in the Collection
- Sacred art
- Liturgy and art
- Church architecture and furnishings
- Graphic arts, calligraphy, lettering, illustration
- Icon painting, stained glass, mosaic
- Theology of imagery, sacred scripture and liturgy in art
- The Liturgical Movement, especially the role of women
- Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement
- Catholic Church history
- Christian social movements
History of the Collection
Ade Bethune's relationship with the College of St. Catherine began in
1939. She was asked to speak at a national meeting of the Catholic Art
Association held on campus in October of that year. While only 25, she
had already made a name for herself as a published artist and writer.
However, this was her first large-scale, formal lecture, and she was petrified
about speaking.
While at St. Catherine's, Ms. Bethune also spoke at the novitiate of
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and painted a large Saint Joseph
with the novices. This visit began a life-long friendship with Sr. Cyril
Clare Casey, Mistress of Postulants. Later she was to develop friendships
with art faculty member Judith Stoughton, CSJ, and library director Elizabeth
Delmore, CSJ. These two women were instrumental in convincing Ms. Bethune
to donate her personal papers and designs to the College of St. Catherine.
The Ade Bethune Collection, opened in 1984, has received funding from
the Grotto Foundation and the Bush Foundation. Most recently, the Collection
was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
to perform a preservation needs assessment survey. The Collection has also received support from the Friends of the Libraries, the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, and the College of St. Catherine Centers of Excellence.
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