The Nevelson Chapel, An Oasis of Silence

Dec 16, 2020

Rushing past the shops and office towers surrounding 54th and Lexington in Midtown Manhattan, it would easy not to notice you are in the presence of a meditative masterpiece of mid-century art. The Nevelson Chapel, an interfaith environment designed by the abstract sculptor Louise Nevelson, hides in plain sight within the stark, angular, modernist Saint Peter’s Church, which has graced that intersection for 45 years. Reverend Ralph Peterson invited Nevelson to design the chapel in the mid-1970s. At the time, Nevelson was considered by many to be the most talented living sculptor. She had previously created custom installations for two other religious buildings, and her found wood assemblages were widely seen as totemic objects, suggestive of a sort of sacred geometry. Yet, some people found her to be an unusual choice for this particular commission, because it was a Lutheran church, and Nevelson was Jewish. Both Reverend Peterson and Nevelson, however, considered the differences between their religious affiliations irrelevant. “God is not a Lutheran,” Peterson reportedly said, and Nevelson said she accepted the commission precisely because it gave her the chance “to break the boundaries of regimented religion.” As a longtime resident of New York, she embraced the chance to create a quiet, meditative, spiritual environment in the middle of the noisiest and most populated city in North America. “I want people to have harmony on their lunch hours,” she said. Unlike her other works, which she made with reclaimed wood taken from alleys and sidewalks, she created the works for the chapel out of custom milled, furniture grade wood. Ever since she completed the chapel in 1977, it has remained open at all times, welcoming anyone into its environs for a moment of respite from ordinary life. Recently, however, it has become necessary to temporarily close all, or part, of the chapel due to a several year long, three million dollar restoration.

Good Money

The story of Nevelson Chapel begins neither in the art field nor the world of religion, but rather in the realms of high finance and industrial fertilizer production. In the early 1970s, the global financial institution today known as Citigroup (then known as Citicorp) was planning to build its new headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, on Lexington Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets. The only thing standing in the way of their plans was the old Saint Peter’s church built in 1905. Corporate executives negotiated with the church to acquire their land and tear the building down. Rather than resist the change, Reverend Peterson saw his chance to create something truly special for his congregation. He negotiated to secure enough funds to build a new, modern church on the site that, would be separate from the bank complex. The concrete church still stands out today as a sleek counterpart to its steel and glass skyscraper neighbors.

Nevelson Chapel, Saint Peter’s Church, New York © 2020 Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Peterson simultaneously secured funds to create an interfaith chapel in the church, that could serve the entire community, from Erol Beker, a wealthy, Turkish American fertilizer magnate who was a member of the Saint Peter’s congregation. The beauty of the legacy Beker created lives on in the intricate, elegant relief sculptures that grace each the walls of Nevelson Chapel. Each of the works Nevelson installed in the space symbolically references some aspect of Christian theology, such as the 12-part “Frieze of the Apostles,” or the “Cross of the Good Shepherd” that hangs behind the altar. Yet, if you did not know the names of the pieces, the space would still be sublimely open to individual interpretation. What may not be immediately obvious to visitors is just how much influence Nevelson had over all aspects of the space: she not only created the wall reliefs and sculptures, she designed every aspect of the room, from the furniture and candle holders to the lighting and color scheme.

Nevelson Chapel, Saint Peter’s Church, New York © 2020 Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Restoration Hard Times

The current restoration is actually the second attempt that has been made to stabilize Nevelson Chapel. The first attempt was poorly managed. Instead of properly cleaning the dirty wood and then matching the original paint, crews painted over the dirt with different paint, ruining the monochromatic palette Nevelson intended for the space. The current effort is not only an opportunity to undo that past damage, it is also a chance to completely transform the bones of the space so it will endure for many years to come. Crews have already swapped out the heat-producing, artificial lighting; installed UV glass in the windows and skylights; improved the structural support for all of the sculptures; torn out and rebuilt the ceiling; and changed out the HVAC system in an effort to control the temperature and humidity to preserve the delicate wood.

Nevelson Chapel, Saint Peter’s Church, New York © 2020 Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

In addition to the work being done to restore Nevelson Chapel and its sculptures and reliefs, a fund is also being set up to preserve the facilities into the future, as well as to enhance the legacy Nevelson created as an artist. Some of the money being raised will go to the development of programming to educate the public about Nevelson and her art, and funds will also be set aside to create new opportunities for contemporary artists. This month, Pace gallery opened an online exhibition of three Nevelson collages, promising to donate sixty percent of proceeds to the restoration of Nevelson Chapel. Donations of any size are also welcomed online at nevelsonchapel.org. Even if you cannot contribute financially to the restoration of this rare and precious space, at least put it on your list of places to stop in for a break next time you find yourself in the city that never sleeps. Whatever your spiritual leanings, Nevelson Chapel is guaranteed to give you a moment of stillness in the midst of the only remaining, in tact environment this singular artist created.

Featured image: Nevelson Chapel, Saint Peter’s Church, New York © 2020 Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
All images used for illustrative purposes only
By Phillip Barcio