This fall, the Iona College Council on the Arts features “Sacred Silence: The Practice of Iconography” in their gallery, an exhibition on the work of four local painters, Chantal Heinegg, Ofelia Manero, Barbara Vartenigian and Marek Czarnecki. This exhibit explores the traditional style of religious icons in the Eastern Church and challenges those of us in the Western world to open up to the profound spirituality these images offer.

The use of icons in the Christian Church dates back to the Roman Empire. However, the Eastern Orthodox Church developed and disseminated the traditional two–dimensional style of iconography much later, resulting in a style unlike any art in the Western world.

Sophomore Kimberly Vargas works in the gallery and echoed surprise at the style.

“There’s definitely a powerful aura in here,” said Vargas.

Vargas spoke in reference to the shine of the gold leaf in the paintings, and the spiritual music playing softly in the background.

There is a sense of stepping back in time when viewing the works in the gallery. The artists featured use the same traditional pigments and techniques in their modern recreations as were used in the original models for each painting. One may worry that such a unique style could not possibly be relatable to the average student, but this is not the case.

Freshman Elinor Nelson said she felt a spiritual connection to the art. One of the paintings, “The Descent to Hell,” reminded her of a lesson she learned in church.

“Around Easter time, I learned that God descended into Hell and gave Jesus the keys to heaven,” Nelson said.

In fact, the gallery has seen regular traffic since its opening Sept. 7. The opening reception saw a crowd of nearly 100 people, and since then art classes have visited the gallery to report on the pieces.

It is a real success to make traditional art pieces accessible to modern students. Gallery director Madalyn Barbero revealed that this has been the goal of the Arts Center on campus.

“Since our mission is to expose Iona students to an on campus experience of the arts, we know we need to draw them in with exhibitions that they are already attracted to,” Barbero said. “We also feel that our mission is to include from time to time more traditional works that explore the depths of the mission of the college, in this case, sacred works that inspire a meditative or prayerful experience for the viewer.”

The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and will house the Sacred Silence exhibit until Oct. 9. In addition, curator Chantal Heinegg will be hosting a “Meet the Curator Gallery Tour” on Oct. 9 at 1:00 p.m.