In 1834, an Ursuline Convent on Mt. Benedict, in what is now Somerville, was vandalized and then burned to the ground. Join in at the Somerville Museum Sunday, January 26, for a talk by Salem State Professor Nancy Lusignan Schultz on the 20th Anniversary of her book Fire and Roses: The Burning of the Charlestown Convent, 1834.

Professor Schultz will explore the tensions over class, gender, religion, ethnicity, and education that fueled the convent’s destruction. Schultz’s 1997 Somerville Museum exhibit about the convent’s history was named one of year’s ten best exhibits by The Boston Globe.

This event is part of programming for the Somerville Museum’s Faith in a City exhibit, which closes February 9.

Faith in a City is a project exploring religion in Somerville, Massachusetts through music, photography, interviews, video and history as a way of better understanding the city. The project includes concerts, talks, panel discussions and an exhibit at the Somerville Museum.

Matt Kaliner, Chairman of the Somerville Arts Council Board, says, “I visited the Somerville Museum Faith in a City exhibit and I was blown away. I’ve lived in Somerville for nearly 20 years, and it made me see the city in a new way. I really can’t say enough – it is an incredible achievement.”

The Faith in a City exhibit has been extended, and now closes on February 9. The hours are Thursday (2:00 – 7:00 p.m.), Friday (2:00 – 5:00 p.m.), Saturday (noon – 5:00 p.m.) and Sunday (noon – 5:00 p.m.). Exhibit admission is $5, free to Museum members and members of participating congregations.

Faith in a City features photographs from 20 local religious groups. Yorgos Efthymiadis photographed religious sanctuaries and buildings. Carlos Arzaga, Mara Brod, Amber Davis Tourlentes, Charan Devereaux, Keiko Hirmoi, Alonso Nichols and Claudia Ruiz Gustafson photographed religious services, community events, congregation members, public service projects and prayer.

Faith in a City also includes a playlist of local religious music and recitation. Music abounds in Somerville’s places of worship, but congregation members are often the only people who experience it. Faith in a City recorded music and recitation in 14 local religious groups. The recordings are the soundtrack to the museum exhibit.

Project recording engineers were Joel Edinberg, Claire Goh, and Michael Healey with thanks to Q Division Studios. In addition, Faith in a City presented concerts at Tufts University’s Granoff Music Center, the Center for the Arts at the Armory and the Somerville Museum, providing the wider community an opportunity to hear some of the City’s religious music.

The music recording process was documented by The Loop Lab, a non-profit organization that trains people of color for jobs in the audiovisual industry and media arts. Loop Lab staff, alumni and trainees filmed the recording session and interviews with congregation members about why music is important. Thanks to Matt Malikowski, Christopher Hope, Tevin Charles, Niko Manigat and Aaron Saidizand.

Faith in the City’s religious histories are based on information provided by the congregations, the Somerville Library, interviews and university archives. Some people shared why it is meaningful to be a part of their religious congregation. Many of the histories are translated into the language people use to worship. The Faith in a City lettering was created by the artist Imagine @Imagine876.

Tremendous thanks to the participating congregations for their generosity, assistance and patience: Keyzom Bhutti, Boston Japanese Christian Church, Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, First Church Somerville, Gurudwara Sikh Sangat Boston, Havurat Shalom, Islamic Society of Boston, Mission Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Missionary Church of the Haitian Community, St. Anthony of Padua Church, St. Benedict Church, St. Catherine of Genoa Church, St. Joseph Church, Shivalaya Temple of Greater Boston, Sion SDA Church, Somerville Bahá’í, Somerville Community Baptist Church, Temple B’nai Brith, and Vida Real Internacional.

Special thanks to designers Stefan Economou and Bill MIller. Many thanks to concert producers Mina Cho, Ranbir Kaur, Wylsner Bastien, Mayra Lemus, Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz, Imam Nabil, Dennis Wright, Franklin Wright and Keyzome Bhutti. Thank you to advisor Nancy Lusignan Schultz.

Photograph printing by Acorn Editions, Framing by Stanhope Framers and text printing by Cambridge Reprographics.

Faith in a City is produced and curated by Charan Devereaux.

Faith in a City is supported by Mass Humanities, the Boston Foundation Live Arts Boston program, the Passim Iguana Fund, the Somerville Arts Council, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the members of the Somerville Museum.

Fire and Roses: The Burning of the Charlestown Convent, 1834.
Sunday, January 26, 2:00 p.m.
The Somerville Museum, One Westwood Road, Somerville MA 01243.
$10; free for Museum members and members of participating congregations.