Abby S. Schwartz, curator of education for the Taft Museum of Art, feels passionately about the Expressions of Faith lecture series.

        “It's really where my heart is,” she says. “And why I work so hard to sustain it.”

Abby S. Schwartz

        This year's series, dedicated to the art of the book, begins Wednesday at the Klau Library at Hebrew Union College with a lecture by Dr. David Gilner, director of libraries.

        It is the fourth in a program that began in 1995 as a collaborative effort between the Taft, Cincinnati Art Museum, Hebrew Union College Skirball Museum and the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. This year the Brueggemman Center for Interreligious Dialogue of Xavier University will also participate.

        Past topics have included the search for the spiritual through art, sacred spaces, devotional art, architectural motifs and ceremonial objects.

        “This year, particularly, there is an increased interest among people of all faiths to become more aware of each other's traditions and religious tenets,” Ms. Schwartz says. “Through this series we hope to show that art can function as a beautiful expression of religious faith, as well as a bridge of understanding between faiths.”

        The series concentrates on illuminated manuscripts (elaborately decorated handwritten books) from the three Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — found in private collections throughout Cincinnati. A catalog highlighting the locally held pieces will be published in conjunction with the lectures.

        “In all three religious traditions, the written word is cherished,” Ms. Schwartz says. “By publishing this guide to manuscripts in local collections we are pleased to give the Greater Cincinnati community the opportunity to explore how religious and liturgical texts are enhanced by artistic expression.”

        The oldest known illuminations are on Egyptian papyrus rolls including the Book of the Dead. Examples also survive from ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire, as well as Persian editions of the Quran. In Europe throughout the Middle Ages, illuminations appeared in diverse texts including Christian Bibles, prayer books and Jewish marriage contracts.

        When/Where: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday — “Art and Whimsy in Hebrew Book Illumination” by David Gilner, director of the Klau Library. Mayerson Hall, Hebrew Union College, 3101 Clifton Ave., Clifton.

        7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 — “Text and Image/Text as Image in Some Illuminated Manuscripts of the Medieval Tradition,” by Ann Van Dijk, visiting and adjunct professor, University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park.

        7:30 p.m. March 6 — “The Holy Qur'an: The Source of Artistic Expression,” by Zeinib Schwen, communication director of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. Islamic Center, 8092 Plantation Drive, West Chester.

        Tickets: Series: $35, $30 non-member seniors and students, $25 for Taft members. Individual lectures: $14, $12 for non-member seniors and students, $10 for members.

        Information: 241-0343.

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