Gift of an Extraordinary Cross
"Nanovic Cross" Blessed in ACE's New Home
ACE’s new home is blessed with an inspiring piece of religious art sculpted by a Maine artist and made possible by two very generous friends of the University of Notre Dame. The piece of art is a stunning cross fabricated from nails.
The artwork itself, which can be seen outside the Warner Retreat meeting room in Carole Sandner Hall, was blessed by Rev. Timothy Scully, C.S.C., director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives, on Oct. 22, 2011. The blessing took place as part of a celebratory event that welcomed the artist, John Bisbee, and the benefactors, Bob and Liz Nanovic.
The artwork itself, which can be seen outside the Warner Retreat meeting room in Carole Sandner Hall, was blessed by Rev. Timothy Scully, C.S.C., director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives, on Oct. 22, 2011. The blessing took place as part of a celebratory event that welcomed the artist, John Bisbee, and the benefactors, Bob and Liz Nanovic.
Bisbee is a Maine sculptor who has spent decades exploring the artistic possibilities of nails. His work can be seen in the Mestrovic Studio Gallery in Notre Dame’s Snite Museum of Art. He is a member of the art faculty at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.
Bob Nanovic is a 1954 Notre Dame graduate, retired from a career as an investment counselor. He has been a member of the advisory council for the College of Arts and Letters since 1993. The Nanovics’ well-established history of philanthropy at Notre Dame includes their founding of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, as well as endowment of the Nanovic Scholarship Fund.
The Nanovics have three children and six grandchildren. They divide their time between homes in Maine and Florida.
The display of the splendid artistic gift is known as the Nanovic Cross but is also titled “Spes Unica,” recalling the Congregation of Holy Cross’s expression, “Ave Crux, Spes Unica,” or “Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope.” The display includes a quotation from the Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross: “We must be men and women with hope to bring…. It remains only for us to find how even the cross can be borne as a gift.”
Bob Nanovic is a 1954 Notre Dame graduate, retired from a career as an investment counselor. He has been a member of the advisory council for the College of Arts and Letters since 1993. The Nanovics’ well-established history of philanthropy at Notre Dame includes their founding of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, as well as endowment of the Nanovic Scholarship Fund.
The Nanovics have three children and six grandchildren. They divide their time between homes in Maine and Florida.
The display of the splendid artistic gift is known as the Nanovic Cross but is also titled “Spes Unica,” recalling the Congregation of Holy Cross’s expression, “Ave Crux, Spes Unica,” or “Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope.” The display includes a quotation from the Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross: “We must be men and women with hope to bring…. It remains only for us to find how even the cross can be borne as a gift.”