Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America

Women & Spirit tells the history of the Sister’s contributions and devotion to the nation through their stories and personal artifacts. The project was developed by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in association with the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Key team members on the project: Bob Weis Design Island; Original Concept Design, Seruto & Company; Exhibit Producers, Hunt Design; Exhibit Graphic Design; Benchmark Scenery, Inc; Exhibit and Case Fabrication and Crush Creative; Graphic Production.

“We are honored to be a part of this project and the opportunity to work with an amazing team of professional and talented artists,” commented Lisa Passamonte Green, Principal and Chief Creative Officer. “As the project developed, so did the team dynamics. For everyone involved, the goal was to help the Sisters who envisioned this project, realize their very personal vision,” she concluded.

According to Passamonte Green and Ryan Raica, lighting designer on the project, “Our challenge was to find lighting fixtures that would complement the rich elegant feel of the exhibit, yet be durable enough to withstand travel and touring conditions. To give the exhibit a seamless look, we integrated the power supplies, cables, transformers and hardware into the scenic elements. In addition to the visual aspects of the exhibit we also took into consideration the levels of light affecting the preservation of the artifacts and the various ages of the viewing audience.”

To implement our design, we modified Tech Lighting’s low-voltage MonoRail to travel with each of the 90+ wall panels that make up the exhibit. Each rail section was custom bent to the proper radius and mounted to the top of each panel.

Two types of fixtures were cantilevered from the rail; one gracefully washed the wall panels, while the other highlighted artifact cases. EYE Super Soft and Ushio SoftLine MR16 lamps were chosen for their UV reducing technology, reduction in glare, consistent color, and soft focused beam without the need for an additional softening lens. UV and neutral density glass filters were used in areas to protect sensitive artifacts and provide adequate foot-candle levels.

In addition to the visual aspects of the exhibit we also took into consideration the levels of light affecting the preservation of the artifacts and the various ages of the viewing audience”.

Hera’s recessed and strip LED products showcased artifacts enclosed display cases and shadow boxes. Hera’s LED fixtures featured virtually no heat emission, no ultraviolet radiation ideal for illuminating heat sensitive objects.

Women & Spirit will travel nationwide for the next three years.
For more information about this exhibit please visit: www.womenandspirit.org

Key Team Members
Bob Weis, Design Island

Seruto & Company

Hunt Design

Benchmark Scenery, Inc.

Crush Creative