Above, Producer Donna Campbell is shown with her mother (Sara), Meinrad, and me. The crowd was very enthusiatic about the documentary.
Pictured left are Meinrad, Producer and Writer Georgann Eubanks, and me at the Nasher. Below, Jeanette Stokes (Executive Director of the Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South - our sponsoring organization) and I take a few questions after the screening. We are still working to pay our bills that continue to mount from the flurry of activity that occurred as we finished the editing in the past months. As you order your DVD, please consider adding $15, 25, 100, or even $1000 to help us out.
Amy Kellum, The Very Happy Executive Producer Photos by Jeanette Stokes and Alan Julich, my classmate at Duke's Center for Documentary Studies
I have just returned from a very satisfying trip to Albuquerque where I showed Meinrad the last rough cut of the documentary. We worked and worked to make sure the details are accurate and interesting, and that the depiction of her imagery is pleasing. My flight home on Sunday was canceled due to the ice in Atlanta, so my stay was extended. As is often the case, we did our best work on that extra day! The extra time also allowed for a very pleasant walk in the bosque along the Rio Grande. An energetic Loge was our guide.
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On Thursday, May 21, Meinrad arrived in Durham for the first public screening of the new documentary Meinrad Craighead: Praying with Images. After a short rest, we made our way to the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. People began to gather and packed themselves into the 189 seat auditorium. It soon became evident that we needed more space. The Nasher staff worked quickly to make a museum classroom into an overflow room. And then made yet another classroom into another overflow room! We had 263 people there to watch the movie and see Meinrad. The technical equipment at the Nasher is superb. Even the filmmakers were amazed by seeing Meinrad's work on the big screen in such detail. 
One person said to me, "This showing was a blessing to everyone here, and will be a blessing every time anyone sees it anywhere in the future." Meinrad was pleased with this story about her life, her art, and her teachings. 
Thank you so much for all your support!
It is truly exciting to be so close to the delivery of the video portion of the Meinrad Craighead Documentary Project. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through the labor, birth, and sending forth of this project.
In 1965-66, Meinrad spent ten months living in a bell tower near the great monastery of Montserrat in Spain and traveled to the monastery daily to pray to the Black Madonna. Last spring a group of women took Meinrad to Montserrat to pray again before the Black Madonna. Our group retraced the steps she took up steep stairs inside the basilica of Montserrat. We climbed to the beloved statue and kissed or touched the orb in the Madonna's right hand. We stood in awe before the dark wooden Mother and Child that has been venerated for 800 years by monks in residence and millions of pilgrims. While we were there I was able to get the last images of Meinrad that we need for Praying with Images, our documentary about her.
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This epistle was mostly written as I was returning from a trip to Colorado and New Mexico a couple of weeks ago.
Dear Friends,
I am flying over beautiful mountains spotted with patches of orange aspens, returning to North Carolina from a fabulous visit to Colorado and New Mexico. The bright yellows and oranges of the aspens, elms and cottonwoods against the clear blue skies in addition to huge thunder storms and snow showers attended me and my brother, Ralph, on our journey down through the mountains and valleys from Boulder, Colorado to Albuquerque.
And now I'm excited to give you an update on Meinrad and the documentary!
Meinrad's Health is Improving
First of all, Meinrad is doing much better. She has been fighting a stomach bug since the summer and she is still a little weak, but has vastly improved. She will continue to recover through the rest of the year. We had very limited time together so as not to tire her, but we accomplished much and enjoyed our work and conversation. The wonderfully strong and attentive Loge continues to be her closest companion and friend.
Rough Cut of Documentary
I took a copy of the rough cut of the documentary with me and showed it to Meinrad and her neighbor, Rosemary. The rough cut is the entire 54-minute piece, but without the proper narration and balancing of sound and color. Meinrad loves the video but, of course, had some comments and suggestions. We also did a little more taping of Meinrad saying a couple of voice-overs that we were missing. It's very exciting to see all the work we have done coming together and though we still have a good bit of work to do, I can't wait to show you all a completed video!
Documentary Showing
While I was in Albuquerque, our good friend artist Becky Holtzman (www.beckytomato.com) took me to scout out a place where we can have a showing of the documentary when it is completed. That was exciting and made it seem closer than ever. I will be meeting with Donna Campbell and Georgann Eubanks, our producers, in the next few weeks to talk about the final editing and a time frame for release of the video.
Meinrad's New Bench
Meinrad had recently purchased a bench with a carving of St. Isidro on the back. The story goes that Isidro was plowing his field and grew tired. An angel appeared and finished the plowing for him. The bench depicts this sweet scene by a local santero. I learned that a santero is maker of santos (holy images). This art form developed as Spanish settlers moved into the Southwest, especially New Mexico, and has been handed down through the generations.
Icons and Silver in Santa Fe
I spent a couple of days in Santa Fe with a good friend from North Carolina, who was there when I was. We accidentally discovered a wonderful exhibit of santos of the 17-1800's at the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe. It is an amazing collection of paintings and sculptures and it is definitely worth a visit. I say that I found the exhibit accidentally.
The real reason that we were at the Governor's Palace was to search for one of the Documentary Team's favorite local silver artist. Donna Campbell and I had separately purchased the same earrings from her when we were there on our first filming trip in 2006, only to find each other wearing them when we came back to North Carolina! Donna had lost one of her earrings and I was bound to find a replacement for her. I finally found the artist on the last morning we were there and felt like I had found an old friend!
Gratitude
In Albuquerque I stayed with Laurie, a good friend of Meinrad's (and now mine), who took good care of me with delicious food and a warm bed. I am very grateful for Laurie's hospitality! The relationships I have formed with so many wonderful people are the best part of the documentary project for me. Many kinds of support have come from many different people. It feels as if Meinrad is the center of a huge web in which we are all woven together, supporting each other in different ways.
Thanks for being a part of this journey with Meinrad and the documentary team!
Blessings all around,
Amy Kellum
July 2008 update
Meinrad is featured in an article from the National Catholic Reporter from July, 2008.
APRIL 2008 UPDATE
Dear Friends,
As I write this, Meinrad and I are over the ocean. We are returning from a wonderful trip to Barcelona, Montserrat and Madrid. It was an amazing journey! We were with 10 other pilgrims from all over who gathered to be with Meinrad in these special places.
Barcelona
Our time in Barcelona was simply magical. We rambled along La Rambla in the cool of the evening. We had wonderful meals with friends. We walked and walked through the ancient streets of Old Town. Of course, Meinrad found dogs wherever we were! We spent hours in museums and churches. We steeped ourselves in images of Our Lady. One particular museum took us by surprise. The Museum of Frederic Mares in Old Town has an amazing collection of Madonnas. We could hardly contain ourselves as we kept rounding corners and finding more and more amazing statues from all ages. We were so happy to benefit from this collector's passion for Mary. Meinrad was thrilled to find a room in this same museum that was dedicated to Montserrat. There were old posters, collectible trinkets and drawings of devotees. It was a great warm up for our trip up the mountain.
Montserrat
The pilgrimage up to Montserrat was absolutely thrilling.
The mountain juts out of the earth as if it is reaching for heaven. The
mountain peaks look like the teeth of a saw - serrated. The energy on
the mountain was palpable. We were there with hundreds of other pilgrims
who had been drawn there by the Black Madonna. As we made our way up the
steep stairs to her place high up over the main altar in the Basilica,
we joined the millions of people who over many, many years had been drawn
by the rich darkness of her beauty and mercy. As we attended Laudes each
morning, we were treated to a special time with her when the crowds were
thin. It was hard to believe that we could actually walk up to her and
touch the sphere in her right hand, as so many had done before us. Meinrad
also made a short visit to the monastery where she had lived in the mid-sixties. 
Walking in the mountains was thrilling. So
many wildflowers - hillsides covered with rosemary and thyme - rocks upon rocks upon rocks. The steep, rapid descent and the magnificent views took our breath as the cable car rushed us back down the mountain to the train station. I was able to shoot a bit more footage for the documentary - a
few shots of Meinrad at Montserrat really rounds out the story. Meinrad
was really quite thrilled to have been able to return to this special
place. And those of us fortunate enough to have joined her will never
forget our pilgrimage.
Madrid
Meinrad and I made our way to Madrid by train after our time in Montserrat. We stayed in a hostel where she had stayed years before and spent many hours visiting the fabulous museums of this great city. The main reason that Meinrad wanted to visit Madrid was to see the newly renovated Prado. It was beautiful. We strolled along the ancient streets and enjoyed an evening sitting in the Plaza Mayor as the evening darkened and the street lights came up.
As we prepare to land in the US, we are tired but very satisfied. I am so grateful to be able to accompany Meinrad on these teaching trips.
We will keep you posted on the progress of the
documentary. We should be finishing up soon - and can't wait to get it
into your hands! Thanks so much for all your support.
Peace,
Amy Kellum
JANUARY 2008 UPDATE
From Amy Kellum, Executive Producer
Dear Friends of Meinrad,
I hope that you are having a wonderful winter season. The dark days have made me want to curl up and sleep. It's a good time to catch up on rest! And I'd also like to catch you up on Meinrad's doings over the past few months.
Meinrad's lecture at AATA
Meinrad has decided that she will no longer be traveling all over the
place to give presentations. She is feeling like it is time to stay at home and
work in her studio. The only traveling that she is interested in at this
point is an occasional trip to Europe. (See below!) So when she was asked
by the American Art Therapists Association to give a lecture at it's annual conference
in 2007, she agreed only because it was in Albuquerque. During the preparation
for the lecture, it became clear to her that she wanted this to be her last talk
before a large audience. So I packed up my things and went to Albuquerque
for the momentous occasion. The conference was wonderful. Meinrad's
good friend Linney Wix, an art professor at the University of Mexico, was helping
to coordinate the conference and it was fun to be involved with this vital group
of committed folks. See Meinrad and Linney at the below. Over 1000 people
attended Meinrad's talk and gave her a well-deserved standing ovation. It
was thrilling to see so many people be so excited about what Meinrad had to say! We
got a good audio tape of the lecture and I hope we will be able to make it available
as a future part of the Documentary Project. We had a wonderful time being
together - especially in the evening sitting around the fire in Meinrad's studio
with friends, eating delicious food prepared by Rosemary! I was very well
cared for while I was there.
Speaking of the Documentary Project ...
We have received over $100,000 in gifts from individuals and
grants from two foundations. We are so grateful for all these
gifts! The
grants came from the Kalliopeia Foundation and the E. Rhodes and Leona B.
Carpenter Foundation. We have received enough donations to pay
for the completion of the editing of the video! Donna Campbell
and Georgann Eubanks of Minnow
Media are working on the editing now
and we hope to have a video ready for post-production work later this
winter. It is a true labor of love!
Barcelona
in the Spring
You have recently received another email from me about the trip to
Barcelona and Montserrat with Meinrad in April/May, 2008. I hope
you will consider if you want to be part of the small group that will
accompany Meinrad on a trip to one of her favorite places on the planet.
We will visit the Black Madonna at Montserrat that inspired Meinrad
daily during the year she spent in Spain when she was a young adult.
Contact me if you have any questions about the trip.
Conversations
with Meinrad Craighead
Beginning in 2008, Meinrad will be offering a new series of gatherings
entitled "Conversations
with Meinrad Craighead". There will be six of these gatherings annually in her
Albuquerque studio. Each will last from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and will be
open to eight women. Each participant is invited to bring with them one piece
of her own original artwork. Meinrad will open each gathering with a talk
on art and spirituality, followed by discussion within the group. Each
participant will then have the opportunity to share her image with the group
for discussion and for sharing ideas and insights. Dates in 2008 are February
17, March 15, April 12, September 20, October 18, and November 15.
For more information go to www.meinradcraighead.com or
contact Co-facilitators Elsa LaFlamme or Luanne
Lee.
Thanks for all your support of the Project. Have
a wonderful winter season!
All Best! Amy Kellum
OCTOBER 2007 UPDATE
From Amy Kellum, Executive Producer
Museums galore
We spent many hours in the fabulous museums of New York City. Everywhere we went, we were happy to see what we expected - but each museum offered us unique surprises. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art we loved the Egyptian installations, the Medieval art, and the new Greek and Roman areas. We were thrilled when our host gave us a pass to be able to see the new exhibition, The Age of Rembrandt, before it officially opened. At the Neue, we were awed by the fabulous collection of German Expressionist art. The Frick Collection was wonderfully housed in a home on Fifth
Avenue. The goal of Mr. Frick was to collect art that he enjoyed, thus the collection was virtually non-violent and beautiful. At the Cloisters, we kept forgetting that we were in the US - we kept thinking of our upcoming trip to Barcelona! At the Morgan Library, we encountered a beautiful wooden statue of Elisabeth of Schonau. She was a contemporary of St.Hildegard of Bingen - they met at least once and corresponded frequently with long, detailed letters about their visions. The MoMA was showing a wonderful exhibit of Richard Serra's metal work that captivated us. At the Brooklyn Museum we were happy to see "The Dinner Party" in a wonderful setting. Lots of educational material accompanied this impressive exhibit. We were especially engaged by a large painting by Jenny Seville in an adjacent room of feminist art.
Tourists, too!
And lest you think we were total art nerds, we did engage in some New York tourist activities. Our first evening, we walked all the way around the big reservoir in Central Park. After our day in the Brooklyn Museum we WALKED across the Brooklyn Bridge!! If there was any doubt that Meinrad is healed from her pelvis break, it has been totally dispelled! We also rode the ferry around the Statue of Liberty and stopped off at Ellis Island for a brief and very interesting tour. And at one point, we realized that we had covered Manhattan, top to bottom - by bus! Saturday, up to the Cloisters and Sunday, down to the ferry. We also spent some time at Washington Square, watching the street musicians and dancers. And can I be really crass and tell you that we rode in the elevator with Joanne Woodward, with her dog's paw up on my knee?! That was cool!
Foundation Grant!
It seems that whenever I travel with Meinrad, some money comes to the Project. On our last night in New York, I got a call from the Kalliopeia Foundation. They have awarded us a grant of $10,000 in support of the documentary!! We are so grateful for this wonderful gift and their vote of support. We have a few more house parties scheduled this fall and another grant request. We are getting nearer our goal of finishing the Documentary early this winter. But we still need your help. Please visit www.meinradproject.org/donate where you can donate online.
May 2007 UPDATE
From Amy Kellum, Executive Producer
Hello!
It's been a while since I sent an update to tell you of the goings on with the Project. So here goes.
New Treats for You
We have new incentives to entice you to help with a financial contribution to the project. (We've been listening to the NPR fundraiser, I guess!) With your gift of $500, we will send you a copy of Meinrad's latest book, her retrospective: Crow Mother and the Dog God. It's a fabulous compilation of her work from the early days through present-day paintings. Of course, we still offer a copy of the 10-minute preview with your gift of $50. We have also made up some lovely note cards with Meinrad's paintings Wisdom and Painting with St. Hildegard. They are selling for $15 per box of 10. I've attached jpeg files of the paintings for your viewing pleasure.
House Parties Abound
We have begun the long awaited, much anticipated Meinrad Craighead Documentary Project House Parties. We had our first party last week in Lexington, NC, hosted by Bett Hargrave. It was a raging success. We enjoyed meeting Bett's community of women and they enjoyed getting to know more about Meinrad and her work. I love the energy that is generated when we show the preview and people see Meinrad's work for the first time!
We have several other house parties planned. See the dates for a few of them below. And there are many more house parties in the works. So keep your eyes open for an event near you. They are listed on our website www.meinradproject.org - If you would like to host a party or help with one in your area, please let us know!
Prague trip
Meinrad will be teaching in Prague this summer! There are still a few spaces if you would like to join us. We are so excited that we can hardly sit still!! We already have reservations for a trip down the River Vltava, which is highly recommended for seeing the sights of the city. This will be a real explore for Meinrad and me, as neither of us has been there before. Wonderful!! Visit www.goddessconversations.com for more information about the trip. Come join us!
Thank you, Transcribers!
You may remember that in the last email update I asked for help transcribing interviews that we have taped for the documentary. I was overwhelmed with the wonderful response. Several are finished and the others are in progress. Thanks to Tammy, Carol, Mary, Verda, Leslie, Audrey, Shirley, Dakini and Linney! And don't worry - there will be more to do soon, so you will get your turn (if you like!)
So the Meinrad Project is rolling along and gathering support from all quarters. We will keep you informed of new developments as they occur. Please keep in touch - we love to hear from you. Your ideas and support are very important to the project. As always, you can easily make a contribution to the project by visiting our website www.meinradproject.com
I hope that you have been enjoying a beautiful spring and that your summer will be full of sun and fun!
Blessings all around,
Amy Kellum
FEBRUARY 2007 UPDATE
Greetings!
This is a quick note to bring you up to date on exciting developments with Meinrad and the Meinrad Craighead Documentary Project.
Meinrad's Birthday
Meinrad turns 71 on Monday, February 12. She doesn't like to receive flowers, but I bet she would enjoy a card or two. Her address is 2712 Campbell Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104.
We're Half Way!
In our quest to raise $100,000 to produce the Meinrad Craighead documentary, we are thrilled to announce that we have received $50,000 to date. The entire amount has come from individuals - 230 of you! Having such great support from so many people from all over the US has really helped keep us going and excited about the project. Thank you!
House Parties
We are in the planning stages for House Parties that will be hosted throughout the US. We are working with women from Chicago, Vermont, Carson City, Boulder, Denver, Washington DC, Washington State, Birmingham, Houston and Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, Wilmington, Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston-Salem in North Carolina. If you would like to be involved in helping with one or to host one in your area, please respond to me and I'll put you in touch with the planning team. We intend for the parties help with fundraising, but also to introduce Meinrad's work to people who don't know her and to provide a venue for connecting like-minded people in the community.
Goddess Conversations in Prague
Meinrad will be traveling to Prague this summer to lead a seminar with Lydia Ruyle. Join us for a wonderful journey in Prague exploring the Divine Feminine. Please visit www.goddessconversations.com for more information about what promises to be an incredible journey.
Thanks again for your continuing interest and support. Please visit our website at www.meinradproject.org where you can see pictures, read about the project and make donations online.
Blessings during this time of returning light!
Amy Kellum
To read an October, 2006 project update - click here.
To read a September, 2006 project update - click here.
To see photos of the production in progress - click here.
Visit Meinrad's website at www.meinradcraighead.com.
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