Frank Kacmarcik

Frank Thomas Kacmarcik (12 March 1920 - 22 February 2004) was an American artist, designer, calligrapher, liturgical consultant, and collector of fine art and manuscripts.

"Much of the progress that has been made in [religious] architecture and the arts in this country can be attributed to Frank Kacmarcik."

Also "No one has had a greater influence on the development of American religious architecture and art in the past four decades than Frank Kacmarcik."

Frank Kacmarcik was born March 13, 1920, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in North St Paul.

His father had immigrated from Slovakia; his mother was born in Minnesota of Polish immigrants.

His father worked as an upholsterer and refinisher of furniture.

Kacmarcik graduated from high school in 1938.

Throughout his school years he was recognized as having artistic talent.

Upon graduation he was offered a full-time scholarship at the Minneapolis School of Art (now Minneapolis College of Art and Design).

While at art school he studied European monastic art and learned that some abbeys had non-ordained monks who were artists.

He was a little surprised to discover there was Benedictine abbey in Minnesota, St. John's Abbey.

Thinking that St. John's sounded like a place he could develop his interest in religious art, he wrote to the abbot who invited him to visit.

Kacmarcik was so impressed that he asked to enter the abbey for a trial period.

The abbot was a little reluctant, telling Kacmarcik he could not guarantee that he would be able to pursue his art in the abbey; but Kacmarcik was not deterred.

He entered the abbey in August 1941.

During his time in the abbey Kacmarcik made many friends among the monks, but he also made "enemies" --- perhaps too strong a word to describe those who thought he would not make a good monk.

He was not shy about voicing his opinions, often in blunt language.

He regarded his honesty as a sign of integrity; however this was also seen as lacking in tolerance for other's opinion, a trait necessary for the communal life in the abbey.

The monks voted not to renew his trial.

He left St. John's Abbey, still on good terms with many of the monks, in October 1943.

No longer having a draft exemption, Kacmarcik was drafted into the Army where he was sent to Europe as a Chaplain's Assistant.

He also traveled extensively, visiting historic works of architecture, especially churches and monasteries.

When the war ended, Kacmarcik was discharged and returned to the Minneapolis School of Art to complete his fourth year, 1946-47.

Thanks to a scholarship and the G.I. Bill, Kacmarcik spent 1947-1950 in Europe, continuing his education at the Paris schools, Academie de la Grande Chaumiere and Centre d’Art Sacre, painting, traveling, and coming in contact with other artists producing contemporary religious art.

While in Europe Kacmarcik received an invitation from the president of St. John's University to join the faculty.

(St. John's Abbey and St. John's University share the same campus in rural central Minnesota. At the time the abbot was also the president of St. John's University.) Kacmarcik began in September 1950.

Although he was very disappointed at not being able to continue on to become a full-fledged member of the abbey, he had never broken off contact with some of the friends made during his time in the abbey as a novice monk.

These monks were to be instrumental in smoothing Kacmarcik's dealings with the monk who was head of the art department and very anti—modern art.

Eventually the department head and Kacmarcik developed a mutual respect for each other.

Kacmarcik turned out to be a successful and popular teacher.

He was a born educator.

Although at times his methods might have seemed unconventional, his students responded to his views on what is art, what is sacred art, what is the vocation of the artist.

But Kacmarcik's career as teacher at St. John's University was suddenly cut short.

Although Kacmarcik's return to the St. John's campus as a faculty member was a welcome one to his friends in the abbey, he still had his detractors among many of the monks.

He had an apartment on campus which made it easy to meet with his monastic friends for social and serious conversation.

However Kacmarcik seemed to have a talent for generating controversy wherever he went.

His frank opinion about the designs for the new abbey church, given even when not asked for, did nothing to win over his detractors.

His very presence on campus became a divisive issue among the monastic community.

Kacmarcik was informed by the university he would be on the staff for the school year 1953-1954, but the Senior Advisory Council of the Abbey stepped in and overruled the university's decision.

Even though the abbot was a personal friend of Kacmarcik's, the abbot thought it best to follow the Council's advice.