The St Croix Catholic Iconographers Guild (SCCIG) was formed in September 2014 when several participants of Nicholas Markell's Iconography workshop decided they wanted to continue their education between the biannual workshops. The guild choose the following mission statement: "Glorifying the triune God, bringing beauty to the church, and joyfully serving our neighbor through our devotion to sacred iconography." This mission speaks of the guild's desire to not only continue to learn the techniques of writing icons and the theology and symbolism of iconography, but also the guild's desire to evangelize by sharing their skills and knowledge for the glory of God. This evangelism includes sponsoring workshops, short educational talks to various groups, and mission work.
SCCIG sponsors week-long iconography workshops taught by Master Iconographer Markell. The Fall workshop has traditionally been the guardian angel image. The image for the Spring workshop varies and has thus far included St. John Paul II , Our Lady of Tenderness, St.Teresa of Avilla, and Angel of Mercy St. Teresa . Guild members also feel strongly about sharing their knowledge with the youth and other groups that would like to learn more through short presentations.
With the completion of the iconic mural, Christ in Majesty, for St Croix Catholic School, the guild moved on to create icons for the three Catholic Parishes of the St. Croix Valley Area: St. Mary's, St. Charles and St. Michael's. The guild has also created icons for the chapel of the Missionaries of Charity in Minneapolis, the Village of Bwambo in Tansania and the Stillwater State Prison chapel. Most recently, the guild traveled to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota to paint decorative murals in the newly renovated church of St. James in Porcupine.
SCCIG meets the second Thursday of the month from 9:15am to noon at Art Reach in Stillwater, MN. The format is flexible to accommodate speakers and activities but fall back on a standard format of a short business meeting followed by time to practice skills and work on our individual icon projects.
The guild is open to all who are interested. Coordinator Judy Symalla maintains an email list of those wishing to stay informed. Information can also be found at Facebook group St Croix Catholic Iconographers Guild.