Bring Out Your DVDs!

Following are excerpts from a Minnesota Public Radio article about local artist Lucinda Naylor’s DVD to ART project.

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Excerpts from
Artist Gathers Raw Materials,
Raw Emotions with Catholic DVD

By Sasha Aslanian

Minnesota Public Radio
October 4, 2010

. . . It's dawn on Sunday, and Lucinda Naylor stands on the sidewalk outside of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, the church where until recently, she was artist-in-residence for 15 years. She was suspended from her job after she announced on Facebook her intention to create a personal art project out of [copies of the MN Roman Catholic bishops' anti-gay DVD].

She's holding a sign drawing attention to her "DVD to ART" project. At her feet are three cardboard collection boxes. Parishioners arriving for early morning mass start filling them up, tossing in the DVDs they received in the mail.

Two weeks ago, Minnesota's Roman Catholic bishops launched a campaign against same-sex marriage, mailing a DVD to every Catholic home in the state. Parishioners in the Twin Cities heard a message from Archbishop John Nienstedt.

"The Archdiocese believes that the time has come for voters to be presented directly with an amendment to our state Constitution, to preserve our historic understanding of marriage. In fact, this is the only way to put the one man-one woman definition of marriage beyond the reach of the courts and politicians," Nienstedt said on the video.

The church's position on same-sex marriage certainly wasn't a surprise to Naylor, but she says she felt the step of spending $1 million from an anonymous donor to produce and mail the DVDs, six weeks before the Nov. 2 election, was divisive.

"I know a lot of people who were feeling like the church is sort of pushing them out. And this DVD was really just another way of shoving them out the door, and I didn't want to see good, loving Catholics being shoved out the door," said Naylor. "Every DVD that I collect and turn into a piece of art stands for a Catholic who's saying, 'No, I don't want to go there, I want to be an inclusive and loving Catholic.'"

Some friends and volunteers have shown up to help Naylor. Cars slow down on Hennepin Avenue, and people hand DVDs out their car windows.

People of all ages -- men, women, retirees and hipsters -- carry their white envelopes up to Naylor's sidewalk troop.

"Glad to be rid of it," said one man has he drops his DVD in the box.

Some hug Naylor, others want to talk.

. . . There are no counter-protestors or hecklers this morning. A Basilica spokeswoman says the church has nothing to add to the story. Twice, she carries coffee out to Naylor and her friends. The liturgist brings out doughnuts to his old co-worker.

As mass lets out, parishioners express a variety of opinions, though no one criticizes Naylor's DVD to Art project.

To read this article in its entirety, click here.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts
The Minnesota Bishops’ Last Ditch Effort
It’s a Scandal
Misplaced Priorities
The MN Bishops’ Unholy War
Exposing NOM’s “Shameful” Behavior in Minnesota
Local Catholics Seek to “Create Some Good Out of an Unfortunate Situation”
Local Artist “Suspended” Over “DVD to Art” Project
Where to Donate Your Unwanted Copy of the MN Bishops’ Anti-Gay DVD
Update on Where You Can Donate Your Unwanted Copy of the MN Bishops' Anti-Gay DVD