The Path of Beauty – Artists Jubilee Festival at Mission Nombre de Dios
February 1 @ 12:00 am to March 16 @ 11:59 pm
The Diocese of St. Augustine invites parishioners and the community to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Festival of Artists and the World of Culture, a major event of Pope Francis’s 2025 Year of Hope Jubilee. Hosted at the historic Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine, the celebration runs from Feb. 1 to March 16 and offers a rich program of events centered on art, beauty and faith.
A key feature of the festival is the premiere exhibition, “On the Path of Beauty,” showcasing the original works of Roger Bansemer, the 2024 Florida Artists Hall of Fame inductee. Known for his thoughtful landscape paintings and storytelling, Bansemer is also the producer and co-host of the PBS series Painting and Travel, which has aired on more than 300 public television channels for 13 seasons. His collection, displayed at the Mission Museum, invites viewers to reflect on the awe and wonder of God’s creation, inspiring a sense of unity and hope. The exhibit runs daily from Feb. 1 through March 16, with free admission and parking.
The festival begins with the Plein Air Artists Invitational from Feb. 1 to 20. Local and visiting artists are encouraged to paint the mission’s picturesque and historic grounds. Artists can check in at the Mission Museum and paint between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, capturing the beauty of this sacred space while reflecting on their creative processes.
An opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Mission’s Pilgrim Center. The reception will include an opportunity to meet Roger Bansemer and other participating artists, a time for fellowship and an artist’s blessing to honor their creative contributions.
The closing event for the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture is on Sunday, Feb. 16, from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Elizabeth Gessner will give a brief lecture about the sacred artwork at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, 38 Cathedral Place, followed by a free public tour.
“Through his expansive vision and artistic service, Bansemer has become a powerful agent of hope,” said Elyse Brady, exhibit curator and Cathedral Basilica Creation Care Ministry member.
“With every brushstroke, he gives us a glimpse of the mysterious unity and beauty of all that surrounds us.”
“The Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture” reflects Pope Francis’s vision for the Jubilee Year as an opportunity to encounter beauty and rediscover patience, hope and joy in creation. In his 2023 Address to Artists, the Holy Father remarked, “Artists remind us that the dimension in which we move, even unconsciously, is always that of the Spirit. Your art is like a sail swelling with the wind of the Spirit and propelling us forward.”
The Mission Nombre de Dios is located at 101 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the festival is free, and parking is available on-site.
For more information, including artist guidelines for the plein air invitational, contact Elyse Brady at cathedralecology@gmail.com or artistelyse@yahoo.com. Celebrate the beauty of art, faith and creation as we journey together on the path of beauty during this special Jubilee Year.
