Rosemary’s Memories: “I always wanted to come to New Mexico. So, when I sent applications to universities, I only sent them to schools in New Mexico.”
Home is Where the Art Is
In 1972, Rosemary’s life took a definite detour from its usual course when the Regional Superior told her they wanted her to do graduate work in art. The nurse / midwife from Gerritsen Beach had moved to New Mexico to be near a son who had become a priest for the El Paso Diocese. Over the years, Rosemary had been receiving letters, birthday cards and postcards from her friend… all of which had created a desire to go to New Mexico.
However, if she wanted to officially study art, it wasn’t going to be easy. Although she had taken art classes, she did not have an undergraduate degree in art. She wanted to get a degree in painting, but actually had very limited experience. And lastly, when the Dominican leadership directed her to get a graduate degree in art, they had only given her one year to earn a two-year degree. And the obstacles she knew about, were only a few of the challenges she would face.
In the summer of ’72 she received a very gracious letter of acceptance from Dr. John Glowacki the head of the Fine Arts Department at New Mexico State University. However, as she was preparing to leave for New Mexico, her father died suddenly. Realizing her mother would most likely need family support, Rosemary decided to put her own plans on hold. For the remainder of the year, she stayed with her mother in Brooklyn.
She came to New Mexico in January 1973 and spent a semester studying in an art department, housed in an old WWII army barracks, struggling to overcome her lack of experience with painting. At the end of the semester, the Dominican administration gave her permission to take summer courses, which briefly extended the one year she had been given for studying art by.
However, by the end of the summer, her time was up and she was directed to return to Memphis where she ended up sick in bed with plenty of time to think about her life.
Rosemary’s Memories: “I eventually realized I needed to spend more time with artists. I talked to Dorothy about this and she suggested we go to the Motherhouse in Kentucky to speak with the vice president who was a friend of ours. When I told her how I felt, she said it was an answer to prayer. Dorothy said, Whose prayers? Yours or Rosemary’s? She said… Both. She had been thinking of ways the sisters could live alternative lifestyles that were different from the traditional convent settings and she thought I would be a good person to try it.”
The idea was presented to the council, along with a request from Dorothy for Rosemary to spend an art semester with her in Italy. She was given permission to travel to Italy with Dorothy, but was not granted permission to try living in an alternative setting. In May of 1974, after returning from Italy, Rosemary was directed to return to St. Agnes. For a little more than a year she stayed in Memphis, taking classes at the Memphis Academy of Art.
The decisions we make in life can sometimes lead us to unexpected destinations. In the spring of 1975, Rosemary decided to reapply for graduate school and was accepted. Subsequently, she received a phone call from Ken Barrick, the interim head of the art department at New Mexico State University and was offered a graduate assistantship. It would help pay for her expenses, while also providing an opportunity to continue her studies. Permission was given for her to continue working on her degree in art, and she once again returned to New Mexico.
She shared a little house in the desert with a fellow artist and later settled into a small adobe casita in Mesilla, closer to campus. New Mexico, as it turned out, was a land rich in culture and the arts. It felt like home from the very first day her feet touched its dusty soil.
Although the obstacles that stood between her and her art studies had been removed… the internal struggle had not abated. In December 1976, she confided in a friend who suggested that it might help her sort through her feelings if she talked with a counselor.
Rosemary’s Memories: “After listening to me, the counselor said I probably shouldn’t say this, but I feel a large part of you has already left your community. I realized what she said, was true.”
In January 1977, Rosemary talked with her Superior. By April she had received a dispensation from Rome, releasing her from her vows as a Dominican sister, and in July she graduated with her hard earned and long-awaited degree in art.