The Road Less Traveled
Nationality
American
Artist Dates
1930-2010
Preview
Date of Work
ca. 1976
Medium
35mm slide, digitized 2020
Collection/Provenance
James Smith Pierce Collection: Folk and Outsider Image Collection
Status
Stored
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Artist Bio
Born in Brooklyn, New York, James Smith Pierce received his PhD in art history from Harvard University. During his career as a professor, Pierce also became an accomplished artist, whose artworks were included in important exhibitions (including a show on land art at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC) and books on contemporary earthworks and site-specific sculpture. Pierce was also a photographer, exhibition curator, and art collector.
Additional Information
Father Phillip J. Wagner was a Catholic priest, who went through many rough patches to reach priesthood. Once ordained, he and his assistant, Edmund Rybicki, created a religious shrine that was later named the Rudolph Grotto Gardens and Wonder Cave. Inspired by his faith and following through on a promise to the Virgin Mary to create a religious shrine if he survived influenza, Father Wagner and Mr. Rybicki spent decades creating the shrines on the parish grounds of St. Philip the Apostle Church. Located in Wisconsin, the site consists of sculptures made out of rocks, plants, and figures that were important to him.
This image shows the entrance to Wonder Cave, which encompasses many pieces of religious artwork.
Image is provided for educational purposes only. © University of North Dakota. All rights reserved.
Condition Notes
35 mm slide in excellent condition.