I was happy to be present when the Woodside Priory School, in Northern California’s Portola Valley, inaugurated two magnificent murals in the Performing Art Center, on May 17th. The artists, Peter and Paul Mester, created over 500 works of frescos and sculptures worldwide from Budapest, Paris, London and Rome. They are a father and son team, of Hungarian origin, from Slovakia, who travel worldwide from project to project. Their prestigious clients range from individuals to public institutions, churches, wineries, hotels and universities, extending over five continents.
According to the artists, their inspiration for the Performing Art Center came from the story of the Queen of Sheba, and the opera of the same name, written by Karoly Goldmark. A brief aria by Enrico Caruso, recorded by Thomas Edison in 1899, was played at the inauguration ceremony, conducted by Fr. Maurusz Nemeth, OSB. The bold and abstract murals include a reference to the sixty year long journey of the Hungarian Benedictine founders of the school and the nine priests clearly emerge next to a Hungarian flag.
The school’s entire student body attended the inauguration and all were impressed by the hall’s amazing transformation. Congratulation to the Woodside Priory School for commissioning art work that complements its architecture so well and to Peter and Paul Mester for capturing the spirit of the school.
Eva E.Voisin
