Murals of Maxo Vanka benefit from fundraiser in Millvale
The St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church's “Cocktails & Conservation” fundraiser to benefit the preservation of the church's murals was well attended.
The April 28 event also spotlighted murals painted by artist Maxo Vanka.
Vanka, a Croatian immigrant, painted a one-of-a-kind masterpieces on the interior walls of St. Nicholas in Millvale. The 25 murals — created in two intense periods in 1937 and 1941 — are unique, evocative and larger-than-life representations of faith and family. They portray the immigrant experience in America, particularly Pittsburgh; social justice and injustice and the horrors of war.
The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka exists to ensure that Vanka's visual legacy — his “Gift to America” — endures as a vibrant element of Western Pennsylvania's rich arts and culture landscape.
Preservation of the murals is a time consuming and expensive process. To make a donation to help preserve these works of art, or for more information, email info@vankamurals.org.
