Portrait of Bl. John Paul offered to benefit Hannan

   
    After presenting an original portrait to Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 2000 and speaking to the pontiff, who blessed the painting and the painter, artist Michael Hunt said he wondered: “Where do you go from there?”
    The answer, 13 years later, was this: You go to Archbishop Hannan High School near Goodbee, where Hunt announced plans on May 23 to give away 10,000 copies of his artwork to anyone interested. In addition, he will sell beautiful framed lithographs with a custom mat for $125, with all profit going to the high school, where Hunt’s daughter, Lauren, will be a sophomore. His son, Cameron, graduated from Hannan this year.
Pope recalled visit to N.O.
    Hunt said it all started in 2000 when Lindy Boggs, ambassador to the Vatican at the time, invited Hunt to create a piece to be donated to the Holy Father from the state of Louisiana.
    “It turned into a huge event,” Hunt said, with 7,000 people in St. Peter’s Square and the artist from Louisiana in the presence of the pope. “He got really excited when he heard I was there from Louisiana. He told me how much he loved contemporary art and loved his time in Louisiana (in 1987).”
    John Paul blessed the painting as well as Hunt and his family. “It was an incredible experience,” the artist said.
    The incredible experience will now be a part of Hannan High and the broader community. Hunt took pictures of the artwork back in 2000 and has created the posters he will give away. In addition, he will frame lithographs of the artwork with a unique mat that includes images of the Blessed Mother and Jesus as well as quotations from Blessed John Paul.
    “I met with Father Charles (Latour, Hannan principal) and said I would finance 10,000 of the posters,” Hunt said. Father Latour was delighted, Hunt said, but the principal mentioned that it was “a shame that things cost so much to get framed.” As it turns out, Hunt owns a frame company and offered to frame some of the prints and give any profit to Hannan.
    To make things even more interesting, Hunt added, Father Latour brought up the idea of creating a custom mat for the picture, similar to the artwork included in the illustrated St. John’s Bible.
    “I laughed at him,” Hunt said. But after the laughter, he created a unique mat that incorporates the bright colors of the portrait as well as four quotes from the late pope that Hunt said are “the cornerstones of his papacy.”
    “This is my gift back for what the pope gave me,” Hunt said. Plus, it is a connection between the school and Archbishop Philip Hannan, who made John Paul’s 1987 visit to New Orleans possible.
    “God gave us this perfect opportunity,” Hunt said, and the artist is happy to share his talents with the school. In fact, he added, this whole project began even before the papal portrait in 2000.
    “The pope’s Easter address of 1999 encouraged artists to share their talents,” Hunt said. And that got him thinking, “this was meant to be.”
    For the Hannan students assisting at the presentation, “meant to be” means a lot.
    “It’s a big honor for him to do this for us,” said Kaitlyn McAuliffe, while Jarrett Gonzales admired the framed lithograph: “It really stands out” with the bright, bold colors.
    “It’s a nice twist,” added Hannah Naquin. “This is great for our school,” said James Estopinal said, while Austin Smith called the art work “an amazing picture.”
    The proceeds from the framed lithographs will be dedicated to technology at the school, according to Father Latour. “This is a real opportunity for us to upgrade our student computers,” he said. “We are one of only two Catholic schools in the state to be a part of the UTeach program (through the University of Texas), and our students should have what they need” in terms of technology.
    For information on both the free prints and the framed lithographs, check the website at www.nolafineart.com.
    Karen Baker can be reached at kbaker@clarionherald.org.