The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1984 (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1984-03-01 / 3. szám
PITTSBURGH, PA. THE GIFT OF LOVE: Sister Edith Gives from the Heart (Bob Chomos reports) Father Colman Kovats, of St. Stephen's Church in McKeesport, FA., worked to bring the Daughters of the Divine Redeemer from Hungary to the United States in 1912. His memorial bust stands before the Arts Center. The ancient art of Hungary is alive and flourishing at " the Penn View Arts Center in Elizabeth Township, Pa., mainly due to the efforts of Sister Mary Edith Nemeth. In addition to being the director and the only instructor at the Arts Center, Sister Edith is a member of the Sisters of the Divine Redeemer, and she resides at the Motherhouse, which is adjacent to the Arts Center. The Hungarian Heritage Room within the Penn View Arts Center contains a sizable collection of Hungarian art objects and souvenirs, most of which were collected or crafted by Sister Edith and her mother. One of the old Hungarian traditions that Sister Edith is keeping alive and adapting to the contemporary age is the art of the “kelim,” which she translates as pile-less weave. Sister Edith says the art of kelim-making has been in existence for at least 1200 years. The kelim, which resembles a small throw rug, has traditionally had three functions: to record a family’s history symbolically, to keep the cold air out of a home by placing it against the window, and, of course, to be a work of art. Originally, only earth tones were used in the kelim and all figures were outlined in black. Sister Edith is experimenting with using more vibrant colors and with not outlining all parts of the design in an attempt to make the kelim an attractive decoration for today’s homes. It took 350 work-hours for Sister Edith to complete a large kelim. Sister Edith takes pride in displaying what maybe her finest work, a massive Kelim masterpiece. Sister Edith holds a Hungarian-made statue of Jesus Christ as she stands amongst other pieces of Hungarian art in the Hungarian Heritage Room. March. 1984 Page 5
