While listening to Sacred Heart Radio in 2017, Maureen Teller heard about the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in New York City, a Catholic-affiliated venue dedicated to evangelizing through goodness, truth, and beauty.

“That was a galvanizing moment for me,” Teller recalled. “I thought, ‘If they can have this in New York, why can’t we have it here?’”

She immediately called Nancy-Carolyn Smith, a fellow homeschooling mom, grandmother, and accomplished sculptor, and with Catholic playwright Jay Muldoon and his wife, Loraine, they envisioned a local Catholic arts movement. Out of their shared faith and creativity was born The Angelico Project.

Named after Dominican friar and Renaissance painter Fra Angelico, the apostolate believes that beauty can lead the soul to God—and in today’s fragmented culture, this kind of witness is needed more than ever. Thus, it evangelizes through beauty in the fine and performing arts and sacred music, creating space for artists to gather, grow in faith, and share their gifts with the broader community.

The early days were marked by both excitement and uncertainty; however, “The archdiocese gave a small seed gift to start,” Smith said. “It was the ‘yes’—the shared sense that this was worth doing—that truly set things in motion.”

Purpose-filled trips to New York and Chicago confirmed and refined their calling. Smith attended the Catholic Art Institute’s Annual Conference in Chicago, meeting artists who shared their mission. And a return to the Sheen Center—which first sparked the idea—provided the blueprint needed for structuring the non-profit and developing programs.

“At first, we didn’t even have a home,” Smith said. When they rented space at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, “artists came to every workshop and class, and the community kept growing.” When that space became unavailable, Father Ethan Moore opened the UC Newman Center’s doors. “It was just what we needed, just when we needed it,” she says.

Now, The Angelico Project hosts Monday night gatherings with a rotating lineup of creative groups—writers, visual artists, theater enthusiasts, improvisers, and musicians. They study works like The Divine Comedy and The Great Divorce, and they’re expanding to include retreats, open studios, and workshops for artists of all ages and skill levels.

Getting the word out, especially to those who need it most, remains a challenge. “We have a million ideas for things we want to do,” Smith said, especially connecting patrons with artists. “Art should be seen— and it should bless the whole community,” she said.

She noted, “As homeschool moms, we’re used to identifying a need and just making it happen. I feel very inadequate for this beautiful job I’ve been given— but when I let go and give up control, God provides. That’s been the biggest lesson.”

Though not from traditional arts administration backgrounds, Smith and her co-founders each brought unique gifts and lifelong experiences that proved essential. Interested in art from an early age, Smith earned a degree in sculpture and printmaking from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and taught studio art and art history for 25 years. “My faith has deepened through the years, as has my awareness of the power art has to open hearts,” she said.

Recognizing how every step of her life prepared her for this calling, Smith said: “Unbeknownst to me, God has been leading me to this purpose my entire life. I know it’s true for Maureen and Loraine, too, and for all the many hearts and hands that have worked on this project. Each experience and skill has led to this point—and God continues to generously send us people He has prepared.”

What God was preparing began for four people as a prayerful question over coffee—What would it take to create a vibrant Catholic arts movement in Cincinnati?— and blossomed into a living apostolate and a testament to what happens when ordinary people say “yes” to an extraordinary call.

The Angelico Project will host its annual gala June 12, which celebrates sacred music, visual art, and community. Bishop Earl Fernandes as the keynote speaker underscores the project’s commitment to both theological depth and artistic excellence. To learn more, visit: angelicoproject.org.

This article appeared in the June 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.