Chapel of the Good Shepherd (Louise Nevelson)
Chapel of the Good Shepherd is a sculptural environment installation by the American 20th-century artist Louise Nevelson located at the St. Peter's Lutheran Church in New York City. The chapel, commissioned in 1975 and dedicated in 1977, was donated by Erol Beker. Nevelson designed the five-sided sanctuary space by incorporating various abstract sculptural elements such as reliefs, columns, and an altarpiece made with materials that included found objects from New York City streets.
Visitors in front of one of the works in the chapel originally created in 1977
Detail of the chapel in 2018
Louise Nevelson was an American sculptor known for her monumental, monochromatic, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures. Born in the Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire, she emigrated with her family to the United States in the early 20th century. Nevelson learned English at school, as she spoke Yiddish at home.
Nevelson in 1976
Nevelson (fourth from left) posing for a class portrait with her classmates, 1913, unidentified photographer. Louise Nevelson papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
Clown tight rope walker by Louise Nevelson, c. 1942 (John D. Schiff, photographer, Louise Nevelson papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution)
Louise Nevelson and granddaughter Neith Nevelson, c. 1965