The Marian Library maintains a collection of over 14,000 works of fine art and cultural objects conceptualizing Mary, the mother of Christ. While the full collection is only searchable in an internal database, find a sampling of some of the unique art collections on eCommons.
Nativity sets, or crèches, are three-dimensional representations of the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus Christ. Since this area of the collection began in 1984, 3,600 crèches from around the world have been acquired by the Marian Library.
The Crèche Museum is a dedicated space where a semi-permanent display of Nativities from the collection are on display year-round. It serves as the home of the popular "Mirror of Hope" art installation, commissioned for the Marian Library in 2000. This space is open during normal Marian Library hours on the seventh floor of Roesch Library.
From historical icons to photographs of Los Angeles street art, this diverse area of the collection includes depictions of Mary in Biblical and cultural settings from around the world.
Used in public worship or personal devotion, statues of Mary can help encourage spirituality, share culture, and remind one of Mary's life and personal attributes. The Marian Library's sculpture collection depicts Mary in many cultures and apparitions.