St. Mary’s Church in Altus, Arkansas was built by German-speaking immigrants and features frescoes and stained glass in German. Scroll down to see:
1. Videos in which Dr. Lynn Jacobs speaks about this art in the videos below. All videos on this page were created by Dr. Linda Jones.
2. Mr. Jason Saugey, a professional organist who is a second generation German immigrant, researched the style of Mozart’s music likely heard in the church in 1892. In this year, the German immigrants celebrated that many “Americans,” or non-German speakers, had attended a German Mass to experience the music of the composer. The performance can be found in its entirety below, followed by Mr. Saugey’s research regarding this music.
3. The bottom of the page features photos of the German stained class and frescoes. Everyone is welcome to copy and use them freely, no permission required. We would appreciate a link back to migrantvoices.uark.edu.
Overview of artistic creation and style
Artwork featured in the apse
Significance of the side altar dedicated to Mary
Significance of the stained glass
Interior architecture
Exterior architecture
Mozart Church Sonata, K. 329, in C major, performed by Jason Saugey
Read more about Mr. Saugey’s research regarding this piece in the article below, “Camera Obscura: Re-discovering St. Boniface Day, 1892, in Altus, Arkansas through the lens of the Mozart Church Sonata, K. 329, in C major.
