Sounding Legacy: Organ Recital & Gallery Talk Honoring D. Lee DuSell

Join us for a special afternoon exploring the artistic legacy of renowned designer and sculptor D. Lee DuSell through the lens of music and memory.

This unique program begins at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for an organ recital featuring the Cathedral’s historic Roosevelt pipe organ by Dr. Brian DuSell, Cathedral organist and son of the late artist. Following the performance, guests will take a short walk to the Everson Museum of Art for a gallery talk in the special exhibition D. Lee DuSell: Benediction and a light reception to follow.

Program Schedule:

• 1:00–1:40pm | Organ Recital at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
• 1:40–2:00pm | Walk to Everson Museum of Art
• 2:00–3:00pm | Gallery Talk with Dr. Brian DuSell & Reception

This program is offered with pay-what-you-wish admission in partnership with the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Everson Museum of Art.

About D. Lee DuSell: Benediction

D. Lee DuSell (1927-2024) was a prolific designer and woodworker who made significant contributions to the interiors of religious shrines, chapels, and temples around the world. But Everson audiences may know him best  as the creator of the bronze sculpture Spiritual Freedom (1969) that graces the Museum’s Plaza. Benediction honors DuSell’s large-scale work in wood during a particularly fertile period in the 1970s when his sculptures became kinetic, interactive, and overtly spiritual. This exhibition includes three rocking chairs that originally appeared here at the Everson in his 1980 solo show entitled Doxology—notably, the chairs contain musical elements powered by their rocking motion.

In Christian worship, a doxology is a short hymn praising God. Throughout his career, DuSell actively sought to infuse both his art and design practice with spiritual mindfulness. His sculptural rocking chairs provide solace and escape through their repetitive rocking motion and their musical elements help transport the user into an even greater meditative space. The creation of these works became a family affair. DuSell’s wife, Mary constructed the cane seats for the chair, and his son Brian, now a professional organist, helped design and tune the musical elements.

In his professional career, DuSell frequently collaborated with noted American architect Minoru Yamasaki on numerous commissions that began with a set of exterior doors for the McGregor Conference building on the campus of Wayne State University and concluded with multiple designs for the Shiga Sacred Garden near Kyoto, Japan. He also spent nearly three decades as a faculty member at Syracuse University.  Despite these accomplishments, we may best remember him as a generous and kind mentor, friend, and family member who saturated his generous designs and artwork with the same thoughtfulness that he brought to his daily life. DuSell passed away in September of 2024 at the age of ninety-seven. Benediction—the blessing at the end of a religious service—serves as a coda to his brilliant career.