Just over one year after we first met, David Clayton and I were united in holy matrimony on July 23, 2022. From our very first coffee together, we realized that we shared passions for beauty, culture and education. Now, as man and wife, we are bringing those interests together in exciting new programs for Scala.
Our engagement in early January 2022 came as no surprise to anyone who saw us harmoniously growing closer. My large Cuban family, including my three over-protective older brothers and my doting mother, couldn’t wait to welcome David into our family. His family and friends likewise rejoiced at our joyful commitment to each other.
Over the summer, we traveled together to Florida and Michigan to give talks at classical schools and to civic and religious leaders who care about education and beauty. Following our marriage and honeymoon, David moved to Princeton, where he will continue his work as Provost of Pontifex University. He created the unique Master of Sacred Arts program at Pontifex, and teaches online courses that present a Catholic understanding of culture through subjects on the mathematics of beauty, art history, and traditions in sacred art.
I’m delighted that David will now be Scala’s Artist-in-Residence, bringing the many gifts of his writing, teaching, mentoring and painting to all of our activities. His vision of how to integrate beauty and culture with education, and his friendships with artists around the world, will greatly enhance Scala’s mission to renew culture through liberal arts education and beauty.
David hit the ground running, already hosting a group of students at our home to learn about his passion for contemplative prayer with visual images, leading them in morning prayer at our home oratory with his beautiful icons.
David’s mentor in iconography, the renowned UK-based artist and author Aidan Hart, agreed to be one of our keynote speakers at Scala’s April 21-22, 2023 conference. As part of that conference, David is working with our partners in Princeton’s many beautiful libraries to develop exhibits of ancient and medieval sacred texts with illuminations—hand painted illustrations. David’s popular writings from The New Liturgical Movement and his own blog, The Way of Beauty, will also be featured on Scala’s blog.
It’s always tea time at our house. We enjoy hosting local musicians, painters, and lovers of beauty for tea (which I’ve learned, if you are British like David, can be coffee or a meal).
We hope to see as many of you as possible in the coming years, and we want to share our joyful vision for renewing culture, faith and our common life with as many people as possible. Thank you for your well-wishes, prayers, friendship and support of Scala’s mission to renew culture through liberal arts education and beauty.