Art and Heritage Place: Whitby Gift Shop & Haehn Museum
Art and Heritage Place was built in 2000 as a place to commemorate the tradition and history of the arts and is open to the public. It covers 9,600 square feet of space and houses the Haehn Museum and Whitby Gift Shop.
Regular Hours
Tuesday–Friday: 12–4 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday
Visits outside regular hours are arranged, as requested. For more information, call (320) 363-7113 or (320) 363-7100.
We are thrilled to welcome visitors back in person to the Art and Heritage Place! Visitors are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing once inside the building.
Whitby Gift Shop
Whitby Gift Shop and Gallery boasts a large variety of items for sale, many handmade by the sisters. You will find items for infants, cards for all occasions, jewelry, pottery, religious items, scarves and artwork. The gallery is home to an eclectic collection of art either created by the sisters or selected from the sisters’ heritage collection. Some are available to purchase.
For more information, contact:
JoAnne Backes, OSB
(320) 363-7113
jbackes001@csbsju.edu
Gen Maiers, OSB
(320) 363-7113
gmaiers@csbsju.edu
Experience Ecuador and Ethiopia at Whitby Gift Shop!
Take an international vacation without ever leaving your home state; come experience Ecuador and Ethiopia at Whitby Gift Shop! We have an abundance of colorful, handcrafted items made by artisans in these two countries, including baskets, blankets, paintings, pottery, and more! Prices vary. Please call the gift shop at (320) 363-7113 or visit us for more information.
Available at Whitby Gift Shop
Haehn Museum
The Haehn Museum is home to nearly 7,000 artifacts, dating back to 1857, which document the lives and ministries of the Sisters of Saint Benedict. Exhibits capture and portray the strong cultural, social and religious influence the Benedictine sisters have had in their ministries locally, statewide, nationally and internationally, both past and present. The museum was named after Sylvester and Jacquie Haehn, who were major donors for its construction.
Since the opening of the Art and Heritage Place, visitors have come from all 50 United States and approximately 60 countries. Most of the visitors are from Minnesota and find they learn something new about the sisters and the monastery with each visit. School groups, college classes, adult groups, organizations and individuals are welcome. Visits outside regular hours are arranged, as requested. Come, join us!
Current Exhibit
140 Years of Uncovering and Sharing Secrets of Science: 1880 to 2020
From cells to outer space, the sisters taught the sciences, opening doors for women through endless wondering, careful discovering, conserving the knowledge and teaching the challenge. As we wonder and discover and learn together, we change and grow.
For more information, contact:
Moira Wild, OSB
Director of the Haehn Museum
(320) 363-7098
mwild@csbsju.edu
From the Monastery Museum
As testimony to the now 141 years that the Sisters of Saint Benedict’s Monastery have been teaching the sciences while we prepare and support Women in the Sciences, the current exhibit at the Haehn Museum proudly displays the 1872 text by Joseph Martindale which was used in the earliest science classes of St. Benedict Academy in 1880. Science was then classified as “Natural philosophy.” In 2020, the original text was reissued (colored photo below). That copy is available for visitors to study. The accepted method of teaching at that time was a simple question-and-answer dialogue which is used throughout the text.
The current exhibit “Discovering and Uncovering the Secrets of Science: 140 Years Supporting Women in Science” will be open through December 2021. We are most eager to FINALLY open to the public!
We welcome your visit!
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers provide hospitality in the lobby of the Art and Heritage Place, welcome visitors, invite them to view the exhibition, sign the guest book and assist the museum staff by tallying the number of visitors. These and other volunteer opportunities are coordinated through the volunteer office.
Monastic Artisans
Artisans have always had a place in Benedictine monastic tradition. In Chapter 57 of his Rule, Saint Benedict speaks of the desired humility in the community’s artisans. They may create items which are useful or pieces which grace the monastery in beauty. They pursue their craft for the sheer love of doing it—to make an article of beauty and to share the fruits of their work with others. Sister artisans paint, sew, quill, tat and make paper, scarves, candles and a host of other items. These art pieces, both beautiful and useful, are sold at the monastery gift shop in the Art and Heritage Place at Saint Benedict’s Monastery and Saint Scholastica Convent Gift Shop.
Artisans in their creations, and all who view or use them, are encouraged and motivated by Benedict’s comment on the role of artisans: “That in all things, God may be glorified” (1 Peter 4:11 quoted in the Rule of Benedict 7:9).
Reflections From Monastic Artisans
“Making pressed flower designs for cards is a spiritual unfolding for me as I observe the entire lifecycle of the flower. It nourishes my spirit and helps me grow into a better person.”
“Besides the satisfaction of being relaxed when busy with my hands in crocheting, embroidering and cross-stitching, there’s also a swelling of pride in the talent of our community.”
“My love of beauty is satisfied in working with colorful floss, creating beautiful embroidery. Also, it is a quiet, contemplative activity.”
“Capturing nature on paper in photography gives me a feeling of an intense presence of God in flowers and changing seasons.”
“In quilling, a lost art, I can use my imagination. I can quill, be quiet and be in the presence of God—all at the same time.”