Camphor wood, hemp, spools of silk thread, a metal oil drum, coconut tree pieces, corn husks and rolled strips of newspaper are among the materials used.
Taiwan, Bangladesh, the United States, Venezuela, Slovakia and the Philippines are among the more than 40 nations represented in her collection.
Despite the different takes on one scene, three characters are always represented in each of the nativity collections: Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus.
Independence resident Diane Houk will display a portion of her nativity scene collection this holiday season at the Community of Christ Temple in Independence. The display opened Monday and will continue through Dec. 23.
In late 1962, Houk was Christmas shopping on the Country Club Plaza and “picturesque” snow starting falling, she said. She was tempted to return home to Independence, but she wanted to see folk art collector Alexander Girard’s international exhibition of nativity scenes at the then-Nelson Gallery of Art.
“It was something that I’d been looking for as a motif that would represent a lot of different cultures and a lot of different artists,” said Houk of the nativity, which celebrates the birth of Jesus, “and how they look at one idea and how it’s filtered through their life experiences and culture.”
From there, Houk found her inspiration. Because of her husband’s career in construction, Houk resided in many countries and was able to grow her collection.
She also asked artists to create nativity scenes, including Dearborn, Mo., Americana artist Rhett Johnson. Johnson made a one-piece nativity – his first – from wood in 1993 that included “very mundane gifts” like a cat, a horse, a pig, geese and wheat, Houk said. The Missouri-inspired scene represents her favorite among more than 600 total scenes.
Houk is attracted to folk artistry in gathering her collections, which includes works produced by people with no formal training using materials that reflect their traditional societal values. On Wednesday, Houk even wore a navy blue sweater with a nativity scene depicted with buttons.
The collection’s most extensive nativity display is Houk’s French santons, tiny hand-painted clay figurines that she traveled to Provence, France, to collect. They range in sizes from 2-1/2 centimeters to 15 centimeters, and they depict different townspeople like the mayor, the postman, a boy with a monkey and even a santon maker in his workshop.
Ironically, Houk said she hardly considers herself a religious person, which she thinks “kind of puzzles everybody because they assume that I am very religious.” Instead, she described herself as “non-denominational, spiritual person.”
Regardless of nationality, race or religious beliefs, Houk said she hopes visitors will leave the exhibit at peace, feeling a sense of connection to the world.
After all, the display is taking place at the Community of Christ Temple’s Shalom Place, with shalom meaning “peace.”
“It’s something that we hope people will stop and think about,” Houk said. “We have more things alike than we do different – we’d all like to have peace in the world. It’s a connecting point, but what you’re going to take from it is all within you.”
