Saint Francis Gallery

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A black, white, and dark blue header image with the text Saint Francis Gallery

During my trip to the Berkshires in July 2023, I visited Saint Francis Gallery, a historic church turned art sales venue. Located in Lee, MA, just down the road from Ashintully Gardens, Tyringham Cobble, and other quick history stops in Tyringham, this site connects religious history, the regional and international art scene, and a charitable cause.

Saint Francis Gallery; exterior of a light orange Italianate style church viewed from across a street Sign for St. Francis Gallery; a white, wooden sign with black, all caps, serif text reading St. Francis Gallery Inside St. Francis Gallery; interior of a church filled with temporary walls hung with artwork. On the back wall is a stained glass window.

Saint Francis Church was built in 1871 in the Italianate style. This building design was intended to be the opposite of the classic whitewashed New England church. The building has a wide, rectangular steeple instead of a narrow, pointed steeple, and the siding is painted pale orange with an orange-brown trim. Another feature setting the church apart are its windows. The congregation commissioned stained glass windows designed by French artist André Mériel-Bussy during the 1920s. The original stained glass windows were unceremoniously smashed, evidenced by modern grounds crew finding shards of colorful glass scattered around the property. The windows by Mériel-Bussy feature scenes from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, other Catholic saints, and coats of arms. Scenes include Saint Francis preaching to birds, the bishop covering naked Saint Francis with his cloak, and Saint Francis blessing Saint Clare.

Stained glass window of St. Francis lifting his hands. Stained glass window of St. Francis giving a blessing. Stained glass window of St. Francis with two angels. Stained glass window of young Saint Francis, having stripped himself naked in penance, being covered by the bishop's cloak.

After the building stopped functioning as a church, retired psychiatrist Dr. Phil Pryjma turned the building into an art gallery in 2011. He connected with another local, Karen Smith, to found the Sawa Sawa Foundation in 2012, an organization dedicated to bringing art, health services, and other humanitarian projects to Kenya as a means of “counteracting the effects of colonialism and patriarchy which can easily paralyze a population into inactive passivity”, according to local newspaper The Berkshire Edge. Many pieces for sale in the gallery were created by Kenyan artists.

Stained glass window of Saint Francis preaching to the birds. Signature of André Mériel-Bussy on the stained glass window above a bird Stained glass window of Saint Francis blessing Saint Clare of Assisi. Large stained glass window at the back of the church with the depiction of Jesus in the center, the Virgin Mary on the left, and St. Francis on the right.

Saint Francis Gallery located at 1370 Pleasant Street in Lee, MA with a parking lot beside the building. The gallery is open Friday through Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The entrance to the gallery is at the top of three concrete steps with a metal handrail and is not wheelchair accessible. Narrow spaces between moveable exhibit walls and additional artworks on the floors may create issues for those with limited mobility, not to mention touching temptations for younger visitors. The gallery is generally well-lit, although I visited on the bright day and could easily see the contrast between outdoor sunlight and indoor electric light through the stained glass windows.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 3/10



Location: 1370 Pleasant St, South Lee, MA 01260, USA