Once again, Mepkin Abbey, the Trappist abbey located in Monck's Corners, South Carolina, hosted its Thanksgiving weekend Nativity figure exhibit. The monastery is going through some changes after giving up on its long-running egg business because of an intensive campaign mounted against it by PETA. Now the monks are thinking of going into mushroom raising, possibly in addition to running a native plant nursery. In any case, these changes didn't affect the Nativity scene exhibit, which was held as usual in the monastery's Clare Booth Luce Library.
The figures shown this year belonged to the collection of Betty Morris, a member of Friends of the Creche, who lives in Virginia. There were some 40 figures and scenes on display, most of them from her collection. She collects figures from all over the world, and also had a number of American scenes, such as this grouping of 17cm resin figures made by Hestia, a Massachusetts company.
As usual, visitors got to vote for their 2 favorites. The scene that gets the most votes will be shown again next year. I liked this two-foot high cupboard-like triptych from Oaxaca, Mexico.
The scene that reappeared from last year was a large scene with 40 cm copper figures, made by Mary Eldredge of Vermont. This year she has added a shepherd and sheep.
When I peered over the shoulder of the volunteer who was tallying the votes, it looked to me as if it would probably win again and return next year! But I still voted for my favorite Oaxacan scene, probably just because of this little row of sheep at the bottom.