Walters Art Museum - Christian Art Tour

The Catholic Art Institute invites you to

A Christian Art Tour 
at the
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland

Sunday, June 7th 2026 at 2:00 - 3:30 pm 

with Mary Elizabeth Podles

Sponsored by 
Canning Liturgical Arts

Registration ends Saturday June 6th at 5:00 pm EST

Join us for a truly enriching afternoon at the renowned Walters Art Museum, home to one of the most remarkable collections of Christian and medieval art in the United States.

This special guided tour will be led by Mary Elizabeth Podles, a seasoned Catholic scholar and professor, whose lifelong work has been dedicated to understanding and interpreting the sacred tradition of Christian art.


About Your Guide

Mary Elizabeth Podles is a distinguished Catholic art historian and former Curator of Renaissance and Baroque Art at the Walters Art Museum. She has also held positions at major institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sotheby's and the National Gallery of Art.

She holds advanced degrees in art history from Columbia University and has taught Sacred Art and Architecture at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, forming clergy and laity alike in the Church’s artistic patrimony. She is also the author of A Thousand Words: Reflections on Art and Christianity.

With both scholarly depth and a deeply Catholic perspective, she brings a rare ability to illuminate not only the history of these works, but their theological meaning and spiritual purpose.

Christian Art at the Walter's Museum

The Walters’ extraordinary collection spans centuries of Christian artistic —offering a powerful window into the Church’s artistic heritage across cultures and centuries including:

• Illuminated Manuscripts & Books of Hours
  Exquisite devotional manuscripts, including richly adorned Books of Hours, such as those in the tradition of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves, revealing the intimate prayer life of the medieval faithful through jewel-like miniatures of the Annunciation, Passion, and lives of the saints.
• Byzantine Icons & Eastern Christian Treasures
  Powerful icons of Christ Pantocrator, the Virgin Hodegetria, and the saints—windows into the theology of the Incarnation—alongside rare works from Byzantine and Ethiopian traditions that embody the universality of the Church.
• Medieval Sculpture & Reliquaries
  Intricately carved ivories and gilded reliquaries—objects made not merely for display, but for veneration—such as Gothic shrine forms and Passion scenes that once held relics of the saints and were central to liturgical life.
• Renaissance Masterworks
  Luminous paintings of the Madonna and Child and sacred narratives shaped by the rediscovery of classical form—works in the tradition of Italian and Northern Renaissance masters that unite naturalism with profound theological clarity.
• Baroque Sacred Drama
  Emotionally charged depictions of martyrdoms, saints in ecstasy, and the triumph of the Church—paintings that draw the viewer into the drama of salvation history through light, movement, and intense spiritual immediacy.

Event Details

• Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026
• Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM
• Location: Walters Art Museum
• Cost: $26

Following the tour, guests are invited to remain for fellowship at the museum café (food and beverages not included)—a lovely opportunity to continue the conversation and build community.

Reserve Your Spot

These tours are extremely popular and typically sell out, so we strongly encourage early registration.

Come encounter the richness of the Church’s artistic tradition—guided by a faithful Catholic scholar who brings these works to life with clarity, depth, and devotion.

Where to Meet

The Walters Art Gallery is located at 600 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201

On Sunday June 7, 2026, we will meet at 1:45 inside the main entrance lobby area near the information desk. Please do not be late, it gets difficult to find the tour group once the tour as started.

​After the tour will run for about an hour and then  the group will retire to the museum cafe for refreshments and social time. (refreshments are not included in the ticket price). This portion of the day is optional but historically on our tours, many do enjoy meeting others in the community for fellowship.

Please note, this is a popular event and tickets are likely to sell out.

No refunds after June 1st. If you need to cancel, please email contact@catholicartinstitute.org  and we will try to find alternatives to take your place from the wait list, if we can, we will offer a refund or you can donate your tickets. 

Ride Share Address

Use the following address for ride share services: 10 W. Centre St., Baltimore, MD 21201.

Parking

Visitor parking is available in the lot at 600 Cathedral St. on the corner of Centre and Cathedral Streets. For your convenience, reserve a spot online and pay in advance. Museum Members are eligible for reduced rates; bring your membership card to receive your discount when you park. There is also free and metered street parking in the neighborhood immediately surrounding the museum, however it could be limited on a Sunday afternoon.

Other nearby garages are located at 520 N. Charles St. and 601 N. Calvert St.