Farrell: More than 100 nativities on display in First Presbyterian of Beaufort exhibit

Jeneane Ryan and Marge Boyle puzzled over a small statue of a Dalmatian in a brown veil and blue frock Thursday.

"I think this is the Joseph," Ryan said as she moved the dog to the right.

"Nooooo," Boyle said slowly. "I think that's the Mary. And this is the Joseph."

She pointed to a Collie holding a lantern, but also wearing the tell-tale beige headpiece that traditional Josephs seem to prefer.

I pointed to an adorable shaggy dog with bangs who was wearing a porkpie and holding a ... pitcher?

"Maybe that's the Joseph?," I shuffled through my Christmas archives. Did Joseph serve margaritas after Jesus was born? Did anyone?

"No. Wait. That's a wise man ... right?" I decided the pitcher was a rustic but modern gift. Like myrrh from Crate and Barrel.

Wrong again. The wise men were accounted for and gathered to the left.

A pug, a St. Bernard and a shepherd were all in crowns, and decidedly not walking into a bar despite how that set-up might have sounded.

Catholic school, you failed me again. Or rather, I failed you. Please forgive me.

"This is the Joseph," Boyle said, again advocating for the Collie.

"OK," Ryan laughed and rearranged the dogs, putting the Mary on the left and the Joseph on the right. "Well, I at least know this is the angel, and it goes back here."

She positioned a Cocker Spaniel with wings and a halo so it could fulfill its purpose by watching over the whole scene.

For the past five years, the women of First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort have hosted "A Nativity Celebration," an exhibit of creches on loan from church and community members. The exhibit is free and open to the public this weekend.

Boyle and Ryan were among those who spent the day Thursday in mostly silent focus -- not even a Christmas carol to distract them -- while they arranged and rearranged more than 100 donated sets, adding sprigs of festive flora here and there, and making sure each set was properly described and displayed to show off its particular charm and appeal.

It was a painstaking endeavour but well worth the effort. Seeing one nativity set at a time might be special, but seeing so many different sets in a single room at one time is altogether more spectacular.

The creches come from a variety of regions in the U.S. and from countries all over the world, including France, Germany, Peru, Rwanda, Israel ... it'd be easier if I just spun a globe here and pointed with my finger at the same time.

From all those places.

As I soon learned Thursday, when you're dealing with various artistic and cultural interpretations of the most famous birth scene of all time, it isn't always easy to tell which piece is the Joseph -- and sometimes there are polar bears and elephants and cowboys and chili peppers and banana gourds in the mix.

But it's fun trying to figure it all out.

The First Presbyterian exhibit was inspired by the annual creche display at the Mepkin Abbey monastery, but is far more accessible. No appointment is needed to view the sets.

"We liked what they did," church member Marion Leach said. "We wanted to do what they did, but in our own way. You can stand and look to your heart's content."

A few of the creches come from the personal collection of Peggy Fryer, who along with Leach was among those that first started the annual show.

While she is particularly fond of the sets she picked up during her travels in Latin America, her favorite nativity on display was built by one of her granddaughters, who is 11.

The manger is constructed of spartina, and the figures are made of shells.

"She started working on the Joseph at my house (this summer)," Fryer said.

(The Joseph is the one holding a whelk staff.)

"So many people from so many cultures portray (the birth of Jesus) in their own way," she said of the sets, many of which were curated to show this very thing. "It's an eye-opener. It encompasses the whole world, not just who we are."

Some of the sets are visually dramatic, such as the one created by Maggie Engstrom, owner of the Sweet Bay store in downtown Beaufort, which is like a painting come to life.

Others at first seem to be the smallest nativity scene on record until you walk a few tables over to find yet another with even tinier and more impossibly exquisite details.

There's a nativity made of crystal. There's a nativity made of wool. There's a nativity made of corn husks. And one of ceramic origami.

There are nativities made by noted artists Yaakov Heller and Chris Nietert.

There are tall nativities and short nativities.

There are nativities in every nook and cranny.

"I just love what they've done in each window," Leach said, as she made her way around the room to get a look as the exhibit began to take shape.

And there are nativities made with man's best friend.

"His mother is a Dalmatian," Boyle laughed as she looked at the yellow lab puppy in the manger, "and the baby doesn't have a spot on him."

Follow columnist and senior editor Liz Farrell at twitter.com/elizfarrell or facebook.com/elizfarrell.

IF YOU GO

"A Nativity Celebration" is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 12 and from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort at 1201 North St., Beaufort. Admission is free. Donations will be collected to help the Columbia flood relief effort.

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This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Farrell: More than 100 nativities on display in First Presbyterian of Beaufort exhibit."