Sr. Mary Boyer SSJ

For approximately 3 decades, Sister Mary Boyer served as the ever-so-important heART of Bishop McDevitt High School, because, as she often reminded us, you can’t have heART without ART. 

In 1991, Sister joined the faculty of McDevitt. Shortly afterwards, she became the chair of the art department and held that position for the rest of her time on Royal Ave. In addition to teaching art, Sister also moderated Art Club and the National Art Honors Society.

Sister is the kind of art teacher you dream of having… but also dread, because she pushed you to be the absolute best. While Sister has such a gentle, kind, light-hearted demeanor, there is nothing scarier than when you feel her eyes peering over your shoulder as you work on your project. But it wasn’t scary because Sister was mean or judgemental—it was scary because you wanted to impress her. Watching Sister demonstrate a technique was inspiring, as her skills speak for themselves… but also stunk, because you knew you’d never be able to emulate her, no matter how hard you tried. But try we did, and Sister was always there to gently guide and encourage us all the way. 

I think I can speak for all of Sister’s students when I say her classroom was a safe haven… and not just because it was one of the only air-conditioned rooms in the building. Art class was a solace I personally looked forward to each and every day, and not just because I hated math. Yes, I loved art class, but more than that, I loved art class with Sister Mary Boyer. 

Each year, regardless of level, the first class started the same way. Mirrors were propped up on each desk, and every student was given paper and pencil. It was time for self-portraits. A daunting task, regardless if you were a Rembrandt or if this was the first art class you had ever taken. 

While we sketched away, Sister walked about the room to assist where needed. During this lesson, Sister touts for the first time that year one of her famous lines: “I can’t teach you how to draw, but I can teach you how to see.” She wanted us to really study our faces to pick up on the intracises that, without careful attention, would be overlooked, because those very nuances made our portraits look like us. 

Seeing is the core of the education Sister Mary Boyer instilled in each and every one of her students. She saw in every student, regardless of experience, the ability to produce beautiful art. Sister encouraged us to pause and truly see the beauty of God’s world around us, and that started with seeing the beauty in our own self portraits. 

This is just one of the countless invaluable lessons McDevitt students received from Sister. And trust me, I mean countless. Sister had an arsenal full of witty bits of wisdom that never failed to inspire… or make you chuckle. One of my personal favorites has to be her take on Creation. Sister would tell us, “God created man, thought: ‘Hm, I could do better,’ and then created woman.” 

With that, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce to you the wonderful woman and Legend herself, Sister Mary Boyer.