November 20, 1992: Sister Wendy's first show about art debuts.
Sister Wendy Beckett joined a teaching order of nuns when she was 16, and taught in Britain and South Africa until 1970, when health problems forced her out of the classroom. After spending time translating medeivel texts, she turned her attention to her personal passion, art. She spent the two hours each day when she as not in prayerful solitude working from what resources she had on hand and correspondence with art museums. The articles she produced drew some attention, and in 1992 she aired her first TV series, Sister Wendy's Odyssey, whose six ten-minute episodes focused on hidden treasures in museums around Britain.
The success of this series led to new ones, that saw her travel to continental Europe and the US to talk about specific works of art and painting in general. She developed a loyal following, which expanded greatly when PBS started to air her various series in 1997.
Sister Wendy gained fans for her forthright manner in discussing art and artists, often in terms that traditional art critics would avoid (such as her frank assertion that Da Vinci only ever had emotional attachments with boys). Fans were also drawn to her as an unlikely TV host, between her traditional habit, thick glasses, and prominent accent/speech impediment.
For all of her popularity, Sister Wendy couldn't ignore who she really worked for, and decided in 2001 to return to her contemplative life. She returned to the Carmelite monastery she's called home since returning to Britain, and still writes on art, but is through with TV.
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