Peter Carter:  is co-author with Cardinal Sarah of The Song of the Lamb: Sacred Music and the Heavenly Liturgy. He is the founder and director of the Catholic Sacred Music Project, which is devoted to forming emerging leaders for the renewal of sacred music. He also serves as the director of sacred music for both the Aquinas Institute of Princeton University and St. John the Baptist Church in Allentown, New Jersey. At St. John the Baptist, he leads the parish chorister program and conducts a thirty voice semi-professional Schola Cantorum who sing for a weekly Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

He has sung and recorded with the Westminster Symphonic Choir, the Grammy® nominated Westminster Williamson Voices, The Same Stream, and The Lotus Project. He has performed as an organist in the United States and France and has played for televised liturgies on EWTN. As a clinician, he has led sacred music workshops throughout the United States and at the seminary of the Fraternity of St. Joseph the Guardian in the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, France. 

From 2016-2023, he served as the director of liturgical music for the Pro Civitate Dei summer conferences hosted by the Fraternity of St. Joseph the Guardian in the United States, France, and Chile. From 2019-2020, he served as co-host of Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast, interviewing prominent Church figures and musicians including Robert Cardinal Sarah, Olivier Latry, and Sir James MacMillan. In 2020 and 2024, Mr. Carter directed the music for Sarum Vespers in Philadelphia and Princeton which were the first Catholic Sarum liturgies in the United States.  In 2021, he founded The Catholic Sacred Music Project with an inaugural Choral Festival at the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, and a Choral Festival in San Francisco in 2022. He continues his work with the Catholic Sacred Music Project with an annual Sacred Music Summer School in Princeton, NJ, forming musicians to serve the Church with the highest level of musical excellence.

Mr. Carter holds degrees from Westminster Choir College.​​

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Nicolas Charbonneau, PRINCIPAL, ASSOCIATE AIA, WASHINGTON, D.C is the award-winning director of the Harrison Design's Sacred Architecture Studio, which is based in the Washington, D.C. office. His accomplishments distinguish him as one of the premier designers of Catholic churches and classical schools in the country. Nic brings an abiding dedication to the noble principles of classical architecture, its forms and proportions, and draws on his experience in the construction industry. He has directed and overseen all phases of design for a diverse group of projects, ranging from large-scale ecclesiastical and institutional projects to intricately detailed interior renovations. Before joining Harrison Design in 2015, he worked with several Virginia and Washington, D.C. firms. Nic earned his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame with an undergraduate degree in philosophy.

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Martin Earle is a British artist specialising in sacred art and furnishings for the liturgy. His practice is rooted in the conviction that “the Word became flesh” and shaped by hands-on research into the relationship between traditional techniques—including egg tempera, carving, mosaic, and other slow crafts—and the Christian image. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, he creates new commissions for churches across the UK and USA, including a Grand Prize-winning crucifix for St Mary's Cathedral in Aberdeen. Alongside individual works, he designs sacred spaces and collaborates with fellow craftspeople committed to making beautiful things for God.

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William Heyer,  has been in practice since 1997. He opened his own office in 2002. From historic renovations and beautifications to new churches, residences, and furniture, William's knowledge and skills in the classical language for contemporary architecture form the foundation for his practice.

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Fr. Robert McTeigue, SJ, is a member of the US Eastern Province of the Society of Jesus. A professor of philosophy and theology, he has taught worldwide and is known for his classes in both rhetoric and medical ethics. He is a member of the National Ethics Committee of the Catholic Medical Association. His book on preaching, I Have Someone to Tell You: A Jesuit Heralds the Gospel is now available. His latest books from Ignatius Press are Real Philosophy for Real People: Tools for Truthful Living (2020) and Christendom Lost and Found: Meditations for a Post Post-Christian Era (2022). He is host and producer of “The Catholic Current” via The Station of the Cross Catholic Media Network and a regular guest on EWTN's Prayful Posse with Raymond Arroyo, Robert Royal and Fr. Gerald Murry.​

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David Riccio,  is one of the principals of Canning Liturgical Arts, a division of John Canning & Co., and has helped lead the company for over 25 years.

As a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and an Association for Preservation Technology (APT) Recognized Professional, he is an industry-recognized expert on historic flat and ornamental plaster as well as decorative painting techniques, gilding, and glazing and has developed multiple innovative solutions for complex restoration conditions.

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David has been committed to preserving and restoring beauty in Catholic churches throughout his career. His planning and project management skills keep projects on track and on budget and he has overseen large-scale projects such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI, the restoration of St. Marys in New Haven, CT, and the conservation of The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Hanover PA.

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Presentation title: "Reviving Beauty Through Decoration: A Craftsman's Perspective on Renovation & Restoration"

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Q & A MODERATOR

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William Newton is a critic, commentator, and public speaker with a variety of interests in the art world. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, the University of Notre Dame Law School, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. He lives in Washington, D.C.

He has served as an art critic for the American edition of The Spectator magazine, as well as for the online magazine The Federalist, and his work has appeared in Aleteia, The Catholic Herald (UK), and Patheos, among other publications. As a public speaker, he has addressed academic, professional, and religious institutions around the U.S.,and appeared on numerous podcasts. He is currently finishing his first book, which
deals with artistic and cultural observations drawn from his travels in Spain.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The conference begins with the votive mass of Bl. Fra Angelico in the Dominican House of Studies chapel accompanied by choral polyphonic music.

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Registration, lunch and the presentations will follow Holy Mass in

Fr. O'Connell Hall on Friday September 19th. 

Friday will conclude with a special VIP reception, variety of hor'dourves, and open bar. 

The presentations continue on Saturday including lunch, the Bernini Awards,

and plenty of time for networking and fellowship. 

Saturday concludes with a reception celebrating the Bernini Awards recipients for

all conference attendees  and includes a spread of a delicious  hor'dourves and beer/wine.

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If you require dairy or gluten free lunch options, please email

contact@catholicartinstitute.org before Sept. 14th.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Friday September 18, 2026

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10:00-11:15   Opening Mass of Bl. Fra Angelico, Dominican House of Studies Chapel

11:30-11:45   Registration Fr. O'Connell Hall
 

11:45-12:45   Lunch

12:45- 1:00   Welcome Address, Kathleen Carr, Catholic Art Institute President
 

1:00-1:45      1st Presentation
 

1:45-2:00      Q & A moderated by William Newton
 

2:30- 3:00    Break & Networking Time
 

3:00-3:45      2nd Presentation

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3:45 -4:00    Q& A moderated by William Newton

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4:00-4:15      Break & Networking Time

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4:15-5:00.     3rd Presentation

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5:00-5:15     Q& A moderated by William Newton

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5:15               Dismissal for Non VIP Ticket Holders

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5:15 - 6:15     VIP Reception for VIP Ticket Holder with Conference Presenters - Heritage Hall

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Saturday September 19, 2026
 

11:00-11:45    4th Presentation

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11:45-12:00    Q & A moderated by William Newton, Art Critic for the Spectator World

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12:00-1:00     Lunch
 

1:00-1:45      5th Presentation

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1:45-2:00      Q & A moderated by William Newton, Art Critic for the Spectator World
 

2:00-:2:30    Break & Networking Time
 

2:30-3:15.    6th Presentation 

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3:15-3:30      Q & A moderated by William Newton, Art Critic for the Spectator World

3:30-3:40.    David Riccio, Canning Liturgical Arts

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3:40 - 5:00  Bernini Awards Ceremony

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5:00 - 6:00  Reception with speakers for all conference attendees.

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* conference agenda  could be subject to change, but start and end times will not.

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TICKETS

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EARLY BIRD TICKET PRICES UNTIL MARCH 30th

Catholic Art Institute Members:  $325  ($345 after March 30th)

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Non Members:   $385  ($395 after March 30th)

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VIP Tickets:  $425   ($450 after March 30th)  

VIP Tickets are limited and include a special VIP reception with the speakers, plus reserved seats in the front of the venue for the presentations.

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VIP Friday only: $250

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Friday Only: $195

Saturday Only: $195

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VIP Table for 10: $3300 - includes access to the VIP reception and priority seating in the hall for the presentations and meals.

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This is a catered event so tickets must be be purchased by Sept. 15, 2026 and will not be sold at the door.

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BECOME A MEMBER & SAVE

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Support the Catholic Art Institute by becoming a member. Members receive discounts on events including the annual conference, retreats, workshops, online courses, the Sacred Art Prize and more. 

Members are also enrolled in our Mass Association and receive spiritual benefits by being remembered at bi-weekly special masses said by the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius for all members and their work.   

For complete details and to enroll, please visit: https://www.catholicartinstitute.org/membership

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We will be verifying member enrollment for all events so please be careful to purchase the correct ticket type.

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PLACE AN AD IN THE CONFERENCE PROGRAM 

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Larger Size and full color program for 2026!

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Promote your business to clergy, architects, facilities managers, and art lovers by placing an ad in our conference program. Ads will also appear on screen at the conference and the names of sponsors will be listed at the top of this page, listed in our email newsletter, shared in the CAI social media accounts and included in the Youtube videos, reaching a total of 40,000 subscribers.

For details and to reserve your ads visit: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/catholicartinstitute/2037681

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CONFERENCE EXHIBITOR TABLES

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Promote your business to clergy, architects, facilities managers, and art lovers by reserving a table at the conference. Tables are located in the same room as the conference presentations and meals. Exhibitors will be listed at the top of this page, in our email newsletter, thanked on our social media accounts and included in the Youtube videos, reaching a total of 40,000 subscribers.

For details and to reserve your table visit: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/catholicartinstitute/2034688

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