This is an art exhibit of lights!
Artist Bruce Munro just opened a new exhibition at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania including a number of impressive translucent silos constructed from bottles.
Amazing, right?
As I admired this artistic work, I couldn’t help but think:
“Where did the art go?”
Drive by just about any church building and you’ll see just about the same, sterile sight. You might catch a glimpse of stain glassed windows – remnants of an artistic history. Certainly, there are exceptions, but for the most part, art has disappeared.
Why couldn’t something like the art exhibit pictured above be on a church lawn, designed by a member of the church community?
If it doesn’t have a picture of Jesus, there’s no room for it?
Thoughts?
[via Colossal]
What a terrific question – and what great examples of the visual arts you included in your blog. The metaphor and reality that Jesus is the Light of the world came springing to mind as a result of those images.
Our faith community does its bit to engage this question by holding (for eight years now) an art camp for one week every summer for kids from 2nd through 8th grade. It is called BAC2ONE
http://bac2one.com/
This affordable, week long day-camp is one of the most joyful events I have ever experienced. The creative energy that the volunteer arts organizers, teachers and small group leaders put into the camp is fully matched and exceeded by the campers. Will this result in art being created for church settings in the future? I certainly so. At the very least, these kids will know that art is an acceptable, valuable form of worship expression in a fellowship of believers
I love this!
Thank you for sharing!
Did you see Bruce Munro’s two artworks at Salisbury Cathedral (12th Century), talking of art in churches? there are videos on YouTube of both Light Shower and Water-Towers in the cloister there.
These are great!
Thank you!
Light Shower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slRfbJkl6sk
Water-Towers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFw3bZggmX4