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Abiding Presence Abiding Presence Some time ago, I read that “Christian witness is a manifestation of God’s creative activity through the expenditure of a human life.” This struck a chord in me. I found meaning creating works for communities of faith from a faith point of view. This ongoing consent has become a way of life for me, and often I can’t tell the difference between my life and my art.
This way of working allows the exploration of
questions which fascinate me, such as: What does art have to do
with religious experience? What does art have to do with
the quest for the Holy? How is art related to the questions
of life’s ultimate meaning? Curator's Statement
Second, the designer for the project was Catherine Kapikian, whose art graces a number of congregations throughout the country, and whose teaching has inspired countless students to discover new ways of seeing. Because Professor Kapikian’s work is generally site-specific, and so beloved by the congregations who have commissioned it, once it is completed it often cannot leave the place for which it was made. This is her first exhibition in a gallery, and it is fitting that it should be a collaborative work, in which the process is as evident as the product. It is with great pleasure that I present Abiding
Presence: A Collaborative Work Designed by Catherine Kapikian,
so that we may all learn something of how an artist and a
congregation can together create an image of God’s grace.
send comments or questions about the gallery to
the curator at: |
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The artists who created the works of art shown here own the
copyrights to them. send comments or questions about the gallery to
the curator at: |
All worship spaces are unique and
none are complete until the assembly gathers. My interest
is in this moment. When the prayers are uttered, the songs
song, and the Word heard, the visual accoutrements in the space,
in concert with the space itself, serve to place all things
together in a dynamic equilibrium. 
One of the primary missions of the Dadian Gallery is to
contribute to the educational enterprise of Wesley Theological
Seminary. The opportunity to exhibit this work-in-progress, the
needlepoint project of the Church of the Abiding Presence,
fulfills this mission in two ways. First, because the work is not
yet completed, we have a rare opportunity to see all the stages
of a large, complex project that will one day enhance the regular
worship life of a faith community. From initial conception,
through the various planning stages, and now as the patient
needlework progresses, these altar rail kneelers have already
helped to build community, as individual members give their time,
energy, and love to serve the entire church body. 