Art Evangelizing in Delaware

It didn't take me long to start spreading the art love around here! Kevin and I attended our first Diocese of Delaware annual convention in January and I took the opportunity to create a collaborative project with the 300 people attending.

The piece is called Visual Oratory. It's an idea I first developed at General Seminary in 2006 as a way to embody the prayers of the community into visual imagery. An oratory is a place of prayer and the final installation is meant to suggest the colors of stained glass, the movement of smoky incense, and the music of hymns and songs. 

People were invited to write any kind of prayer on pieces of colored plastic with black sharpies. I combined them with embroidery thread and hung them all together.

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“I call on you, O God, for you will answer me:
      give ear to me and hear my prayer.”
                                             Psalm 17:6

The 2006 version of Visual Oratory hung from a tree in front of the seminary chapel, casting lovely colored shadows as it rustled in the breeze.

This Visual Oratory was hung behind the altar for our Eucharist celebration, helping make the hotel meeting room a little brighter. I'm happy to report that these prayers will move to Friendship House, a homeless shelter and ministry at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew in Wilmington. The staff and guests of Friendship House will keep adding their prayers to the sculpture, making it bigger,  brighter and more layered. Each piece reminds us that we are all connected in our prayers for each other. 

Special thanks to Danny Schweers for sharing his pics from the convention. He is also an Art Evangelist, combining his gorgeous photos with original prayers  on a blog called photoprayer.com. You can see all  his work at dannyschweers.com.