Gather In To Hold Show At Green Dragon
Artist David Moore has been studying with the Lancaster Mennonite Conference STEP (Study and Training for Effective Pastoral ministry) Program for nearly three years. "The final project is a missional outreach," explained Moore, who noted that he struggled to come up with an original missional experience. "A couple months ago, the Lord said, 'Why not do an art show at Green Dragon?'" Moore decided to hold the show on Good Friday. "The idea is to turn people's thoughts to Christ with artwork," he noted.
On Friday, April 15, Gather In, a group of Christian artists of which Moore is a member, will hold an exhibition at Green Dragon Farmers Market, 955 N. State St., Ephrata, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Among the artists who take part will be woodworkers, watercolorists, carvers, metalworkers, painters, abstract artists, and cartoonists.
Other artists in the group are considering what they will bring. Gary Greene is a landscape painter who paints and teaches watercolor. He and his wife, Pat, are both Gather In members. Rather than bringing his own work, Gary described a page from a newspaper that he clipped long ago and had laminated to display. "(It's of) Jesus as a little boy with Joseph working at his carpenter bench," Gary explained. "Jesus is crawling around on the floor and picks up a spike (like the one that will later secure him to the cross) to play with. It blew me away," said Gary, who added that Pat will give away rawhide bracelets that tell the salvation story with different colored beads.
Gather In member and abstract artist Isabell Clark is organizing a display at Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene in York. "I have gathered other artists in our church, and we are doing pieces that correspond with our Lenten focus," said Clark, who noted that the group has created a gallery space within the sanctuary for visitors to engage with the art. She plans to bring a piece from that display to the Green Dragon exhibit.
Gather In is overseen by illustrator and biblical artist Sam Mylin of Willow Street, who recalled that the group started as Artist's Junction in 1999. In 2009, the name was changed to Gather In. Mylin creates illustrated Bible studies with discussion questions for the up to 20 Christian artists who attend meetings. Moore added that sometimes the group meets around a bonfire and cooks hot dogs. Often, Gather In meets at the home of David Nolt, an oil painter who has limited use of his hands and paints primarily holding a brush in his mouth. It was Nolt who first invited Moore to the group. "It was such a (spiritual) feeding experience with Christian artists all speaking together about artwork and (how) we create art for God's glory," said Moore. "It was like fresh air."
"The art doesn't really connect us, but Christ does," said Mylin. "Jesus said, 'Whatever is in your heart that you treasure, that will come out.'"
Leave a Review