Passionate Holiness - Exhibition Opening

Twenty-two icon oil paintings and prints will feature the work of contemporary artists Robert Lentz, Lewis Williams, William Hart McNichols, and David Lee Csicsko. The images depict influential, yet highly overlooked and occasionally controversial Christian figures who, had they lived in the present, might have been a source of inspiration to gays and lesbians. The exhibition is meant to offer a place where everyone can feel accepted, regardless of sexual orientation. The images featured in the exhibition note the manner in which the Catholic Church has questioned the religious sincerity and credibility of these Christian figures, and replace that doubt with tolerance. The paintings are meant to remind everyone that regardless of sexual orientation, or any number of personal characteristics, everyone has his or her own place in the history of Christianity. Specifically the saints and other religious persons who have had their sexuality or lifestyle questioned, simply because of loving someone of the same sex, have their full religious importance restored through these icons. The exhibition emphasizes the importance of these Christian figures, who often go unnoticed, and calls attention to the good that has come from their lives. Through the explanation of these figures’ influence on religious history, “distinctive people” can find a connection with Christianity and a greater feeling of belonging in the religious community. In a broader sense, these paintings may help everyone find acceptance within the Christianity as well as setting the foundation for a new understanding of those different from themselves.

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