Client: Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church

Overview

15′ tall multi figure bronze sculpture and multi media additional artworks including an interactive Stations of the Cross, full immersion baptismal font, interior design and decoration, and liturgical furnishings including Altar, Ambo and Presider’s chair. This project involved the design and fabrication of all of the liturgical artworks and liturgical furnishings necessary in a Roman Catholic Church sanctuary. The bronze Cruciform sculpture that serves as the centerpiece to the church is 15′ tall and weighs over 2,000lbs. Many materials and processes were used and combined to create more than 20 related pieces as well as the interior design and fabrication of the building structure.

Goals

This space and all the artworks within were created to inspire both the single individual viewer and the entire community as well as facilitate the celebration of Roman Catholic mass and Sacraments. The community contains people of both modern, contemporary and very traditional persuasions. The many artworks including the central Cruciform sculpture are integrated into the building structure and seamlessly incorporated into the space. Viewers on tour of the space often remark that they felt that they were in a museum until the artworks were put into action in worship practices.

Process

With a 24/7 open studio policy, I created these works in the midst of the community. I began creating the central bronze sculpture in the middle of the church spring festival chicken dinner with many children, 1 child being 2 years old, and adults participating in the initial application of clay on the armatures of the two figures of Jesus in the sculpture. Some work was created on site, some in my studio. I lead teams of volunteer parishioners in faux finishing the walls and doing the masonry around the baptismal font/ foundation for the sculpture.

Additional Information

These works are extremely unique in the liturgical world. The Stations of the Cross are completely interactive, in the 3 falling stations I created imagery of a body on the floor by lying down in the wet cement of the finished concrete floor. The sanctuary space including the central sculpture have been toured and appreciated by countless visitors including schools from other cities and churches of many denominations as well as high ranking Catholic Church officials from around the world.