Artists, Church team up to create Christian 'clip art' symbols

Now four Episcopal artists, commissioned by the Office of Communication's web department, have each created a set of 12 Christian symbols that have been placed on the church's website for use at no charge for non-commercial purposes.

"From time to time, someone would call asking for free clip art or graphics, or asking if we could recommend a designer for a church logo or T-shirt," said Bowie Snodgrass, web content editor. "From these requests came our idea to commission some good, original Episcopal clip art -- making what might sound like an oxymoron into a created reality."

She, and her colleague, Wade Hampton, the church's art director, partnered with an organization called Episcopal Church & Visual Arts (ECVA) and issued a "call for entries" last summer. They received sample symbols from 15 artists.

"We selected four, each with their own individual styles, and asked them to illustrate seven symbols from a list of 18 we provided," said Snodgrass. "We also said they could create five others of their own design."

The images of early Christian symbols by Marilyn Dale, Miranda Hassett, Jan Neal and Zhongxian Tang, are created graphically and from paper-cuts on subjects such as communion, the Tree of Life, Ten Commandments, peace, Madonna and child, Trinity, marriage and reconciliation. There are also artistic renditions of the Episcopal shield and of the "red doors" of many church buildings.

ECVA's president Mel Alborn said artists want to enable Episcopalians to see liturgical seasons in new ways.

"Many of these symbols will yield fresh insights and meanings," she said. "Jan Neal's 'Trinity' is an excellent example, because it takes something familiar -- a beautifully simple triad of ginkgo leaves -- and gives it meaning on so many different levels."

She said the symbols lend themselves readily to use on banners, posters, bulletin covers, postcard mailers, newsletters, study guides, Christian education curriculum materials, parish-produced devotionals, and church websites.

"We hope parishes will share with us even more ways in which these symbols come to life within their communities."

Brie Dodson, ECVA communication director, said ECVA is an association of Episcopal artists that wants to encourage visual arts in the life of the church, support artists within the Episcopal community and help bring visibility to their work.

"Episcopal artists contribute to the church's life and worship in different ways, such as designing vestments and liturgical hangings; banners, icons, and conceptual art that enhances communal worship, as well as exhibitions to create opportunities for meditation and reflection," she said.

"They work in many different media, including cloth, wood, metals, paints and photography. They use stained glass to bring light, literally, to those things which a parish values deeply and lead workshops to encourage a congregation's own creations as a means of spiritual discipline.

"Printed materials are immeasurably enriched by Episcopal artists in images relating to the worship experience," Dodson said.

An unusual collection of symbols was created by Zhongxian Tang, a native of China, who now is a liturgical designer for C.M. Almy of Connecticut. He credits his mother for his creativity.

"Her faith was a great inspiration and has strongly influenced my life and work," he said, dedicating his work to her. "Her faith made these designs possible."

Marilyn Dade is a graphic designer in Naperville, Illinois, who has designed large-scale liturgical fabric acrylic pieces. She offers workshops on the creation and management of an arts ministry.

Miranda Hassett, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is currently studying for a master of divinity degree at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hassett, who works in cut paper, stamping and textile design, said she finds inspiration in imagery from across the breadth of Christianity.

Jan Neal, who works primarily in digital painting, digital liturgical design and photography, lives in Opelika, Alabama. She is program director for ECVA.

"We hope that Episcopalians and EpiscopalChurch.org visitors will make use of these symbols and clip art on their websites, parish publications, promotional materials, and for other non-commercial purposes," said Snodgrass.

Biographies of the artists and contact information for each is available on the web for congregations or individuals who want information about workshops or commissioned work.

The graphics on the church website are available in both medium and high resolutions.