Visual art is clearly an important element of the church. The icons, stations, statues, paintings and exhibits that are sponsored and housed in parishes in the diocese enhance our worship and our faith. But there is another level of art taking place in many parishes every Sunday and feast day, as well – the creative and prolific work of the children of the diocese.

Vicki Hall, director of Children’s and Family Ministries at St. James’, Manhattan, and the Rev. Philippa Turner of Heavenly Rest, Manhattan, are co-chairs of the Diocese Children and Family Ministries Committee. In their work with the children of their parishes, they see how art can powerfully inform and affect faith at any age.

“We use [art] in church school to get children to bond to what they have heard,” Hall says. “Sometimes the lesson will be taught and then as a way to get children to hear the message, children will be responding through coloring, painting, using clay, whatever art medium happens to be available that day.”
The art the children create can be surprising, on many levels. “I love to watch the way kids eyes light up when they’ve drawn or painted something that might not make any sense to me, but obviously means a whole lot to them,” says Hall. “When I get them to tell me what it is, they just get so excited. And they obviously have gotten the message on levels that I never imagined. They get things in ways we don’t imagine that they could. Part of it is because they are able to really live it through their drawing and their painting.”

A young artist with her work at Heavenly Rest, Manhattan

Turner finds the same to be true. “Children often express themselves through drawing. They may have some great theological understanding and they’re telling you about it as they describe their drawing quite nonchalantly. It’s very powerful when you see how drawing can be used when children are struggling.”
She sums it up this way, “I can’t imagine a church with children where they wouldn’t have crayons or markers somewhere. Even in worship, we put children’s bulletins out with crayons. Even if they’re not consciously making that connection [with the service], there is a connection there.”

To find out more about working with children and art, email the Rev. Philippa Turner at pturner@heavenlyrest.org or Vicki Hall at vhall@stjames.org.