William Keith: Scripture Through the Hudson River Painters, Part 2

Last week, we looked at the Swedenborgian-inspired art of George Inness, a Hudson River school artist.

Like the Eastern painter George Inness, William Keith became an adherent to Swedenborgianism and believed that his late, dark, indistinct works better suggested the spiritual reality that lay beyond the surface forms of nature.

Keith was introduced to naturalist John Muir by mutual friend Jeanne Carr.  Keith and Muir became part of a supportive group of naturalists and painters.

 

Keith's produced early landscapes of breathtaking views of the Sierras that Muir wrote about.  

Muir and Keith made activist environmental trips in 1907 and 1909, for Muir's final environmental crusade to save the Hetch Hetchy Valley of California, now part of the Yosemite National Park, from being flooded to be a reservoir for San Francisco.

It is fascinating to explore the interactions among artists and Swedenborgians.  Rev. Joseph Worcester and the San Francisco Swedenborgian church were deeply involved in the art movement of their times.  We'll continue to explore this fascinating story, and consider how the messages of Scripture - and of Swedenborg - have been and are expressed in the arts.

 

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Scripture Through the Hudson River Painters, Part 1: George Inness

There are many paintings that give us messages from Scripture. Let's look for the scriptural inspiration in the work of Swedenborgian artist George Inness [1825-1894], who was one of the Hudson River School of painters.

He became Swedenborgian in 1860 at the age of 35, when a fellow painter, William Page, introduced him to Swedenborg.  From then on, he attempted to express Swedenborgian theology in his painting.He wanted to express the Swedenborgian concept of the presence of the Divine in the earth.

At the 1893 Chicago fair, Inness was the best-represented American, with fifteen paintings. 

 

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Painters in Our Midst: Talents Within Our Community

We have an incredible amount of artistic expression right in our own on-line community.  Many of our participants tell us that part of expressing their love of God involves the arts:  music, poetry, dance, paintings, and many other forms.

During the coming year, we'll have an "artist of the month" each month, with their art featured on Facebook.  Be sure to see this month's Art of Page Morahan! 

Here are some of the people who have shared their art with us in the past:

Tamra Amato, D'Ann Loomis, Kathy Webb, Gillian Bedford

 

Some of the people who have made their music available for our worship include:  Rev. Ken and Laurie Turley, Elbert Smith, Rev. David Fekete, and Heidi Schnarr.

 

We'd love to include the creative ways that you connect with the Divine.  To share any of your own artistic prayer, contact Rev. Wilma.  [[email protected]

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Mini Mini Course: Why so many artists have been influenced by Swedenborg.

 

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Exploring Scripture Through the Arts

 

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Live from Convention

Interviews directly from the Swedenborgian Annual Convention at Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio.

 

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Prayers in Community

Our annual Swedenborgian convention is starting this week, June 29-July 3!  The worship theme this month at Swedenborgian Community online is "prayer," so let's reflect on prayer in the context of community.

I will be with our denominational community for a week, including the Council of Ministers' meeting and Convention gathering.  It is a unique experience to live with a community that has a focus on the spiritual growth of us all.

Today, June 26th, I have traveled to Urbana, OH, for our Convention and this evening's live prayer service may have guests to share their experiences.  On Thursday, the 30th, we'll have live interviews with people attending Convention, and you can call in for the chat.

 

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Who Moved My Cheese?

With Who Moved My Cheese? Dr. Spencer Johnson realizes the need for finding the language and tools to deal with change--an issue that makes all of us nervous and uncomfortable.

Most people are fearful of change because they don't believe they have any control over how or when it happens to them. Since change happens either to the individual or by the individual, Spencer Johnson shows us that what matters most is the attitude we have about change.

 

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Prayers & Fathers

This is a day we like to think of as a happy day, to honor father's.  But today, let's take some time to remember fathers who were directly impacted by the events at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

 

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Due to today's tragedy in Orlando, we dedicate the prayer service to those who lost their lives and their families. Click here to download some resource material I have assembled on this issue. 

 

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