 The photograph titled “Onward in Prayer” is the work of Michigan artist John R. Mittelstadt.
In Spring 2007, Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA), Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts (ECVA), and the Museum of Biblical Art invited artists to illustrate "Pray without ceasing", the scriptural theme for the 2008 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Jurors Thomas W. Lollar, Director of Visual Arts at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing arts and Dr. Ena Heller, Founder and Executive Director of the Museum of Biblical Art, selected the piece they thought best represented the theme.
"Onward in Prayer" was chosen by the jurors as it encapsulates the theme both conceptually and artistically. The photograph visualizes the concept that prayer can happen anywhere, in any setting, in any moment of our lives. Compositionally, it contrasts the lone person with the immensity and beauty of nature; the brilliant light of the background may well represent the hope that prayer gives all of us.
(John R. Mittelstadt is a self-described Christian-themed artist from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and a member of CIVA. He attended The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State University.)
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