Beyond Word Interactive Art Exhibit

“Beyond Words” Art Exhibit
Amidst life’s most difficult losses, Jesus offers peace
that passes understanding. With Bible verses for
inspiration, artists give voice and experiences
otherwise unspoken in our most trying times.

A contemporary virtual art exhibit on
grief, hope and the resurrected life.
Curated by Ashley Sauder Miller

Welcome!
Throughout your visit to VMRC’s Virtual
“Beyond Words” Art Exhibit you will see
clickable icons, artwork, and
nameplates.
Here is an explanation of each icon and
how it will help you have an enjoyable
visit to our gallery.
This icon will be seen at the top
right of your screen when you are
no longer in the gallery space.
Click this icon to return to where
you were in your gallery visit.
This icon indicates the artist’s
name and the name of the piece.
Click this icon to see more
information on the artist.
This icon takes you to the previous
or next room in the art gallery.
Artwork displayed on the wall is
clickable and will take you to more
information about the piece.

Barbara Gautcher
Our Help Through the Ages Nos.
Rhoda Miller
To the Mountains

Following the death of my oldest sister twenty years
ago, I distinctly remember feeling trapped indoors. I
would spend hours taking drives into the mountains,
wandering through parks and cemeteries, and
eventually discovered a love of hiking the many trails in
the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. I feel the most
spiritually grounded when spending time in nature and
breathe a little easier in the forest or on top of a
mountain. I owe so much of the healing I have
experienced in my grief journey to the natural world and
am profoundly grateful for the access I have had to
wander freely, a privilege I know is not shared by all.
There is something about being alone outdoors that
simultaneously reminds me of my insignificance in the
greater world and my interdependence with its
resources and the rest of humanity. This dichotomy
deeply resonates with me and feels like home.
Click here for artist information

Rhoda Miller
To the Mountains
Fabric and acrylic on canvas
36x48”
$450
Rhoda is an artist based in the Shenandoah Valley,
working from her in-home, mountain studio.
Inspirations include earth, connection, wonder, justice,
and authenticity. Rhoda works primarily in metalwork
jewelry, mixed media visual arts, and graphic design
with occasional diversions into photography, ceramics,
and sweet treats.
inkberryridge.com | rhodamariemiller@gmail.com
Click here for artwork insight
Psalm 121 (NIV)
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where
does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker
of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—he who
watches over you will not slumber; indeed,
he who watches over Israel will neither
slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—the LORD is
your shade at your right hand; the sun will
not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he
will watch over your life; the LORD will
watch over your coming and going both now
and forevermore.

These are two impressions of God’s presence
and help in our lives. No. 1 is a figurative
representation of God’s hand, available and
ever-reaching out toward us. No. 2 is an
abstraction of the trinity and God’s hand as a
safe haven in the midst of the multi-layered
strife, pain, loss, darkness and chaos of much
of this existence. Today's ginkgo trees are
nearly identical to fossils found to be 250
million years old. Because of their ancient
history and beauty, I've included ginkgo trees
and leaves as symbols of the eternal and
unchanging nature of God in each painting.

Barbara Gautcher
Our Help Through the Ages Nos.
Acrylic, canvas, pen, thread on canvases
24x24”, 24x24”
$325 each
Barbara is a native Virginian who has loved
artistic expression from a young age. She
earned an MFA from MICA in 1980, was named
Art Teacher of the Year for Virginia in 2014, and
has inspired many students to unleash their
creative potential. Most often, Barbara works
with mixed media, exhibiting locally and
regionally.
bgautcher@gmail.com
Click a number for artwork insight
1 2
Isaiah 41:9-10, 13 (The Message)
I pulled you in from all over the
world, called you in from every
dark corner of the earth, Telling
you, ‘You’re my servant, serving
on my side. I’ve picked you. I
haven’t dropped you.’ Don’t panic.
I’m with you. There’s no need to
fear for I’m your God. I’ll give
you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll
hold you steady, keep a firm grip
on you.
That’s right. Because I,
your GOD, have a firm grip on you
and I’m not letting go. I’m telling
you, ‘Don’t panic. I’m right here
to help you.’

Tamara Grant
Light and Dark
JoEtta Deaton
The Napping Tree
Lanecia A. Rouse Tinsley
In All Seasons
Jason Anderson
I will come back…

After five years of infertility, our son and daughter-in-
law became pregnant. When they lost their baby at
Christmas last year, they drove to a favorite
mountaintop near their home in Idaho, grieving and
resting under a lone pine tree. A year later, they still
long for birth-children and we still pray for their
courage. While Isaiah 40 seems to boast of triumph, the
mobility within the text descends from soaring and
walking. Stepping in pain, resting and lamenting remain
a vital part of the life of faith.

JoEtta Deaton, a grandmother and avid bicyclist
with a B.A. in painting and a M.A. in Theology,
paints landscapes and the figure, and teaches
drawing. She and her husband, Michael, call
Church of the Incarnation home.
joettadeaton.com | joetta.h.deaton@gmail.com
Isaiah 40: 28-31 (NIV)
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the
ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives
strength to the weary and increases the power of the
weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young
men stumble and fall; but those who hope in
the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar
on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint.
JoEtta Deaton
The Napping Tree
oil
16x20”
$250

Light and Dark visually represent
John 11: 9-10. My mother, facing
life’s difficulties, always strived to
live in the light. Although prolonged
illness robbed her of independence
and physical comfort, she always
found reasons for joy. She passed
away at dawn, her favorite time of
day, on November 11, 2000.

Originally from North Carolina, Tamara Grant studied
Art History at UNC Chapel Hill. In recent years, Tamara
has turned her attention toward actively working and
developing her art practice. The local landscape of the
Shenandoah Valley, as well as her long-time
fascination with texture and textiles, have been a
source of constant inspiration.
tamara.grant.va@gmail.com
John 11: 1-44 (TEV)
Click here to see full scripture
Tamara Grant
Light and Dark
mixed media on canvas
16x20”
NFS
Click Light or Dark for artwork insight
Light Dark

John 11: 1-44 (TEV)
A man named Lazarus, who lived in Bethany, became sick. Bethany was the town where Mary and her sister Martha lived. (This Mary was the one who poured the perfume on the Lord's feet and
wiped them with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was sick.) The sisters sent Jesus a message: “Lord, your dear friend is sick.”
When Jesus heard it, he said, “The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God, and it will be the means by which the Son of God will
receive glory.”
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he received the news that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. Then he said to the disciples, “Let us go back to
Judea.”
“Teacher,” the disciples answered, “just a short time ago the people there wanted to stone you; and are you planning to go back?”
Jesus said, “A day has twelve hours, doesn't it? So those who walk in broad daylight do not stumble, for they see the light of this world. But if they walk during the night they stumble, because they
have no light.” Jesus said this and then added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.”
The disciples answered, “If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well.”
Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe.
Let us go to him.”
Thomas (called the Twin) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us all go along with the Teacher, so that we may die with him!”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days before. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them
about their brother's death.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But I know
that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for.”
“Your brother will rise to life,” Jesus told her.
“I know,” she replied, “that he will rise to life on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; 26 and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord!” she answered. “I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
After Martha said this, she went back and called her sister Mary privately. “The Teacher is here,” she told her, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up and hurried out to meet
him. (Jesus had not yet arrived in the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.) The people who were in the house with Mary comforting her followed her when they saw her get up
and hurry out. They thought that she was going to the grave to weep there.
Mary arrived where Jesus was, and as soon as she saw him, she fell at his feet. “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died!”
Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved. “Where have you buried him?” he asked them.
“Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
Jesus wept. “See how much he loved him!” the people said.
But some of them said, “He gave sight to the blind man, didn't he? Could he not have kept Lazarus from dying?”
Deeply moved once more, Jesus went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone placed at the entrance. “Take the stone away!” Jesus ordered.
Martha, the dead man's sister, answered, “There will be a bad smell, Lord. He has been buried four days!”
Jesus said to her, “Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believed?” They took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “I thank you, Father, that you listen to me. I know that you
always listen to me, but I say this for the sake of the people here, so that they will believe that you sent me.” After he had said this, he called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” He came out, his
hands and feet wrapped in grave cloths, and with a cloth around his face. “Untie him,” Jesus told them, “and let him go.”
Click Light or Dark for artwork insight
Light Dark

In All Seasons, like David’s Psalm 34, is a
visual psalm of praise in the midst of
troubling times. I use earth-materials—dirt,
clay, fiber, water, and sunlight—to bring
visual expression to my own experience of
praise and faith through grief and the
uncertainties of life. Through cyanotype
printmaking I combine my photography,
words and hand stitching of fabric fragments
to allude to a personal experience moving
through the landscape of grief, while leaning
into the light and hope in the midst of all the
realities of life.

Lanecia A. Rouse Tinsley
In All Seasons
Cyanotype on fabric of photography (digital
+ film), indigo dye + rust dye on fabric
Approxomately 24x24”
NFS
Lanecia Rouse is a multidisciplinary visual artist based
in Houston, TX, and the owner and creator of LAR Art
Studio. Her portfolio includes a range of work in
abstract painting, photography, teaching, writing,
speaking. Lanecia’s work is deeply informed by her
studies in sociology, theology, and culture. Her works
are products of contemplative and intuitive abstract
mixed media practices.
larartphotography.com | larartphotgraphy@gmail.com
Psalm 34 (CEB)
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth.
I praise the LORD—let the suffering listen and rejoice.
Magnify the LORD with me! Together let us lift his name up high!
I sought the LORD and he answered me. He delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to God will shine; their faces are never ashamed.
This suffering person cried out: the LORD listened and saved him from every trouble.
On every side, the LORD’s messenger protects those who honor God; and he delivers
them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is! The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!
You who are the LORD’s holy ones, honor him, because those who honor him don’t
lack a thing.
Even strong young lions go without and get hungry, but those who seek
the LORD lack no good thing.
Come, children, listen to me. Let me teach you how to honor the LORD:
Do you love life; do you relish the chance to enjoy good things?
Then you must keep your tongue from evil and keep your lips from speaking lies!
Turn away from evil! Do good! Seek peace and go after it!
The LORD’s eyes watch the righteous, his ears listen to their cries for help.
But the LORD’s face is set against those who do evil, to eliminate even the memory of
them from the earth.
When the righteous cry out, the LORD listens; he delivers them from all their troubles.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.
The righteous have many problems, but the LORD delivers them from every one.
He protects all their bones; not even one will be broken.
But just one problem will kill the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be
held responsible.
The LORD saves his servants’ lives; all those who take refuge in him won’t be held
responsible for anything.

My piece deals with the integral part of longing to be
in two worlds. One world that is dark and troubling
and the other a doorway into paradise where our
loved ones have gone. In the verse I was given the
Lord promises that He will return one day with the
parousia to bring us to His Father's house. But I
stand almost trapped within the frame surrounded
by muted yet deep colors as white peers into the
center giving the piece a feel of two surfaces
colliding together of paint and photography.

Jason is a native of Virginia with a passion for
photography and mixed media. He currently
works as a CNA and is on track to enter the
Nursing program at BRCC. His faith informs
everything he does in life. From serving the aging
to making art, all of it stems from his relationship
with the Word made flesh; Jesus Christ.
jason.j.e.anderson@gmail.com
John 14:1-6 (ESV)
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe
in God; believe also in me. In my
Father's house are many rooms. If it
were not so, would I have told you that I
go to prepare a place for you?And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again and will take you to myself,
that where I am you may be also. And
you know the way to where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not
know where you are going. How can we
know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I
am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except
through me.”
Jason Anderson
I will come back…
inkjet print and acrylic on masonite panel
18x18”
NFS

Eric Kniss
Reliance
John Bergmeier
Mindful of Loss - Recalling Peace

Based on the verses in Romans - I was
intrigued with the idea of separation
and memories of having once been
separated but maintaining faith in
God's promise of not being separated
from his love. I created a loose
narrative around a woman who
remembers herself as a young girl, a
young woman and her
memories. The metal hinges and
thread stitching are symbolic of God's
love and strength in our lives.

John Bergmeier is an American artist who received his
BA in Studio Arts from Hastings College and his MFA in
Printmaking and Drawing from Wichita State
Univerisity. Bergmeier has been employed as a
Commercial Designer and Design Manager in the
decorative film industry since 1992, and has continued
to create artwork through this time in his home
studios. He has exhibited internationally and has also
taught studio art and graphic design classes at various
colleges. His is currently working on prints and mixed
media pieces in the studio space shared with his wife
Carla in Waxhaw, North Carolina.
Romans 8:35-39 (Evangelical Heritage Version)
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will
trouble or distress or persecution or famine or
nakedness or danger or sword? Just as it is written:
For your sake we are being put to death all day
long.
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things
to come, nor powerful forces, neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
John Bergmeier
Mindful of Loss - Recalling Peace
(Elizabeth and Prince)
drawing, printmaking, photos, thread and metal
pieces
42x30x1”
$500

This passage illuminates a process
of transition, from 'old' to 'new',
being 'reconciled' to God. In this
piece, I was grappling with
thoughts and feelings about the
surety of presence, the uncertainty
of absence and the role of memory
in navigating these transitions.
Also, the differences between
knowledge and belief…whether
looking back in memory, or forward
in belief my hopeful view is
fragmented and incomplete.

Eric Kniss
Reliance
graphite on paper
44x34”
NFS
Eric Kniss is assistant professor of art at Bridgewater
College where he teaches drawing and sculpture.
Kniss’ work in installation sculpture and drawing
explores the ways that drawing and sculpture inform,
reform or reflect each other.
eakniss@gmail.com
2nd Corinthians 5: 17-18
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new
creation has come: The old has gone, the new
is here! All this is from God, who reconciled
us to himself through Christ and gave us the
ministry of reconciliation.

Levi Fuller
Isaiah 41
Emily Guinn
How Can We Know The Way?
Amy Fuller
Empty Chair

When faced with deep loss, it can feel
impossible to imagine a way forward.
Heartache and disappointment raise
questions in us that may never find satisfying
answers. But if we have eyes to see, the light
of love in all its forms can give us hope and
help to guide us home.

Emily Guinn
How Can We Know The Way?
acrylic and graphite on canvas
12.5x12.5”
$165
Emily Guinn is a full-time stay at home mom of
three with an irrepressible compulsion to make
art, usually hunched over her dining room table
late at night. Her last art show opened one
week before the pandemic hit in March, so
preparing for this exhibit was a welcome way
for her to re-enter a creative space and to
explore themes of grief and loss with her work.
livelyej@gmail.com
John 14:1-6 (NLT)
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in
God, and trust also in me. There is more than
enough room in my Father’s home. If this were
not so, would I have told you that I am going to
prepare a place for you? When everything is
ready, I will come and get you, so that you will
always be with me where I am. And you know
the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We
have no idea where you are going, so how can
we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one can come to the Father except
through me

Through the Prophet Isaiah, God calls us to take seriously
materials used in building the places we dwell in – cedar,
acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, pine – and to taken even more
seriously the housing needs of the poor and needy. Without
the dignity of a safe place to call home, a deep grief inflicts
individuals and families. God hears their cries, will provide for
their needs, and calls us to “draw near for judgement”.

Levi and his family do life together in their
neighborhood in North East Harrisonburg. On and off
the clock, Levi works for housing justice in
Harrisonburg-Rockingham. His work reflects the deep
connection between the Incarnation of Jesus Christ
and our built environment.
blevifuller@gmail.com
Isaiah 41 (ESV)
Levi Fuller
Isaiah 41
cardboard and acrylic on canvas
36x52”
$350

Isaiah 41 (ESV)
Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment. Who stirred up one from
the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his
bow.
He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod. Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with
the last; I am he. The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come.
Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so
that it cannot be moved. But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from
its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen
you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend
with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the
one who helps you.” Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I make of you
a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; you shall winnow them, and the wind shall
carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open
rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness the
cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we
may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified. Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who
chooses you. I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter
treads clay. Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none
who heard your words. I was the first to say o Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no
counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.

Amy Fuller is a stay at home mom with studio art
degree from JMU. She enjoys making art in spare
time.
leethamy24@gmail.com
Psalm 34 (ESV)
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My
soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify
the LORD with me and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those
who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man
cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of
the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young
lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is
there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue
from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek
peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The
face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the
earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all
their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the LORD delivers him out of them
all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the life of
his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Amy Fuller
Empty Chair
acrylic, pen and ink, fabric
8x10”
$45

William Keith Wide
Triptych Psalm 23
Mindy Schwartz
Accompany
Keesha Dickel
Becoming

Grief, for me, is a journey where,
Aching accompanies Release
Anger accompanies Forgiveness
Understanding accompanies Confusion
Sadness accompanies Anticipation
Joy accompanies Longing
The Israelites mourned Moses and
accepted Joshua, anticipated entry into
the Promised Land and feared defeat by
its inhabitants. They experienced
provision and difficulty. Through all of this
I have God's promise, God accompanies
me. He is ahead of, present with and
behind me. He will never fail or abandon
me. I can be courageous.

Mindy Schwartz
Accompany
oil on canvas paper
20x20”
NFS
Mindy Schwartz lives in Harrisonburg,
Virginia with her husband and two
daughters. She is currently homeschooling
her daughters and working part time at
Horizon Accountants.
mksjmu01@gmail.com
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord
Will personally go ahead or you. He will be
with you; he will neither fail nor abandon
you.

God asks us to “come as we are.” As an artist, I
attend with artwork. I bring these lines, shape,
color and textures to the forefront so that
others can see them and have a visceral
reaction similar to seeing the beauty God gives
Mankind through nature.
I usually do not try to tell stories with my
weavings, but in this case, I was challenged to
make visible Psalm 23. My plan was to blend
lines, shape, color and texture with the viewer’s
imagination so that the story could unfold.

William Keith has been a full-time professor of art at
Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, Texas for the past
17 years. He and his wife, Lea, are members of the Hill
Country Chapel in Pipe Creek, Texas.
wkeithart.com | wkeith1000@gmail.com
Psalm 23 (KJV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh
me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside
still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod
and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup
runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever.
William Keith
Wide Triptych Psalm 23
woven fibers
29x16x1.75”
NFS

If there is one commonality in people's experiences
with grief, it is that grief changes you, whether you
want it to or not. The change can be constructive or
destructive; and that is where one gets to make a
choice.
Throughout my journey of an unwanted separation
and divorce, I made the conscious decision to turn to
God in prayer...seeking comfort, guidance, and
wisdom...all with a heart of hope. In a time of
devastating loss, I somehow found the strength to
make that choice for my children, our future, and
myself. Yes, myself. Even as I was mourning the loss
of a life that would never be the same, I knew that
my faith would be the only path through this
darkness. With God, dawn always breaks, and
morning light always comes...

Keesha is the owner of RubySky Photography, specializing
in weddings and portraits, and is now in her 14th year of
business. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Art from
Eastern Mennonite University. Seeking inspiration from her
fine arts background, Keesha's photography is distinctly
artistic, full of bright colors, and surrounded in radiant
light. Her other photography interests include macro work
of flowers and nature, vast landscapes, and magical night
skies, often taken right here in the Shenandoah Valley and
in her own backyard. Keesha strives to capture and share
the indescribable beauty and intricacies of the world that
we live in.
rubyskyphotography.com | info@rubyskyphotography.com
2nd Corinthians 5: 17-18 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has
come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is
from God, who reconciled us to himself through
Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
Keesha Dickel
Becoming
digtial photography
17x23”
$250

Ashley Sauder Miller
Hopeful and Patient (Floral No. 27)

The floral pieces started during
the pandemic, they combine
thrift store finds, fabric flowers,
layers of acrylic paint, and hand
drawn lines. The floral pieces
have evolved into a complex
narrative ¬– one both deeply
personal and widely shared –
stories of loss, waiting, renewal,
remembrance, expectancy,
surprise, hope, and change.

Ashley Sauder Miller
Hopeful and Patient (Floral No. 27)
acrylic, fabric and relief outliner on canvas
72x60”
$3000
Ashley Sauder Miller holds a Master of Fine Arts
from James Madison University, with an
emphasis in painting and drawing. Miller works
as a freelance curator, teaches private art
lessons, maintains a regular studio practice,
actively exhibits her work, and is the primary
caregiver for her four children.
ashleysaudermiller.com
ashley_sauder_miller@yahoo.com
Romans 12:12 (NIV)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.

Hanna Eastin
Reside
Jeffrey D. Guinn
By and By
Leslie Banta
A Box for Lazarus

Grief can be thought of as coldness. If life is heat, active,
full of energy, and bringing warmth that can be offered,
then when it is extinguished it leaves a sense of loss and
we feel the cold tangibly. The reality though is that
there is always more heat, always more life to draw from
and share, and even when it seems as if the cold is
blanketing us, we contain more heat and more life even
within ourselves. We do not sustain ourselves, but we
are never without a flame that can be rekindled.

Jeffrey D. Guinn
By and By
found objects, mixed media, laser
engraved acrylic and glass
11.75x11.75”
$350
Jeff is an artist and designer from Cross Keys,
Virginia. He is part owner of The Mark-It, a screen
printing and embroidery shop in
Harrisonburg. Jeff, his wife Emily, and their three
kids enjoy being outside and walking up and down
mountains together in their free time.
jeffcrag@gmail.com
Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger
or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we
are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. For I
am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present
nor the future, nor any powers, neither height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the midst of the pandemic dawn I was working
out of state under travel restrictions and grieving
the sense of loss of place and belonging. I lived with
Psalm 121 for a while, thinking about home and
safety and resilience, preserved, consciously and
well, no matter the location or circumstance.

Hanna Eastin
Reside
Stoneware, wild Kansas clay, perlite,
gravel, underglaze and clear glaze
18.5x14x1.5“
$300
Hanna Eastin has lived and worked in Newton, KS since
2001. She enjoys materials and techniques that
sometimes defy success and over the last several years
has become interested in wild clays and glazes. Since
2008, she has taught an assortment of classes including
Ceramics, 3D Design, and Drawing at Hesston College.
eastinhanna7@gmail.com
Psalm 121 (KJV)
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from
whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which
made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he
that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither
slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy
shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the
moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and
thy coming in from this time forth, and even
for evermore.

Casting a box for Lazarus meant making a tomb; but
we also believe that he walked out of that same
tomb when his maker called him by name. Knowing
some of Lazarus’ story, we can look at the finality of a
grave, of this grave, as a reminder that the most
ordinary and familiar places and people can reveal
God’s tenderness, as well as his power.

Leslie Banta
A Box for Lazarus
rockite, resin, Mylar, gold leaf
4.75x6.75x6”
$275
An Alabama native, Leslie spent formative
years in an artistic and polymathic family.
She currently lives in Virginia’s
Shenandoah Valley where she teaches art
at North River and Craigsville Elementary
Schools in Augusta County. Primarily a
painter, Leslie makes small cast sculptures
to share ideas that paint cannot convey as
well as the tiny spaces.
lesliebanta.com | leslie.banta@gmail.com
John 11:1-44 (ESV and The Message)

John 11:1-44 (ESV and The Message)
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with
ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is
ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be
glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place
where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just
now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in
the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is
not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples
said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking
rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may
believe. But let us go to him. So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two
miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that
Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your
brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I
am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in
me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming
into the world.”
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when
she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had
met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing
that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to
him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with
her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him,
“Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the
eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha,
the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there wthatill be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to
her, “Did I not tell you if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and
said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing
around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come
out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to
them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Click here for artwork insight

Rachel Herr
Cape
Betsy DiJulio
Calming the Monkey Mind
Amanda Beller
A New Life Burgeons
Jewel Yoder Hertzler
Comfort and Glory
Christen Yates
Even Though

In this painting, I continue my exploration of universal
themes—joy, hope, patience, suffering, perseverance, and
prayer—through a highly personal lens. Working with a
vocabulary of ordinary but highly metaphorical objects
placed in unnatural relationships to each other, I strive to
create a kind of “magic realism” imbued with a vaguely
unsettled hint of mystery and spirituality.
On one of my “moving meditations” at the Norfolk
Botanical Garden, where I continue to find solace following
my husband’s death in 2015, I discovered this “meditating
monkey” in the quasi-concealed Tropical Garden. A vegan
and animal lover, I respond to him on many levels,
including as an archetypal symbol for anxiousness. The
flying birds, archetypal messengers, represent hope; the
magnolia—a reference to my Mississippi roots, but also to
a candle, with all of its religious and spiritual significance—
symbolizes perseverance; and the architectural structure
ambiguously references home and houses of worship:
dark, remote, and foreboding, yet accessible.

Betsy DiJulio is a full-time award-winning National
Board Certified high school art teacher at Norfolk
Academy and artist; adjunct professor of art history
and appreciation (online) at TCC; a cookbook author
and blogger; and a widely published freelance
writer/columnist on topics of art and art education,
home and garden design, food, eco-issues, artisanal
businesses, and day-hiking. DiJulio’s culinary memoirs
have been published by Alimentum, and her first
cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal
Vegan Recipes, was published by Vegan Heritage Press.
This longtime vegetarian-turned-vegan is a life-time
cooking enthusiast, one-time caterer, occasional
cooking instructor, and all-the-time animal lover.
thebloomingpalette.com | jdijulio@cox.net Click here for artwork insight
Betsy DiJulio
Calming the Monkey Mind
acrylic
24x30”
$750
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, patient in suffering,
persevere in prayer.

This piece is a response to childhood trauma
which took place in my Ohio Mennonite church,
of which I've never spoken publicly. This work is
about strength, softness and transparency. My
favorite line in the given scripture passage is to
'soar on wings like eagles,' being 'not faint.'

Rachel is an Art Major graduate from EMU.
Spending her days as the lead baker at
Magpie Diner, she enjoys photography and
quilting after hours. She lives in Harrisonburg
with her husband Mike and son Cole.
racheljherr@gmail.com
Isaiah 40: 28-31 (NIV)
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the
earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding
no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and
increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and
weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in
the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings
like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk
and not be faint.
Rachel Herr
Cape
Hand-dyed silk, cotton and linen
24x36”
NFS

Amanda Beller works in oil paint and
collage, exploring ideas related to
nostalgia and classic Americana,
combining vintage papers and
objects with painting of landscape
and architecture.
Amanda.Beller@yahoo.com
2nd Corinthians 5:16-20 (MSG)
Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they
have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way
once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look
at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see
is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is
created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at
it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship
between us and him, and then called us to settle our
relationships with each other. God put the world square with
himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by
offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of
telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s
representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to
drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making
things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself
now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.
Amanda Beller
A New Life Burgeons
oil on mixed media collage
9.75x11.75”
$325

During this pandemic year filled with
waiting, I have had time to ponder
the relationship between suffering
and comfort. I chose to portray God’s
presence and comfort, through the
medium of encaustic paint (melted
beeswax and pigment) for its abstract
qualities, transparency, and
layering. Throughout scripture,
clouds have been used to symbolize
the presence of God. Here, I am
portraying the internal light, or spirit
of God shining out of the cloud,
something Peter referred to as an
“Excellent Glory”.

Jewel has been involved in art making most of her
life. She spent her early years in Tidewater
Virginia, and the past 20 in Harrisonburg. She has
been active in the local arts as a teacher of art,
and as an artist, working mostly in the media of
encaustic paint, a medium composed of beeswax
and pigment.
jewelhertzler@gmail.com
2nd Corinthians 1:1-5 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our
troubles, so that we can comfort those in
any trouble with the comfort we
ourselves receive from God.
For just as we share abundantly in the
sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort
abounds through Christ.
Jewel Yoder Hertzler
Comfort and Glory
encaustic paint
24x18”
$500

I began this painting during a time of grief and lament
for our world as we blindly wrestled our way through
the beginnings of the pandemic. In addition to that
context, the canvas upon which I painted held a
special significance: handed off in a parking lot at the
start of Virginia's lock down, it was owned by a friend
who was tragically killed last year in a car accident.
And so, grief upon grief, I set about painting this
wintery scene from down my road in Sugar Hollow of
the Moorman's River. For me, nature binds me to
my neighbors near and far. It is something nearly
universally accessible, even if only from a window.
And in winter, as in pain and death, we need to cling
to one another, to hope for new life, for spring, the
most.

Christen Yates
Even Though
oil on canvas
36x24”
$1500
Christen is a contemporary landscape painter
represented by the Capital Artist Collective in DC
and Liza Pruitt in Richmond, VA. Her work is held
in private collections across the country, including
the University of Virginia and GeoBarns. She lives
and paints by the mountains just outside of
Charlottesville with her husband, four kids, flock
of hens and rescue dog.
christenyates.com | christenbyates@gmail.com
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you
are with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me.

Thank you for attending the
“Beyond Words” Art Exhibit
Contact the Exhibit Curator Ashley Sauder Miller
(Email: ashley_sauder_miller@yahoo.com)
or the artist directly to purchase available artwork.

“ Beyond Words” Art Exhibit
is supported through gifts to the
VMRC Foundation.

Beyond Word Interactive Art Exhibit

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