If the concept of a Christian art gallery is new to you, you’re not alone. Watercolorist and Prescott resident Caroline Linscott, one of the gallery’s three main artists, says she’s frequently told there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the country. “We aren’t here to force anyone to believe anything,” says Caroline. “But we are here to boldly stand up for our beliefs.”
And the gallery does just that. Christian music plays softly in the background. Scripture and inspirational phrases are inscribed on the walls, and a trompe l’oeil painting on the ceiling features heavenly clouds against a blue sky. Aside from Caroline’s watercolors, the gallery exhibits Jeannette Tuscher’s stained glass, ceramics, wood sculptures, multimedia art and paintings along with Bobby Dendy’s sandstone carvings. The gallery also sells music, jewelry, prints, leather Bible covers and gifts. Some of the art is overtly Christian, featuring crosses, depictions of Jesus and Bible passages, while other pieces are more open to interpretation such as Caroline’s watercolor flowers and Jeanette’s ceramic cliff dwellings. As Caroline points out, all the art has to compete with the small gallery’s enormous views of Snoopy Rock and the Crimson Cliffs, which can be seen outside a bank of windows that nearly take up an entire wall. The words “faith, hope, love, peace” are etched into the windows. In honor of Christmas, this month the gallery will be decked out for the season.
Lora and Dick Snider opened Adonai – a Hebrew word meaning “Lord” – in March 2013 after they had been retired for seven years. Today, the couple travel frequently, so Caroline and Jeannette can often be found in the gallery, meeting clients and demonstrating their craft. Lora says the gallery has plans to expand to a second Sedona location in 2015. “We want our visitors to go beyond just viewing art solely for enjoyment to being inspired through a spiritual experience,” says Lora. “As the eye is a window to a person’s heart, inspired art is a window to God’s heart.” – Erika Ayn Finch. Photograph by Deb Weinkauff.
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