Art Exhibit: A Celebration of God’s Gift of Seeing

Wilshire’s latest art exhibit will feature the digital photography of one of our own members, David Clanton. “A Celebration of God’s Gift of Seeing” will be on display during Lent, from March 2 through April 20, in the South Lobby.

David says the exhibit “seeks to deepen our understanding of how we see, how we perceive and how our vision of the world is shaped by our faith in God.” The 33 images in the exhibit combine representational and abstract elements, which David likens to “the dual nature of our sight — the physical, which connects us to the world around us, and the spiritual, which connects us to the eternal.”

A Louisiana native, David spent his career working in communications and public relations for Baptist entities and other nonprofit organizations. He joined Wilshire in 2010.

The prints in the show will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Wilshire Youth Choir’s summer mission tour.

Full Artist’s Statement:

In this exhibition, presented during the season of Lent, I invite you to reflect on the profound gift of sight — both physical and spiritual — as we journey together through this sacred time of reflection, repentance and renewal. “A Celebration of God’s Gift of Seeing” seeks to deepen our understanding of how we see, how we perceive and how our vision of the world is shaped by our faith in God.

The digital photographs in this collection offer a visual celebration of God’s creation — moments of light, beauty and presence found in the everyday world. These representational images remind us that our eyes are blessed with the ability to witness the divine in both the ordinary and the extraordinary, from the delicate unfolding of a flower to the serenity of a quiet landscape. Through these photographs, I seek to encourage a mindfulness that sees the presence of God in all things, urging us to slow down, observe and be grateful for the wonders around us.

However, as we reflect on the season of Lent, we are also invited to go beyond mere physical sight. The digital collages in this exhibition push the boundaries of what we can see, offering an abstract dimension that represents the unseen — those aspects of faith that cannot be captured by the camera but are felt in the depths of our hearts. The fragmented, layered and reimagined images invite us to explore the inner vision granted by the Holy Spirit, the deeper understanding that transcends the visible world. These abstract pieces reflect the spiritual journey of Lent — where we move from darkness into light, from self-reflection to renewal, and where our vision of God’s will for our lives becomes clearer.

In combining both representational and abstract elements, “A Celebration of God’s Gift of Seeing” calls attention to the dual nature of our sight — the physical, which connects us to the world around us, and the spiritual, which connects us to the eternal. This exhibition encourages us to open our eyes not only to the beauty of creation but also to the transformative power of God’s presence in our lives during this holy season.

May this collection inspire you to see with new eyes — eyes that reflect both the glory of creation and the deeper truths of faith, inviting us all into a season of seeing, reflecting and growing in the light of Christ.