The journey of this piece began in October of 2023 with a phone call from Rev. Ryan Motter. Having designed Creekwood’s “C” logo previously, I was already familiar with their community. Ryan’s invitation to design a long-term collaborative art project with the congregation truly sparked my imagination. I been dreaming of creating a minimalist Nativity, and had not yet developed the idea. Ryan’s vision for a series of pieces that could bridge the gap between Advent through Lent felt like the perfect challenge to bring it to life. It was a first for me - designing a single narrative thread that would weave through multiple worship seasons.

I wanted the physical elements of the work to tell a continuous story. Some of the shapes you see in the final cross began as part of the Nativity for the Advent 2023 celebration, creating a direct visual line from Christ’s birth to the resurrection. 

During Lent 2024, I watched as the congregation turned this art into an act of worship. As they grappled with deep questions about the future and the challenges of love, they wrote their truths onto 8-inch reeds. Seeing over 1,000 of these prayers laid at the foot of the cross during communion was incredibly moving for me as an artist. These were sacred objects. I am so grateful to the Creekwood clergy, Spiritual Caretakers, and leaders who took the time to pray over every single reed individually.

The final assembly was a collaborative labor of love. Over four evenings, church volunteers rolled each reed by hand. As they prayed and placed them to form the background of the cross, the metaphor became clear: just like the people of Creekwood, these prayers hold each other up. They lean on one another, push against one another, and ultimately shape the beauty of the whole. They wanted to ensure the piece felt alive and ongoing. In the central square of the cross, they chose to use empty reeds. These represent the prayers yet to be written and the stories yet to be shared, serving as a reminder that the story of resurrection isn’t a finished historical event - it’s a living space waiting for new voices.

This Resurrection Cross is now a part of the long lineage of crosses in their building. It represents the vast, vibrant diversity of God’s creation. By using every color of the rainbow and the physical prayers of the people, together we have created a monument to the fact that every story belongs with the cross. I am so honored to have helped bring this vision to life with them.