FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Digital Copies and Photos Available at rez.org/press
Press Contact: Hannah Hartman
970-667-5479
hhartman@rez.org
Out of This World Paintings and Space Walking
Presentations at Resurrection Fellowship
It seems somehow poetically profound that art, science and Christianity have converged to a point of Divine harmony,
manifested in a combined exhibition of the three avocations at a fundamentalist church residing alongside the grandeur of
Northern Colorado’s primitive mountain ranges.
And, that is precisely the offering at Resurrection Fellowship’s free public exhibit beginning October 25 running through
November 25 at the church’s visitor center, 6502 E. Crossroads Blvd. in Loveland. The element of science is represented
in the form of space travel and telescopes, and in the person of astronaut Joseph Tanner. The art is expressed in a
collection of Dr. Richard Schilling paintings inspired by images drawn from the Hubble Space Telescope. The
Christianity is signified through the church’s fundamental belief that “The heavens declare the glory of God,” as noted in
Psalm 19.
Both artist and astronaut will be hosted at a public reception in the visitor center on Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m.
Astronaut Tanner, now a Senior Instructor in aerospace engineering and research at Colorado University, will make a
formal presentation during the session, including a talk on his experiences in space. A veteran of four space flights,
Tanner has logged some 1069 hours in space, including over 46 hours in 7 space walks.
Dr. Schilling will unveil his exhibit of 16 paintings that same evening, under the heading: Out of This World: Paintings
of God’s Creation Inspired by Images from Outer Space. The watercolor renditions of nebulae, galaxies, massive gas
clouds, star formations and cosmic explosions of various kinds are dynamic to the point of being near incomprehensible.
The titles of the paintings give warning of their inherent dynamism, i.e. Cathedral to the Massive Stars (NGC 5189),
Pillars of Creation (M16) and Cosmic Blast Nebula (N49).
The paintings exhibit a significant departure from Dr. Schilling’s traditional genres of landscapes, architecture, wildlife,
portraits and so forth. When questioned about his motivations for the dramatic change, Dr. Schilling writes, “I was
astounded by the Hubble images. I saw intense colors juxtaposed in patterns only God could imagine. Gases, dust,
celestial storms and black holes captured my imagination. I saw spectacular compositions magically lit with brilliant
colors of exploding stars – visions I felt I must paint.” Dr. Schilling’s work will be on display at the church each day, 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Monday, November 25. Weekday visitors are asked to use the east entrance to the building,
because school security dictates that all west-side doors are locked during school hours. Weekend viewing hours are 4 to 9
p.m. on Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays.
While visiting the church, some will also want to see the mural-sized painting of Jesus donated by Stanford
Professor/Artist Enrique Chagoya. The somewhat convoluted tale of how the church became a Chagoya beneficiary made
national headlines In October 2010, the Loveland museum/gallery was embroiled in controversy over “The
Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals,” a Chagoya lithograph on display as part of a broader exhibition. In just five
days, the museum received over 35,000 angry emails from the public, including death threats. In reaction to these
excesses, Senior Pastor Jonathan Wiggins began a consoling and friendly correspondence with the artist. Prof. Chagoya
was overwhelmed by the pastor’s compassion, and subsequently painted the donated image of Jesus Christ, the shepherd.
The Chagoya as well as the ‘space, art and science’ stories perfectly reflect the church’s belief that its mission is to reach
out to all people… all elements of society. With the focus on people as God’s children, created in love, rather than as
objects of scorn because of their attitudes, speech or behavioral choices, it naturally follows that the church would
welcome all people. In the context of the upcoming reception and exhibits, we all share mankind’s interest in those big
objects that float over our heads, night and day, which far predate our ability to communicate with written symbols. Oral
traditions surrounding these phenomena speak profusely of the heavens, weaving legend and imagination into a rich blend
of explanations ranging from the absurd to the sublime.
Rez Exhibition
page 2
While speculation on the origins and significance of our unbelievably massive surroundings continues unabated, we’ve
made huge progress on understanding the mechanics of the universe. We’ve gone from 16th century glass lenses in tin
tubes capable of revealing moons circling about the larger planets, to space ships that now take telescopes to the moons.
And, though we’ve gotten used to peering deeply into space and can know precisely what the objects in our solar system
look like, the canvas of space beyond our local neck of the woods has proved to be remarkably beautiful in its fractal
magnificence. More and more people are coming to faith in God as the glory of His creation is revealed via man’s growth
in technology. Thus the Rez exposition on man in space and artistic reflections of new discoveries.
Summary Box
What: Exhibition of Paintings by Dr. Richard Schilling
Presentation and talk by Astronaut Joseph Tanner
When: Paintings exhibited October 25 – November 25
8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekdays.
Astronaut Tanner Presentation and Talk on October 25
7 p.m.
Where: Resurrection Fellowship Church Grounds
6502 E. Crossroads Blvd., Loveland
Visitors Center – West Side on Weekends, during
services, Sat. 4-9 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- East Entrance on Weekdays
How:
Contact Information
Office Tel. 970-667-5479
Internet – rez.org
Nebula 1 by Dr. Richard Schilling
Astronaut Joe Tanner