It’s rare to witness the moment that art strikes something within a person. But at the National Cathedral, it’s surreal to encounter. The look of awe and amazement reading blatantly across visitors’ faces as they glance around a place of wonder. The change in heartbeat, and subtle slowing in pace as they glance from art piece to art piece, captivated by the style that each artist holds. But most importantly, the broad range of emotions that erupt in every person who enters a church of such power.
The National Cathedral is something that holds all these qualities, and makes a conscious effort to make itself a home for art and the higher consciousness it endeavors. Being a center for prayer and pilgrimage, it integrates art and religion to form multiple representations of artistic expression. The Cathedral’s gothic architecture is meant to inspire awe within visitors. Its high ceilings with delicate carvings hold significance of architecture’s transformation over the years. The brightly colored stained glass windows on every outside opening provide a burst of imagination and comfort that ensues in every visitor.
From the magnificent interior inside, to the freeing greenery outside, there are several places that people find their hidden emotions become uncovered when coming in the Episcopal Church. The place of worship can be considered as a place where sentiments are exchanged between the art and the perceptions of everyday people.
“There’s something everywhere that people can find all forms of artistic expression,” Bob Faltynek, Cathedral volunteer, states when discussing the various types of emotions that are brought up from visitors.
“These kids walk in here, and you can just see them looking around, and you can see their mouths drop open . The wow factor. It invokes a very very strong response, whether it’s a religious response or just beauty.”
The Cathedral is proven to be a place that is not only used for spiritual reasons, it also provides an environment where both visitors and volunteers can be truly amazed and astonished at the diversity of art within the building.
“We’re here, [as volunteers], in the first place, just because this is such an overwhelmingly beautiful and thought- provoking place,” Faltynek continues. “I’ve worked here for seven years, and not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new here.”
This center of praise has uncovered itself to be a place full of undiscovered cherishes. The emotions that arise are a direct effect from the art itself, and thoroughly discloses a world of expressing passion from artwork.
“The cathedral seems so enormous,” visitor and tourist Scott Fryer vocalized. Fryer was in town visiting when him and his wife and two children stopped by to pay a visit. While there, Fryer explained his personal experience from interacting with the artwork. “You step back and look at all the energy and work it took into designing this, and it’s inspiring.”
The artwork doesn’t only instill emotion in visitors and volunteers, but in the actual artists as well.
Imran Qureshi is an artist who painted a blue instillation on the steps outside of the Cathedral. He portrays this installation as a way “to show the idea of life.” Qureshi said, “I tried to create the illusion that the water is coming out of the Cathedral…. The painting is a dialogue with the mural about creation. I also want to show how life is growing out of water, and have people think about how you are cleansing your soul in a religious place, spiritually.”
Art has the power to influence a wide variety of people and industries, and cause an influx of emotions, whether it’s amazement as a tourist, appreciation as a volunteer or inspiration as an artistic creator.
