Art?

In 2009, when our Church in Zillah was going to be built, there were lots of details being worked out on colors of fabric for pews and carpet and wood and brick and art work...the pictures for the walls.  It was such an exciting time and fun to be in on the happenings as the RSP.  One day I went to Church and the Bishop handed me a little catalog, that did not have a lot to choose from, and asked me to pick the pictures for the RS room.  I was so looking forward to meeting with my counselors and choosing those pictures!  But...he said-I need this right away. Literally a few minutes!

I wanted pictures that showed the strength and endurance and courage and stamina of women.  I could choose 2...I ended up choosing a Minerva Teichert picture and a copy of the Gleaners.

Minerva Teichert's art was not accepted by the Church at first.  (I blogged about her) and my heart went out to her to have felt inspired and given her all and then to be rejected by those that she'd done it for!  I wanted that reminder for all of us plus the courage of the Pioneer women.

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The familiar copy of The Gleaners from 1857 was my other choice.  I loved the story of the Gleaners.  I felt it showed the hard work that a woman is willing to do to feed her family.  They weren't field workers.  It wasn't old foodstuff.  It was harvested that day and when the workers were finished, the gleaners could come and collect fresh grain...of course I loved the story of Ruth's devotion to her MIL and most of all Boaz telling his workers to leave extra grain for the gleaning by Ruth.  So romantic!  sigh.  So I felt this picture represented all sorts of things that were inspiring.

This is not as lovely looking as our is.  But I couldn't find one with better lighting.

When I see these two paintings hanging in full view, for all that are in attendance at RS, I hope they find them as inspiring as I do.

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Why am I going on about something that happened 10 years ago?  Because I recently saw this and it just hurt me.  Why turn something beautiful, into something divisive by making it racial and about slavery and woman needing liberation etc.?  It saddened me when I read the comments of many women that agreed and applauded the artists rendition wrecking below.  Just my opinion.

The light is much better on this even though to me they wrecked it!