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Collections and recollections

“Psalm,” Theodore Prescott

Collections and recollections psalmUpon entering the Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts, visitors need only glance up to notice the installation “Psalm,” which is made of 14 tree limbs juxtaposed against the modern architecture of the building. The apple wood art piece, cut from a local orchard and cured, is comprised of 225 feet of joined, sanded, stained and sealed branches.

“Together, the forms create an image of movement, a visual embodiment of activity within this space. There are many kinds of movement occurring in the building’s spaces; the most obvious is the activity of people, as they move from one area to another. One can also see natural light pass across various surfaces, changing the way the building is experienced.

There are invisible movements too, such as the sounds of the musical compositions that begin in instruments and voices, and flow through these spaces to the hearts and minds of those listening. The ultimate unseen activity here is the movement of God’s Spirit, within and among us. Psalm not only refers to the ancient prayers and poetry of the Bible, but also to modern music. The composition by the great jazz musician John Coltrane, ‘A Love Supreme,’ a four-part suite, ends with ‘Psalm.’ So, ‘Psalm’ unites references to historic acts of worship with the contemporary arts of performance and evokes the uses of this building. It is fitting to note that Coltrane described his composition as a ‘thank you to God.’”

—excerpted from Theodore Prescott’s artist’s statement, 2013

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