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Acclaimed artist Charlie Brouwer has brought “The Episcopal Project” to Saint Clement’s Episcopal Church. The sculpture will remain there through Nov. 8.

“The project connects communities with people of faith and places of worship through art,” Brouwer said.

The project began in December 2019 in Virginia’s New River Valley (the artist’s home territory) where during 2020 the sculpture, titled “Benediction,” traveled to 10 places of worship.
Participation in the project is free to any place of worship that wants to express, through public art, their desire to be a blessing to the surrounding community.

The artist installs the sculpture for 40 days on the grounds of the place of worship where it can be seen by the public facing out towards the community. Brouwer’s reason for 40-day periods is connected with its special significance in sacred Jewish, Islamic and Christian texts where it stands for “an important or long time” or “the right amount of time.”

The Benediction Project is a public art component of “Inside/Outside: Charlie Brouwer” — an exhibition at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) scheduled for August 2021 — December 2022.