Michigan artist's voice of ‘Songs of Praise & Peace’ in new exhibition

C & G NEWSPAPERS
By K. Michelle Moran

“Song of Praise No. 8 (Violets in Field),” by Lori Zurvalec, is part of her nine-part “Songs of Praise” watercolor series. (Photo provided by Lori Zurvalec)

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Art with religious themes is a long-standing tradition — think Michaelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, for example. But art that comes from a base of faith doesn’t have to be a painting of a religious figure. “Songs of Praise & Peace,” an exhibition of nearly 30 works by Lori Zurvalec and Tamm Whitty on display through Nov. 12 at Grosse Pointe Congregational Church, is a collection of imagery that speaks to the artists’ shared Christianity in a subtle way. Zurvalec — who has described her work as “gestural, with a quality of neo-expressionism” — said that many of her pieces in this show are from her “Songs of Praise” painting series, which was inspired by Biblical passages. [More]