Collecting as a Spiritual Calling
ARTWAY
What makes a person collect art? After more than thirty years of collecting art related to the Bible and faith, I am ever more convinced that collecting art is a calling. I am very grateful it has been part of my Christian walk. Every time I hear the Scriptures read, I have a flood of images that inform the text, almost like a moving screen before my mind’s eye. Many of these images come from our collection because they are so familiar. When you live with an image it becomes deeply embedded in the soul, ready for recall to offer visual verification to a passage. My hope is that as people encounter the art in Bowden Collections they might be richly enlightened in new ways to see the Scriptures. [More]
By Sandra Bowden
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| Rouault |
- First, this is a subject that most passionately captures our interests. It is from these pieces that our intellectual and spiritual life is enriched. These paintings and prints are visual meditations that enhance our private devotion.
- A collection that has a focus, will have greater value, not just in a monetary sense, but for its total impact.Collecting is a way to be in conversation with artists across barriers of time and culture.
- Art can be a valuable resource to help meditate on the Bible in new and rich ways.
- What a thrill to ‘find’ a piece, recognize its value and own it.
- Collecting gives focus to travel. I always have hopes of spotting that next piece in some remote location that has gone unnoticed, which will add depth and value to our collection.
- I am a caretaker, safegarding each treasure for the future, and I am ever grateful for the long line of collectors before me who have carefully preserved these artifacts.
