By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Artist displays works at Oxford College
Placeholder Image

Works depicting the Stations of the Cross by South Carolina artist Kristofer Neely are on display through April 22 at the Oxford College Chapel.

The exhibit, "Into Your Hands: Postmodern Meditations on the Stations of the Cross", was commissioned by the college’s chaplain, Lyn Pace. The artist is an assistance dean for studio art at Wofford College in South Carolina. The inspiration for the work is the 14 traditional Stations of the Cross.

"As an artist, I consider the very process of creating my work to often function as a manual act of contemplative prayer…I believe there is no greater challenge than creating art that can invite others into a prayerful experience," said Neely in a press release. "The privilege to share my work in the austere beauty of the Oxford Chapel only adds to the scale of that challenge. The work in this installation will draw on visual traditions that include street art, American folk art, German expressionism, and traditional Christian icons."

Begun as a way to instruct Christian pilgrims in the medieval ages, Stations of the Cross depict individual scenes from Jesus’ journey from the Garden of Gethsemane to his tomb.

According to Pace, Neely’s art has wide appeal. "For some this will be a religious experience; for others, a cultural experience, not a religious one," he said. "I believe that no matter what the visitor’s background, this can be a meaningful experience."