Text by Kimber Williams
Originally published in the Emory Report, Nov. 19, 2015
When Darci Rodenhi Jaret, a master of divinity student at Candler School of Theology, enrolled in the course, she arrived with a project in mind.
Jaret had previously volunteered with Solomon’s Temple, a component of Restoration ATL, which offers residential transitional housing for women and their children.
It was a cause close to Jaret, who had once been homeless herself. “Before engaging with the Ethics Department, I was holding group conversations with the women at the shelter, where we would talk about our journeys,” she says.
“One thought that came out of that was even in dark times we can still look back and see the presence of something greater than us,” she explains. “I hope to be a pastor at some point, so we looked at that through our own faith journeys.”
So Jaret collaborated with residents to create a large, three-piece, mixed media mural, with swirling colors that evolve from dark and brooding to bright, sunny hues, “moving toward the future in a hopeful way, as if the dawn is happening.”
The work will be a permanent installation at Solomon’s Temple. Student team members included Yujun Yan and Jennifer Hwang.
Read more about the project here:
- Photo source & Jaret’s blog: https://artintheimage.wordpress.com/caregiving-art/solomons-temple-mural-creation/
- Blog post on Jaret’s fusion of religious worship & art: http://candler.emory.edu/news/blog/2016/05/creativity-as-devotion.html
- Another mural by Jaret with RestorationATL: http://restorationatl.org/art-in-the-images-community-mural-project-with-our-students/
More projects from the 2015-2016 year:
Art and Social Engagement 