Presenting the 5.2 Cover and Presales

The Relief staff is churning out the next issue as quickly as possible, so we've got some great announcements coming at you this week starting with the cover (right) and presales. The cover was created by artist Sandra Bowden, and we've got an interview with her below, but first...

Presales are now available!

As of right now, you can pre-order Relief Issue 5.2 for $11.47—25% less than retail. This offer is only available for the next few weeks we wrap up the production of the issue. Don't miss this opportunity to save a few bucks and receive 5.2 immediately after the journal has been printed. To pre-order, just click the Add to Cart button below.

An Interview with Sandra Bowden

Relief: Tell us a little about "Crossing" the painting featured on our cover for issue 5.2.

Sandra: The official description reads:

This small encaustic contrasts the vibrant textured red “X” or “cross” that strides across the face of the painting to the glow of the gilded surface.

I did it originally for my granddaughter’s eighteenth birthday. I wanted to create a cross that had dynamic movement, boldness, yet was subtle at the same time. The texture of the work demands attention, and the contrast of the red against the gold surface of the background adds dimension.

Relief: Much of your art has an obviously Christian bent to it. How would you describe the relationship between your faith and your artistic practice?

Sandra: The relationship between my faith and my art has always been intertwined. The works that I have created and the series of works that have emerged are a visual record of my intellectual and spiritual journey over the last 50 years. I follow the work, let it ask the questions, and then I search for the next piece as an answer to the questions and possibilities that the previous one has prompted, both artistically and spiritually.

Relief: What gets you excited about art and/or "Christian" art today?

Sandra: Here is something that i just wrote for Transpositions, a blog in England:

In 1980, I promised God that if it did not have to do with faith and art, then I would not do it. That decision has given me great freedom to be involved in Christians in the Visual Arts and the Museum of Biblical Art, along with continuing to be a practicing artist and a serious collector of religious art. All of these efforts are aimed at helping the church reclaim the arts. For over 20 years CIVA has offered an array of traveling exhibits of historical and contemporary art to churches, colleges, and seminaries, and as a result several hundred church related galleries have come into existence during that time. Mobia has mounted some of the most significant religious art exhibitions in the United States, receiving remarkable reviews. Our personal collection continues to grow and is loaned out to institutions as a way to engage people in the visual arts. Each of these efforts offers experiences and opportunities to expand understanding and appreciation of the arts. These are only a few of the many organizations, websites, blogs, symposiums and conferences that have sprung up to explore new ways of engaging the arts in the community of faith. There is a movement that is reviving the visual arts in the life of the church and it is very exciting.