On view November 15, 2026 - January 10, 2027

“This series of artworks explores the idea of sanctuary as God’s physical dwelling place in Mary, Mother of Jesus and in the church. Just as our bodies are “Temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19), so was Mary’s. In the Incarnation, the Lord came and dwelt in Mary as a Temple, as He had in the Israelite’s Tabernacle in the desert. In fact, the early church referred to Mary also as the Tabernacle. A medieval hymn refers to her as “Mary the Temple, Christ the Temple’s Lord.” 

In the Bible, the word “sanctuary” referred to the holiest place in the Temple, the place where the presence of God dwelled. We use it to refer to the place where we worship, the space where we encounter the church, which is both the body of believers and a physical space. 

Medieval architects built towering cathedrals to be visible, tangible expressions of divinity, signifiers of God’s presence on earth, intended to foster an encounter between heaven and earth.

Just as Mary received the words of the angel Gabriel, we must also open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. As Mary listened to God, I also “listen” to the art of the past as part of my creative process, studying classic artworks about Mary as I work to interpret her story for a contemporary audience. 

In the midst of the desert and darkness of this world, we look for sanctuary, we wait for Presence.”

— Michelle Arnold Paine

Michelle Arnold Paine is a contemporary painter whose faith plays an integral part of her work. She began to explore the visual richness of Catholicism while studying in Italy. After graduating from Gordon College she returned to Italy to work for their study abroad program in Orvieto for three years. Her time there eventually led her into the fullness of the Roman Catholic Church. She was confirmed at Easter 2001 in the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy. 

After completing a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and a M.F.A. from University of New Hampshire Michelle taught Drawing, Painting and Design for seven years at various colleges in New England. 

She has exhibited across the US in group shows and juried shows in commercial, community, non-profit and university spaces, including 20North Gallery, Hudson Gallery and the University of Dayton Marian Library in Ohio, Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, the Interchurch Center in NYC and others. Her work has been published in many publications which seek to explore elements of the divine: Evangelism and Culture, Christianity Today, Ruminate Magazine, Edge of Faith, CIVA’s SEENJournal, Dappled Things, and Worship Leader.

Michelle Arnold Paine has participated in podcasts, panels and artist lectures focusing on the intersection of art and faith. She was Artist-in-residence at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Toledo, OH; Valparaiso University Chapel at Valparaiso University, IN; North Shore Chapel, MA and at the Center for Faith and Inquiry at Gordon College, MA. She is co-founder of the Network of Christians in Visual Arts (NCVA). 

She now lives and paints in northwest Ohio with her husband and two daughters.

Reviving Sacred Beauty