Mormon Artists
Mormon artists come from diverse backgrounds and use a wide range of media to craft works that convey the story of the Church. Painting, sculpture and architecture all play important roles.
Kwani Povi Winder of Santa Clara Pueblo Indian culture depicted Heavenly Mother with symbols from her native culture incorporated. This could be seen as an instance of Mormonism’s emphasis on continuity and synthesis.
Carl Christensen A. Christensen
Carl Christensen was an exceptional educator. His every action were consistent with Philippians 1:6, as he demonstrated true Christian virtue. Carl’s family loved and appreciated his dedication as husband, father, and grandfather – they will all miss him deeply.
Christensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts there. In 1850 he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving missions both in Denmark and Norway before immigrating to Utah with the Christian Christensen handcart company in 1857.
Christensen became widely renowned for his paintings depicting Mormon migration and history. His most iconic piece was The Mormon Panorama – 23 paintings that trace the Church from Joseph Smith’s First Vision until its arrival in Salt Lake Valley – which toured around intermountain west lecture circuit. Additionally, Christensen taught Danish and drawing at Sanpete Stake Academy (now Snow College) in Ephriam as well as editing The Bikuben, Utah’s Danish-Norwegian newspaper.
Carl Bloch
Herman: Carl Bloch is a Danish artist that has become immensely popular in Utah. I would say his artwork is used more in churches than any other 19th Century artist, as his paintings of Jesus often make their way into Improvement Era magazines and official manuals.
His parents didn’t recognize art as a viable source of support, so he attended Copenhagen’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts to study old masters from Italy and became an established artist shortly thereafter – eventually being commissioned to paint 23 altar pieces for Frederiksborg Castle’s prayer chamber!
In this painting, Jesus points to a young child at His side to remind us that He does not discriminate between people. Additionally, symbolic elements like palm fronds serve to highlight His victory over death. This naturalistic portrayal is a perfect example of his skill at depicting Jesus Christ while maintaining classical forms.
Ben Crowder
Ben Crowder is an exceptional trombonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger who leads BC6, an eight-piece straight-ahead jazz sextet formed in 2018 to explore the rich heritage of hard bop jazz music. Recent changes within the band include its transformation into a pianoless quartet that emphasizes complex melodies and harmonies without chordal instruments for support. Crowder performs with various groups and ensembles in Columbus, Ohio – such as The Columbus Jazz Orchestra and Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra – who both feature him. Since 2011, he has performed with various acts, such as Waves de Ache, The Silver Arrow Band, Doc Robinson’s indie rock group, Kinflok Collective neo-soul collective Kinflok and salsa band Al Son del Iya. Additionally he currently works as an assistant coach with Frostburg State Bobcats Football team as a tight ends mentor.
Lisa DeLong
Lisa DeLong earned her PhD from the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in 2007, studying geometric design principles shared between Islamic and Western traditions. Since then she has served as Outreach Programme Manager of the School, designing and leading educational workshops internationally in locations like Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and China. DeLong is also an author, speaker and TEDx BYU contributor; with two sons having survived leukemia as children thriving as healthy adults today her message of hope and optimism resonates strongly throughout her family and she currently resides in Southern California together with her husband and daughters.