Mormon Artists in New York

Mormonism’s global growth has given artists an integral part in communicating its teachings and doctrine, with many LDS Church members making New York home as they create art that symbolizes this faith. Many of its greatest artists now call New York home as they create this visual storyboard of its doctrine and beliefs.

As a result, Mormon art has seen tremendous growth both stylistically and thematically. Employing various styles and media techniques, Mormon artists have produced works which provoke dialogue about culture, faith and more.

Arnold Friberg

Arnold Friberg was an immensely popular artist of historical and religious scenes who sought stunning realism. This passionate pursuit eventually took him to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on a snowy winter’s day to paint what became one of his signature paintings: George Washington Praying in the Snow.

Friberg joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was eight, becoming a member by baptism. His parents were Swedish while his mother was Norwegian.

He graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1935, then began working in commercial art before eventually relocating to Utah in 1950 where he taught commercial art at the University of Utah.

DeMille selected Friberg to produce 15 historical paintings for his film, The Ten Commandments. These pictures were shown worldwide as promotional pieces for DeMille’s project.

Minerva Teichert

Minerva Teichert (1889-1976), best known for her paintings of the Book of Mormon, was an active member of the Church and her spiritual beliefs were an influence in her art.

She studied at the Art Students League of New York under Robert Henri. When Henri asked, “Has anyone told your great Mormon story before?” she responded “Not to my liking”.

She later married a quiet cowboy and settled near Cokeville, Wyoming where she painted murals in stake centers and chapels across the West.

Her spiritual life was guided by dreams and trusting in God’s providence. She and Herman were baptized together in 1933 before sealing in Logan Utah Temple two years later.

Since her Salt Lake City dealer died, hundreds of her paintings were sold or given away to various LDS museums, temples and stake centers.

Harry Anderson

Harry Anderson was an esteemed street magician and actor in show business. Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Harry spent much of his youth performing for money as an entertainer on tour.

Soon he moved to Ashland, Oregon where he opened up a magic shop and performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Soon thereafter he gained popularity within both theater and movie communities alike, taking roles in numerous movies.

Anderson first rose to fame as Judge Harry Stone on Night Court, which ran for nine seasons on NBC and earned him three Emmy nominations. Additionally, he played comedian Dave Barry in Dave’s World as well as Richie Tozier from a Stephen King miniseries produced in 1990.

Since his show wasn’t enough for him, he began performing around the country, opting for street corners and parks rather than nightclubs. His act featured various types of swindlers and hustlers, carnival barkers and sideshow freaks; eventually forming a partnership with Turk Pipkin (a juggler) before moving to New Orleans where they built Oswald’s Speakeasy and opened Sideshow – two shops dedicated to magic and curiosity respectively.

Lisa DeLong

Lisa DeLong is an obstetrics & gynecology specialist in Springfield, Ohio with over 31 years of medical experience. On her blog she writes about dance, spirituality, and living with fear.

Lisa DeLong’s art stands out by its use of symbols to represent Heavenly Mother. Her paintings often include objects associated with her culture: such as a halo, Pueblo Indian jewelry or even a robe to signify power in her paintings.

She frequently includes LDS temple symbolism into her paintings – an increasingly prevalent trend in recent Mormon art.

The use of symbols to depict the divine feminine is an eye-catching departure from traditional Mormon art, which typically emphasizes realism and illustration. Furthermore, this marks an important cultural change within the Church.