INSPIRE ME! Artist, Enrique Chagoya

Resurrection by Enrique Chagoya

By Ernest Disney-Britton

Last month, Enrique Chagoya surprised many of his fans by creating an elegantly beautiful painting of Jesus Christ, and then gifting it to an evangelical church in Colorado. It was such as surprise that when we announced it here on Alpha Omega Arts one of our more skeptical readers responded, "It must be a joke!" But no, it was not a joke. Chagoya, who is also an acknowledged Christian was inspired to share this gift in response to an act of love and charity by the pastor of a Colorado church. Today, the life-sized depiction of Christ, draped in a ribbon of Love is on display at its new home, Resurrection Fellowship Church in Loveland, CO. It is for invoking his Creator Spirit to create a work of love, and for taking only a respite from his more traditional works of protest art, we salute Enrique Chagoya as the INSPIRE ME artist for July 2011. The following is a chronology of events:

Chagoya painting in his studio

SEPT 11, 2010: Enrique Chagoya's art print, "Misadventures of the Sacred Cannibals" goes on display at the Loveland Museum Gallery in Loveland, CO. Protests from religious extremists follows shortly after.

OCT. 7, 2010: Following a serious of protests and news media reports of the artwork being "Blasphemous" a Truck driver from Minnesota drove down to the Colorado museum and destroyed the work.

OCT. 20, 2010: Pastor Jonathon Wiggins of Resurrection Fellowship Church reveals to his evangelical congregation why he did not join the protests, and why instead he reached out to the artist. It was part of a sermon entitled, "Tougher Than Nails."



JUNE 19, 2011: Rev. Jonathon Wiggins, Pastor of Resurrection Fellowship Church unviels the gift of the painting to his congregation on Father's Day as part of a sermon, "Tougher Than Nails." The painting brought the evangelical congregation to its feet in thunderous applause of approval and gratitude.

Portrait hangs in Resurrection Church

This inspirational story is a personal favorite of mine. It is the ideal example of how the uniting of the Creator & Believer spirits can come together in a joyous Celebration of One Community of the faithful. To find out how to submit your story as an INSPIRE ME! Artist, visit the page: [Inspire Me!]

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Chagoya's Original Painting, Music Surprise Father's Day Worshipers

EXAMINER (Boulder Christianity)
By Steve Rees

"Resurrection" (c. 2011) By Enrique Chagoya

COLORADO - Stanford University professor and artist Enrique Chagoya and lead vocalist Kim Walker-Smith of “Jesus Culture” fame offered their respective gifts this weekend to Resurrection Fellowship: A much anticipated painting of Jesus Christ from the San Francisco-based artist; and a worship song performed for the first time publicly by Walker-Smith, whose home base is also northern California. Both the painting and song were inspired in part by Senior Pastor Jonathan Wiggin's online sermon titled “Jesus: Tougher Than Nails” which describes facets Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection. “If there's any single word that you could add to this picture that would be totally and entirely appropriate - in my opinion - it is the word love,” Wiggins said. “For me, the resurrection is a symbol of love,” Chagoya said. [link]

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Artist Chagoya's 'Uncorrupted Jesus' is Unveiled at Church

THE COLORADAN
By Rebecca Powell

COLORADO - The long-awaited portrait of Jesus by artist Enrique Chagoya was unveiled Saturday night to a cheering congregation at Resurrection Fellowship Church. Church pastor Jonathan Wiggins and Chagoya began communicating and developed a friendship after Chagoya's work "The Misadventures of Romantic Cannibals" was destroyed by Montana trucker Kathleen Folden while on display at the Loveland Museum/Gallery. Chagoya agreed to paint a portrait of Jesus as a gift to the church. “The product of the dialogue is behind the painting, and I really want to thank you, all of you, for such a tremendous reaction of love when the circumstances for love were difficult,” Chagoya said. [link]

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Evangelical Church Unveils Gift Painting from Controversial Artist

THE DENVER POST
By Tom Hacker

Pastor Wiggins unveiling the artwork

COLORADO - Enrique Chagoya, the artist whose work touched off days of protests and an act of vandalism in Loveland last fall, had his moment of redemption Saturday night. It came after his portrait of Jesus Christ, a monumental 5-by-7-foot painting, was unveiled at Resurrection Fellowship, a 3,000-member evangelical congregation on Crossroads Boulevard in east Loveland. The improbable link between Chagoya, whose work "The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals" set off the storm of controversy, and Resurrection senior pastor Jonathan Wiggins was consummated with the rollout of the artist's portrait, a gift to the church. [link]

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Controversial Artist's Depiction of Christ, Praised by Pastor

REPORTER HERALD
By Tom Hacker

COLORADO - Enrique Chagoya’s labor of love is nearly complete, and his monumental portrait of Jesus Christ could be in Loveland by the end of this month. The California artist was the center of a storm last fall, when one of his works that some people believed depicted Jesus Christ involved in a sex act was displayed at the Loveland Museum/Gallery.

Resurrection Fellowship senior pastor Jonathan Wiggins reached out to Chagoya with an email asking the artist what he had intended to convey with the image that so many found offensive. Chagoya replied that it was satire intended to depict the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, and a slap at documented cases of child sexual abuse by priests. A lengthy email exchange engendered a friendship between Wiggins and Chagoya — and an offer from the artist to paint a portrait of Christ to hang in the church.

Resurrection pastor Adam Lowry last week traveled to Chagoya’s Palo Alto, Calif., studio near the Stanford University campus, where Chagoya is a professor of art. “It’s a beautiful piece of art,” he said. “My initial reaction? It’s the most peaceful, loving image of Christ. He accomplished what he set out to do.” [link]

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