I am a Christian. I am also an artist and creative, and what I do is driven by my faith experience. — Makoto Fujimura said in a 2007 article by Associated Press reporter Eric Gorski

One might argue that the origin of art is religion and that the two have been interconnected throughout history. We certainly have a fair share of religious art. So why is it that today art has become a secular topic? It seems strange in my opinion that someone’s career in art doesn’t merit a discussion of beliefs or nonbeliefs or their inspiration or guiding force. In a time where people in film and music, and even sports and politics openly discuss faith, why do the visual arts shy away from sensitive questions and stick to the “creative process”? Perhaps it’s because it makes us uncomfortable?

Whether or not one believes in God, whether we describe ourselves as theists, atheists or even anti-theists, we all live in a world that is profoundly influenced by concepts of god. — 100 Artists See God exhibition introduction

The 2004-06 traveling exhibition 100 Artists See God, organized by Independent Curators International in New York, involved inviting 100 artists “to picture the divine.” According to the project description, the collaboration brings the topic of faith “to the forefront of artistic debate and acknowledges the prevalence of religion and spirituality in contemporary art, culture and politics both within and outside of the United States.” What emerged from the exhibition was a wide range of religious imagery, from traditional depiction and analytical assessment to humorous and completely unconventional interpretations of god. For example, artist Damien Hirst created shelves of drugs to represent “god.” Another work by Paul McCarthy shows two men out in the woods peering under dried up brush with a stick. Mirror #8, a 1972 work by Roy Lichtenstein, was also part of the exhibition. (Click here to see works from 100 Artists See God.)

Closer to home, a 2007 exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art called María Magdelena Campos-Pons: Everything is Separated by Water, touched on the influence of Santería faith in the artist’s life and its depiction in her work. While that show, which explored a non-mainstream faith as one aspect to an artist’s work, was well received, another smaller local gallery show that based an exhibition around the exploration of artists’ views on faith and spirituality was not as successful, particularly with church communities. (The gallery asked to remain anonymous.)

Should we encourage a dialogue on faith, whether or not we have one? 100 Artists See God is a intriguing example of how it can be done. Is Indianapolis ready for this conversation? And likewise, is the religious community ready to take the arts seriously?