{"id":102414,"date":"2026-04-03T10:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=102414"},"modified":"2026-04-06T11:43:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T18:43:26","slug":"symbols-of-faith-and-feminine-power-at-compass-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/symbols-of-faith-and-feminine-power-at-compass-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"Symbols of Faith and Feminine Power at Compass Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_102417\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0943-scaled-e1775498804540.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102417\" class=\"wp-image-102417 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0943-scaled-e1775498804540-1200x793.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"793\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0943-scaled-e1775498804540-1200x793.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0943-scaled-e1775498804540-350x231.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0943-scaled-e1775498804540-768x508.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0943-scaled-e1775498804540-1536x1015.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0943-scaled-e1775498804540-2048x1354.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-102417\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lisa DeLong, \u201cThe Magdalene Triptych,\u201d oil &amp; 24k gold leaf on panel<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>The April offerings at downtown Provo\u2019s Compass Gallery represent well their mission of celebrating symbolism, storytelling, and spirituality. With three one-person shows and a group exhibition all together in the space, the art covers the gamut of spiritual and symbolic representations.<\/h4>\n<h4>In <em>The Greatest Act of Love<\/em>, numerous artists approach the Easter season with storytelling imagery in various styles. A number of these works represent traditional formats and focus on the range of stories from Christ\u2019s life. Two standouts are on the wall by the front window of the gallery. Jane Wilson Boyle\u2019s \u201cThe First Witness\u201d uses a painterly approach along with the power of light and shadow to depict the site of the Resurrection in a way that feels like a quiet, peaceful, deeply spiritual experience. Julie-Ann Lake-Diaz\u2019s \u201cSaint Juliana of Nicomedia\u201d has a warm subtle beauty that reflects a reverence for the martyred patron saint of sickness. The curving pattern of the frame enhances the simplicity of the artist\u2019s depiction. Brook Bowen\u2019s small \u201cSaint Joanna\u201d has a lively floral frame that complements the emotional depiction of the wife of King Herod\u2019s chief servant, who served as caregiver to Jesus and the Apostles. Bowen\u2019s piece has all the elements of small devotional paintings of past centuries, with an added note of feminine strength.<\/h4>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-102414 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/symbols-of-faith-and-feminine-power-at-compass-gallery\/img_0969\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0969-350x401.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-102421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0969-350x401.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0969-894x1024.jpeg 894w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0969-768x879.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0969-1342x1536.jpeg 1342w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0969-1200x1374.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0969.jpeg 1656w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-102421'>\n\t\t\t\tBrooke Bowen, \u201cSaint Joanna,\u201d Egg tempera on panel\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/symbols-of-faith-and-feminine-power-at-compass-gallery\/img_0972\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"397\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0972-350x397.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-102423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0972-350x397.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0972-903x1024.jpeg 903w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0972-768x871.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0972-1354x1536.jpeg 1354w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0972-1806x2048.jpeg 1806w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0972-1200x1361.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-102423'>\n\t\t\t\tJulie-Ann Lake-Diaz, \u201cSaint Juliana of Nicomedia\u201d Oil on board\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-102414 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/symbols-of-faith-and-feminine-power-at-compass-gallery\/bennion-3\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion-1-350x360.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion-1-350x360.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion-1-995x1024.png 995w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion-1-768x791.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion-1-1200x1236.png 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion-1.png 1216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/symbols-of-faith-and-feminine-power-at-compass-gallery\/bennion2-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"357\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion2-350x357.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion2-350x357.png 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion2-1003x1024.png 1003w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion2-768x784.png 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion2-1200x1225.png 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bennion2.png 1226w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4>In <em>Words of the Prophets<\/em>, Joe Bennion brings his passion for pottery-making to a wall in the gallery where 12 of his large platters hang. These masterfully thrown platters reflect precision in his wheel work and the essence of his hands in their textures and patterns. The edges of the pieces include the words of poets, prophets, and writers, from Paul\u2019s Letter to the Ephesians to Mary Oliver and William Blake. The format feels like the pottery of our childhood, harking back to the 1960s and 1970s when pottery began to blossom out of decorative to higher art. Bennion speaks to his goals for the work in his artist statement: \u201cThe influences that most powerfully shape us are located in the household and family. I want my pottery to be there and to promote and influence that growth, however small its part may be. The family dinner table is sacred space and the venue of first choice for my pottery.\u201d<\/h4>\n<h4>The two other artists featured this month appear under the umbrella exhibition title of <em>Queens and Priestesses,<\/em> exploring the feminine in history, symbolism, and spirituality.<\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_102420\" style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102420\" class=\"wp-image-102420 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-350x472.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-350x472.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-759x1024.jpeg 759w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-768x1036.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-1138x1536.jpeg 1138w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-1518x2048.jpeg 1518w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-1200x1619.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0950-scaled.jpeg 1897w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-102420\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kristen Barsch von Benedikt, \u201cPandora, Just a Curious Girl,&#8221; oil and graphite on panel<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>Kristen Barsch von Benedikt\u2019s paintings reflect upon the depiction of women in Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Christian mythologies. Her work seeks to find a balance between past renderings of women as temptations and recipients of blame. In works such as \u201cPandora, Just a Curious Girl,\u201d Barsch von Benedikt\u2019s women are approachable in their contemporary appearance, while simultaneously questioning their historical portrayal as chaotic or problematic. She deftly mixes ages and styles in works like \u201cLot\u2019s Wife\u201d and \u201cA Portrait of Grief.\u201d Her oil and graphite on panel works are rich and saturated in color. Her watercolor paintings, such as \u201cAntigone Outside the Wall\u201d and \u201cPortrait of Justice,\u201d tell her stories with a lighter touch that still packs a powerful punch in her figures\u2019 presence.<\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>The final artist featured in the multi-show exhibition has some of the most powerful works in the gallery.\u00a0 Known for her works focused on sacred geometry, Lisa DeLong has an MFA from BYU and a PhD from The Prince\u2019s School of Traditional Arts in London. The deep blues and delicate oranges of her works in her \u201cCrowning Creation\u201d portion of the exhibition feel as ancient as the symbols and geometric forms that are the foundation of her work. \u201cWe are surrounded by signs and symbols that reveal powerful feminine principles\u2028inextricably interwoven throughout Creation,&#8221; she writes in her statement. &#8220;The pattern traced by the planet Venus, the\u2028starry body of the night sky (known to the ancient Egyptians as the goddess Nut), and the\u2028golden proportions in the structure of DNA that permeate every cell in the body our\u2028matriarchs gifted us with.\u201d<\/h4>\n<h4>DeLong\u2019s works engage the eye and the mind, creating a melding of both the right and left brain while viewing their visual movement and patterns. She uses both the 10-fold Mother of Knots (Um al Girih in Persian) as well as the number 12, associated with the rights and responsibilities of priesthood. Her grasp of geometry and its powerful symbolism is balanced by her mastery of color theory. Like many artists whose works are considered abstract, DeLong\u2019s paintings are no less emotional than the figural works in the gallery around her. She manages to create works that allow us to question and engage and stand in awe.<\/h4>\n<h4>With so many artists in one place, there is a surprising cohesiveness to these four exhibits. Finding moments of contemplation in each of the works seems fitting in this month of rebirth and growth. The overarching ideas of calm in chaos, peace in the face of great change, and strength to face our world permeate each of the shows and, in turn, each of the individual artists and their work. A prime example Barsch von Benedikt\u2019s \u201cHope,\u201d on the title wall. The winged figure stands before a fiery background in tall boots and a short dress, as if waiting to take us on a tour of how to survive in chaos.<\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_102418\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102418\" class=\"wp-image-102418 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-1200x565.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-1200x565.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-350x165.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-768x362.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-1536x723.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-2048x965.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-102418\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kristen Barsch von Benedikt, \u201cHope,\u201d oil, graphite &amp; gold on panel<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>The Greatest Act of Love, Words of the Prophets, Queens and Priestesses, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecompassgallery.com\/gallery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Compass Gallery<\/a>, Provo, through Apr. 25.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The April offerings at downtown Provo\u2019s Compass Gallery represent well their mission of celebrating symbolism, storytelling, and spirituality. With three one-person shows and a group exhibition all together in the space, the art covers the gamut of spiritual and symbolic representations. In The Greatest Act of Love, numerous [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1736,"featured_media":102418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_piecal_is_event":false,"_piecal_start_date":"","_piecal_end_date":"","_piecal_is_allday":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exhibition_reviews","category-visual_arts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0949-scaled.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-04 14:39:55","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1736"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102414"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102428,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102414\/revisions\/102428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}