‘Linking Faith With Community’: British Cathedrals Spark A Public Art Renaissance
LONDON — British cathedrals are at the forefront of a renaissance in public art, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to view exhibitions and installations. One striking example is Luke Jerram’s “Gaia” installation, which attracted over 250,000 people in just a few weeks at Liverpool and Durham Cathedrals.
This success has not happened overnight. For more than a decade, artists like Jacqui Cresswell and Peter Walker have been exploring how art and cathedrals can work together. Their efforts have resulted in numerous curated projects, including “Rest Under the Stars” at Carlisle Cathedral, “Graffiti Art” at St. Albans, and an annual Contemporary Arts Exhibition at Wells Cathedral, which attracts submissions from artists around the world.
These events are always free to enter. Access is open to all. For many visitors, such installations mark their first time inside an ecclesiastical building. Once the threshold has been crossed and the space no longer feels unfamiliar, many return again and again — some even becoming regular worshippers. Art is proving to be a powerful way to embrace the wider community, of all faiths and none.
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Historic art also plays a role. In 2024, Winchester Cathedral collaborated with the National Gallery on a groundbreaking immersive exhibition centered around a 16th century masterpiece by Flemish artist Jan Gossaert. It marked the first time the National Gallery undertook a touring digital facsimile exhibition, allowing visitors to explore the painting’s forensic details, accompanied by ambient soundscapes.
Churches have long been involved in art. Visual imagery has always been integral to Christianity. In medieval times, cathedral interiors were filled with color and art, telling Bible stories to a visually literate population.
The Very Rev. Jonathan Greener, Dean of Exeter and Chair of the Arts Advisory Board for the English Cathedrals Association, said cathedrals “have always recognized that art in all its forms can transcend language and has the ability to reveal to us new ways of seeing and thinking within our sacred spaces. It can touch new generations whose priorities and world-view will often be different from those who traditionally engage with cathedrals.”
The reasons for this renewed interest are clear. Simon Lace, CEO of Rochester Cathedral, pointed out that “cathedrals are ideal as venues for major art installations. They tend to be among the larger public spaces in most English cities and towns, and more easily accommodate the kind of large scale art which has proved such a hit with visitors.”
This approach is now filtering down to churches across the country. “Art + Christianity,” in collaboration with the Friends of Friendless Churches, organized an art trail across seven ancient rural churches in the Black Mountains on the Welsh border. Exhibited works ranged from an androgynous human form representing humanity to a tapestry.
By using cathedrals and churches as venues for art, their relevance in a changing world is being reaffirmed. These sacred buildings have always been spaces for contemplation, meditation, and exploring what it means to be human. Art creates opportunities for dialogue and reflection, particularly around themes like climate change, social transformation and spirituality.
“‘Hidden” by Peter Walker on display at St. Peter Mancroft in Norwich, UK. (Photo courtesy of St. Peter Mancroft Church)
“We have to remember that a cathedral is a very sacred space, it is not an art gallery. You have to be careful what you show within it. There has to be a collective desire to understand and link faith with the community,” said Jacqui Cresswell, an art consultant to the Association of English Cathedrals. “We start with a narrative such as climate change and work with artists who respect the location, respond to the subject.”
Charities are often involved in these projects. “Tears of Gold,” for example, is a touring exhibition created by the charity Open Doors U.K. and Ireland. It features self-portraits by Nigerian Christian women who have survived sexual violence at the hands of Boko Haram or Fulani militants. Each portrait contains gold tears — a symbol of how tragedy can be transformed into hope.
While many of the exhibitions hosted in cathedrals and churches are touring shows, others are made specifically for their venues. In her role as art consultant, Cresswell is currently developing an exhibition exploring faith and the intentions of faith, using a contemporary take on Byzantine iconography.
The art also serves as a foundation for community engagement. This summer, St. Peter Mancroft Church in Norwich hosted sculptor Peter Walker’s latest installation, “Hidden.” A gigantic box suspended high above the altar, it is illuminated at night and visible through glass doors at the church entrance. The church describes it as “a free gift to the city.” A team from the church worked with community groups and schools to create accompanying poems and artworks, highlighting hidden people and stories within the broader community.
Lace said many people who visited English cathedrals “to see Luke Jerram’s ‘Mars’ or Peter Walker’s ‘Peace Doves’ are not natural gallery goers and are seeing this kind of work for the first time.”
“This is encouraging, and our experience is that many come back,” he added. “It bridges the gap between people who may be less religious than their parents but are no less spiritual and no less interested in sacred spaces.”
Angela Youngman is a freelance journalist who has written for a wide range of British and international publications.