Margaret Adams Parker

Mary as Prophet

Multimedia presentation

Artist Statement: How do we tell God’s stories?

We remember that these are also our own stories; that they are not distant tales with perfect and heroic actors. Mary as Prophet, he has filled the hungry with good things, depicts the Visitation. Mary and Elizabeth are shown as African women, a reminder that these Biblical women were likewise among the world’s powerless. Yet they embody courage and compassion: Mary in the prophetic phrases of the Magnificat, Elizabeth in her comfort and support for Mary.

Reconciliation casts the Parable of the Prodigal in our own time and place, with figures whose postures and dress underscore their spiritual state. The Prodigal, clinging desperately to his father, is barefoot and tattered. The Older Brother, secure in his sturdy boots and work clothes, fold his arms and turns away from the Prodigal. And the Father, out of his frailty, welcomes and embraces both brothers, in his person constituting a bridge between them.

bio: Margaret Adams Parker received a 2016 Honor Award for Mary as Prophet from Faith & Form (the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art, and Architecture.) Parker, a sculptor and printmaker whose work often treats religious and social justice themes, teaches on the adjunct faculty at Virginia Theological Seminary. Mary as Prophet was commissioned by VTS, Reconciliation by Duke Divinity School. Parker is currently working on three sculptures depicting the life of Andrew the Apostle. Her prints are included in the collection of the Library of Congress; have been published by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; have been used as a logo by Amnesty International; and accompany a new translation of the Book of Ruth. BA, Wellesley College; MFA, American University. Fellowships: Virginia Commission for the Arts; Association for Religion and Intellectual Life; Calvin College Summer Seminars. www.margaretadamsparker.com