Blue Church Artworks

grade 4-6 students in front of St. Paul's blue doors

St. Paul's Lutheran Church, where our art classes are held, is observing a special anniversary. Founded in 1739, the congregation is 275 years old this year! In celebration of the church's anniversary, the students at Blue Church Art created artworks depicting some of the beautiful features of the wonderful old church. 

artist rendering of the Blue Church early on

St. Paul’s current stone building is the third church to stand on the property; its cornerstone was laid in 1833. In those days it was common to cover stone buildings with a coat of plaster or stucco. To create a brilliant white, the plasterers added blue pigment~ perhaps more than the necessary amount! This gave the stucco a prominent blue cast. Locals called it the “Blue” Church, and the name stuck. The blue tinted plaster was removed from the church in 1944, but the name “Blue Church” has remained.

The front doors of the church are painted blue, a reminder of the stone church's "blue" days. Many of the students chose the church's pretty entrance doors as their subject.

a Blue Church Art "angel" hard at work

the pretty blue doors of the "Blue" Church

click on any image to enlarge it

Jack Z.

Ashlee K.

Donna R.

Colby S.

Kristen F.

Luke F.

Caroline O.

Ava R.

Jill G.

Scott Z.

Makenna P.

Samantha Z.

Megan K.

Alexandra P.

Aidan S.

Carter S.

Chrissy S.

Diane P.

Cameron E.

Peyton E.

Stella C.

Six artists depicted the cast iron wall planters that flank St. Paul's entrance doors.

Anna E.

Yan Y.

Marianne M.

Elizabeth M.

Sierra W.

Ethan S.

drinking fountain in 1930

An old drinking fountain stands near the entrance to the church. Years ago it spouted fresh spring water, a cool refresher for church-goers. The fountain now serves as a planter, and like the church doors, it is painted blue. The old blue fountain was a popular subject with the Blue Church Artists.

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young artists at the fountain

Alexandra P.

Connor H.

Emma W.

Ava K.

Madeline H.

Annemarie A.

Corinne H.

Parker S.

Kyle S.

Madison L.

Brianna D.

Izabella L.

Madison C.

Sophia P.

Kate J.

Sophia B.

Carolyn R.

The church's opalescent stained glass windows inspired a number of artists to create their own stained glass masterpieces.

Lisa L.

Marissa M.

Max P.

Jessica C.

Leighann P.

Christina M.

Kacey P.

Makenzie R.

Lauren R.

Janet W.

Mikayla

Emily

Bridgette L.

Gabriel C.

Ava L.

Sarah B.

Molly S.

Jill M.

Ava M.

Lucas Z's "Minecraft ghost" window

Lynn S.

Ethelmae T.

A Moravian Star that is suspended above the church sanctuary inspired these beauties:

Teghan M.

Morgan D.

The church cemetery and its ancient gates made great subjects!

Diane P.

Addie M.

The kitchen in the basement of the Blue Church inspired Thomas to create this most unusual portrait of the church refrigerator…

Thomas C.

…which reminds me of an amusing skit Garrison Keillor featured on Prairie Home companion, titled The Jell-O Script. Anyone familiar with church refrigerator "rules" will appreciate this:

It all began with a Tupperware dish of orange Jell-O with miniature marshmallows, mandarin orange slices, and sliced bananas, that was found in the church refrigerator. It was covered with plastic wrap with a note taped to it that said "DO NOT REMOVE." 

The note was written in black marker, all capital letters. DO NOT REMOVE. And so nobody did. The Jell-O sat in the refrigerator for six months and people opened the door now and then and looked at it— 

But nobody dared to disobey the sign because the letters were so big and dark. Even as the Jell-O changed from orange to green and it grew hair and it gave off low vibrations (FAINT THROBBING OF HEARTBEAT), it remained in the church refrigerator… ;-)