ARTIST STATEMENT:

Imagery inspired by the texts for this season of Advent (from the RCL, Year C), as well as our theme and sub-themes for Close to Home, emerge in the doorways of this banner design. In the center, the star of Bethlehem radiates, representing the Magi traveling home by another way in the Epiphany story (Matthew 2:1-12). In the second threshold, stars of David surround the scrolls of the Torah to depict the story of Jesus remaining in the temple (Luke 2:41-52). For the story of the birth of Jesus, the third entrance portrays the stables with light radiating between the slats in the walls (Luke 2:1-20). The safety of the womb draws us into the fourth doorway as Mary sings her magnificat (Luke 1:39-55). A home for all is represented in the fifth arch with creation imagery (Luke 3:1-18 and Zephaniah 3:14-20). Laying the foundation is portrayed in the sixth doorway with a pattern of interwoven hands (Luke 1:57-80 and Philippians 1:3-11). The overall motif, originally designed by Lauren Wright Pittman as the theme logo for the Close to Home Advent series, incorporates a hand reaching up and one reaching down. In the banner design, these hands are patterned with doves in motion to represent the Holy Spirit.

—Hannah Garrity, banner design artist and Founding Creative Partner of SA

DOWNLOAD INCLUDES:

• Horizontal files to project and trace the design onto one 53”x70” banner or two 26”x64” banners. If you are creating a paper lace cut out banner, we provide a flipped projection file so that you can trace and cut on the back of the banners (displaying the clean side as the front).

• Written instructions with 2 options (summarized below) for bringing this design to life in your congregation!

• A large, color file for printing the designs as one 6’x8’ vinyl banner through a company such as Got Print. This is a COVID-friendly option, allowing you to install and display the banner art on the exterior of your church building throughout the Advent and Christmas season.

CREATIVE OPTIONS (SEE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS IN DOWNLOAD FOR MORE INFO):

Option A.) Painted Banners
Suitable for: Youth and adults of all ages
Level of time, planning, commitment: (3 of 5 stars)
Process: Following the tutorial video below and written instructions included in download, project and trace designs onto paper or canvas to create banners. Invite members to paint the designs using tempera or acrylic paint. 

Option B.) Paper Lace Cut-Out Banners
Suitable for: older youth (with supervision) and adults
Level of time, planning, commitment: (5 of 5 stars)
Process: Following the tutorial video below and written instructions included in download, project, trace, and cut out designs on photography studio backdrop paper to create beautiful paper lace banners.

See more creative ways to bring these designs to life in this blog post: sanctifiedart.org/blog/art-for-advent-creative-ways-to-bring-our-banner-designs-to-life