Art Lives at Unity Church

Art provides another medium through which human beings experience gifts of the spirit.  Response to a work of art may be on intense, profound levels. As with poetry or literature, theatre, dance or music, the visual arts provide meditative and emotional opportunities and appreciation of life's process, our cultures and society. Unity's Art Team serves the congregation by hosting exhibits in our Parish Hall gallery, cataloging and sharing information about Unity's extensive art collection, and inviting the congregation into art appreciation through various events and learning opportunities. For more information about the work of Unity's Art Team, please email [email protected].

Watercolor and Photography:
​July Parish Hall Artists

​On Friday, August 28, Parish Hall artists, Jinjer Markley and Bernard Friel, will hots a reception from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Please come and enjoy time with these fine artists!

Bernie Friel

Jinjer Markley

Bernard Friel (Bernie) is a serious birdwatcher. His first nature photography subject matter was local bird life. But a life changing event in 1969 expanded his photographic horizons. A serious heart attack at the age of 38 marked a significant change in his life. Out of fear and a concern for his family he undertook to develop a healthy lifestyle having no idea where it would take him but intending that it would prevent an early death. And it did for he is about to celebrate his 96th birthday. That healthy lifestyle led to a recreational life of backpacking, canoeing, rafting, kayaking, mountaineering, sailing and exploration where he photographed his surroundings and activities.

Bernie is primarily a nature photographer and is a charter and life member of the North American Nature Photography Association and served on its board and as its president. He is represented by two photo agencies who distribute his photographic work internationally and that work includes travel and architecture. Bernie’s images have appeared in many magazines, calendars, and websites, and have been featured on the covers of National Wildlife and the National Geographic website.
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He was born and grew up in St. Paul, MN, attended, J.J. Hill grade school, graduated from Central High School, and received his Law Degree from the University of Minnesota. He practiced law with the firm of Briggs and Morgan (now the TAFT firm) for 58 years, from which he is now retired.

Jinjer Markley is an artist and illustrator with a background in science. She currently works freelance, illustrating picture books, posters, and whatever else she is commissioned to paint. She works mainly in watercolor, which is a weird and wonderful medium, perfect for a former scientist because it rewards close observation and experimentation. It also rewards thorough planning and preparation, so in 2019, Jinjer started making tiny little business card sized paintings in a practice she calls “Meditative Watercolor.” There is something magical about the tiny size — too small to worry about wasting paper or paint, these tiny paintings became Jinjer’s favorite way to take a break from her rigorously planned-out illustration work to remember the joys of playing with watercolor. Peace comes through releasing control of the finished project — starting completely unplanned and following what the paint itself seems to suggest. May you find a little shimmer of that connection to the divine clinging to each finished painting. She also teaches painting, drawing and color theory classes, including a “Meditative Watercolor” class (the next session begins July 11 at Wet Paint Artists Materials).