Great Treasures of Gold is a first-of-its-kind art exhibit featuring original religious art created by Canadian members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These works by professional artists and hobbyists from across Canada celebrate the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and offer a unique Canadian perspective on Latter-day Saint faith and sacred history.
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Co-curators Amanda Taylor and Mary Margaret Pilling have assembled art created by 67 Latter-day Saint artists from across Canada. While many of the exhibit pieces reflect on Canadian Latter-day Saint experiences, such as Canadian temples, Canadian landscapes and the commemoration of Canadian Church members, Taylor said the exhibit also contains “dozens of unique interpretations of scriptural stories and images of Jesus Christ.”
Latter-day Saint artist Denise Hoag’s love of art began when she was a child. She says she loved drawing on “anything and everything.” After four years of study in fashion and design, she began creating wearable art, and her creations have been exhibited worldwide in fashion shows. Her wearable art has also been featured in several media publications.
Thirteen years ago, Hoag took up acrylic painting and began what she describes as “an amazing journey of discovery.” She said that her painting “Letting Go and Trusting God” portrays the process of “truly letting go of whatever stops us from truly trusting Heavenly Father.”
Hoag created the painting to commemorate the 40th anniversary of a profoundly difficult time in her life. She shared, “My aunt passed away from cancer. The day of the funeral, my mother died. My grandmother died soon after. All of these deaths devastated me. I had just turned 13. I was mad at God.”
Over time, Hoag found comfort after joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but she realized that even while she was painting “Letting Go and Trusting God,” she still held a lot of anger about those losses that she didn’t know was inside her.
For Hoag, creating the painting was a cathartic experience. “This has been a major healing journey for me,” she shared. “My anger has been replaced with a sense of acceptance and peace. I hope this painting inspires others to have greater faith in God.”
Letting Go and Trusting God” is one of many original paintings on display at the Great Treasures of Gold exhibit. The exhibit also includes other mediums, including tapestries, embroideries, stained glass, cross-stitch creations, and pen and charcoal drawings.
The Great Treasures of Gold exhibit runs from November 7 to 27, 2025, at cSPACE Marda Loop Gallery in Calgary, Alberta. The event is open to the public and admission is free. Please visit greattreasuresofgold.ca for more information.