Witness in Brushstrokes: Canada Debuts Latter-day Saint Art Exhibit

In an exciting and uniquely Canadian exhibit, original religious art created by Canadian members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is on display at the Great Treasures of Gold exhibition in Calgary, Alberta. The first-of-its-kind event features pieces by 67 artists from across Canada and is open to the public.

Elder James E. Evanson of the Canada Area presidency and his wife, Jody, were among the first to view the exhibit in its opening week. Elder Evanson shared, “As Jody and I viewed the amazing artwork displayed at the Great Treasures of Gold exhibit, we were especially touched by the beautiful portrayals of the Saviour that are the highlights of the exhibit and inspired by the witness these artists have of their eternal nature and the truths of the gospel. These Canadian artists are a blessing to all of us, as they capture our thoughts and feelings through art.”

Artist Brent Laycock

Celebrated Canadian water media artist Brent Laycock’s acrylic and watercolour works have been exhibited in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Japan and Europe. They can be seen in many public, private and corporate collections, including the royal collections of Britain and Denmark.

Three of Brent’s paintings are currently on display at the Great Treasures of Gold exhibit. His painting “Sacred Spring Morning” had its genesis in a visit he and his wife, Kathy, made to the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, just before serving as senior missionaries for the Church in Wangaratta, Australia.

Brent says they timed their Palmyra visit so they could experience the grove in the early spring, which coincided with the season when young Joseph Smith entered the grove to pray. “Like most people who visit this holy site, we were touched with the reverence of this unique forest,” Brent recalled. Since he was already planning to paint some interpretations of this beautiful setting, Brent took reference photos of almost every tree there.

While in Australia, Brent used those Sacred Grove reference photos to create the “Sacred Spring Morning” painting to hang in their home. He said, “It became a conversation starter when visitors came to chat.”

My goal in making this painting was not to create an illustration of the young boy-prophet praying in the woods, but to simply offer the viewer a personal contemplative experience about the Restoration of the gospel,” he explained.

Brent shared his gratitude that there is no “X marks the spot” in the Sacred Grove: “This allows any visitor to contemplate any spot that appeals to them.”

Reflecting on their visit to the Sacred Grove, Brent said he learned something important. One day, while relating the story of Joseph Smith’s First Vision to a neighbour, Brent said the scene that came to mind was not the Sacred Grove, but rather his childhood bedroom, where he prayed as a child about the prophet Joseph Smith. “We don’t need a pilgrimage to upper New York for this personal experience, because we can each have our personal ‘Sacred Grove’ revelation wherever the Spirit chooses,” he said.

Artist Hazel Eaton

Twelve-year-old Hazel Eaton is the youngest artist to have her works on display at the exhibit. Her painting “Seeking Jesus” depicts three women and an angelic messenger at Jesus’ empty tomb. In studying the Easter story of Christ’s resurrection, Hazel said, “One thing I learned is how these women departed the tomb with both fear and joy, a good reminder to me that we can feel two powerful emotions all at once.”

Hazel submitted “Seeking Jesus” and “A Mother’s Sacrifice” to the exhibit in late 2024, but the significance of her paintings took on an even deeper meaning for her when tragedy struck her family in August 2025. Hazel’s 20-year-old brother, Charlie, returned home from his mission in San Diego, California, in July 2025, and 37 days later, he passed away.

Hazel’s mother, Sarra, said she believes that Hazel’s exhibit paintings — one, depicting a mother’s sacrifice, and the other, the Resurrection — are “themes that are the right timing to help Hazel heal.”

Hazel shared, “I have a testimony that Charlie will be resurrected, and just like the women at the tomb, I’m learning to live with the sadness of missing Charlie, but also to still feel joy at the same time.”

Museum Visitors

Calgarian Rhonda Crooks attended the opening week’s artists’ reception, where she had the opportunity to chat with several artists about the inspiration behind their works.

She said she received some “wonderful answers,” and she noted the different artistic mediums on display, with a wide variety of sizes, subject matter and artistic styles, including oil and watercolour painting, fabric, quilting, and needlepoint.

Crooks said she is not surprised at the abundance of Canadian Latter-day Saint art and artists. “For those of us who love Jesus Christ and have our life focused on Him, it is natural to want to express our love in artwork, music, literature and voice,” she said.

Exhibit Curators

Amanda Taylor, who organized and co-curated the exhibit with friend and colleague Mary Margaret Pilling, said they originally planned the religiously themed exhibit to interest Church members.

To her surprise, Taylor observed that even during the pre-exhibit setup, “we had so many people interested in the subject matter of our pieces, and we’ve received a lot of really positive response from people who are not members of the Church.”

The guestbook comments reflect great enthusiasm for the exhibit. Taylor said, “The response from the hundreds of people who have already come to see the exhibit has been incredible. It seems that we have met the target of helping people have a spiritual experience with Canadian Latter-day Saint art.”

The 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.

Read the article in French