Internationally-acclaimed artist Dr. Samuel Marshall Gore, art professor emeritus at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, will be featured in the Palm Sunday services at Murfreesboro’s First Baptist Church on April 1. Service times are at 9:00 am and 11:15 am.
Dr. Gore, whose works can be found in at least fifteen states and three foreign countries, is a world-class artist comfortable in numerous art media including painting, sculpting and casting bronze. The greatest concentration of his massive bronze works are located in Jackson, Mississippi’s capital city, where one can view The Working Man outside the state Agriculture Museum; Christ the Healer and The Nurse, both located in the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center; The Reservist, a tribute to service men and women, located on the grounds of the State Capital Building; and other works on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, and at churches and other organizations throughout the world. His largest work, Christ: the Fulfillment of the Law, graces the exterior walls of the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson. A companion piece, Moses the Lawgiver, a nearly 3,000-pound work, also can be viewed at the law school. The 84-year old artist, a suburb sculptor and an internationally celebrated treasure, is tireless in his efforts of creating art about people, for people, to be understood by people. His formal study of anatomy has enhanced his abilities as an artist, enabling him to create works that depict the human spirit as it courses through the joy of family, its triumph over tragedy, and its commitment to duty.
During the services at First Baptist Church, Dr. Gore will sculpt the Head of Christ with Crown of Thorns, perhaps his most famous work. Now with more than one thousand appearances, those attending the services will experience first-hand the skill and strength of hands accustomed to heavy work and hard labor, yet gentle enough to coax delicate features from thick, dense clay. Working with more than one hundred pounds of Yazoo clay on a pedestal, this Master Artist will prod, stroke cajole and shape the formless lump into an art-worthy sculpture, delicately revealing fine facial features that are anatomically correct. As the eyes are created, they appear to be gazing intently into the eyes of every viewer. An emotional final touch will be revealed during the presentation. In addition to this program, Gore has created two additional programs utilizing the experience of live sculpture. Mankind, God’s Creation is a missions-oriented program featuring three faces on one head, depicting the unity of humankind. The Mother and Child is a popular Christmas-Nativity program during which Mary, holding the infant Jesus, is created from clay.
This community experience is part of the Easter celebration at First Baptist Church. Everyone is invited, regardless of church or denominational affiliation, to share in this unique time of worshipping through the power and majesty of music and art. More of Dr. Gore’s works can be viewed at facebook.com or through other Web sources.
