Curator Ned Bustard Gives Talk on “Revealed” Art Show

The King’s College welcomed curator Ned Bustard to campus on April 22 to talk about “Revealed,” a national traveling art exhibit that the MCA department is currently hosting on the fifth floor of the campus. Bustard is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based graphic designer, illustrator, author, and printmaker, who served as the show’s curator and as the editor of Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grownups, the book that the show is based on.

Bustard spent the first part of his talk explaining his idea for the storybook Bible and how the book came together. Originally, Bustard was looking for a way to feature the work of artist Edward Knippers, but as copyright claims became an issue, he expanded the scope of the book to include artwork from both himself and a wide variety of contemporary artists.

Bustard created the Revealed book to show the story of Scripture in a way that engages the current generation. He said, “I think of beauty as a protest. Through what I’m doing, I’m adding goodness to the world. …I see things I want to address in my culture and did it through this show.”

In the second part of his talk, Bustard showed how the art pieces selected follow the Bible’s narrative arc: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. He explained each piece of art, telling the audience about the artist’s creative vision for each piece and how they fit into the greater themes of the book.

After a time of questions and answers, Bustard then invited the audience to join him at the front of the room for a hands-on printmaking experience. He had brought several different linotype cuts for audience members to use to make their own ink print. Several students were able to roll ink on to the linotype cut, press a piece of paper against the ink, and leave with a one of a kind souvenir from the talk.

The “Revealed” art show was made possible through the work of Dr. Henry Bleattler, associate professor of history and the humanities, along with the help of students in the museum studies program. The show is a collaboration with Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA) and will be on display through the summer.