King’s Unveils Artists’ Rendering of Ten Pillars of Economic Wisdom

On October 15, The King’s College unveiled artists’ renderings of the Ten Pillars of Economic Wisdom, based on a display from the 1964 World’s Fair at the Hall of Free Enterprise, in the College’s lobby in lower Manhattan.

As an attendee at the World’s Fair in 1964, King’s Trustee (and Amway founder) Rich DeVos saw the Pillars. He purchased the display and installed it in the Amway headquarters. Last year, Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury, president of The King’s College, toured Amway and was similarly taken with the principles. This began the project that was unveiled on October 15.

Artists Shannon DeStefano ’08 and Ginger Oakes (the College’s former First Lady) have beautifully illustrated each of these ten principles. DiStefano and Oakes explain that they were first interested in the project due to its combination of art and ideas, saying: “A love for both ideas and art were an immediate attraction for us to illustrate the Ten Pillars of Economic Freedom . . . In addition, there was a bonus of being able to honor Mr. DeVos, a man who not only knows the importance of the ten principles, but built a successful company on their firm foundation.”

The public are welcome to view the artists’ renderings of the Pillars, which serve not only as a reminder of timeless truths but also of The King’s College’s purpose in teaching economics as part of the core curriculum. According to Dr. Jared Pincin, assistant professor of economics at King’s, “Economic freedom is more than the pursuit of wealth, a pursuit that Scripture warns against. Economic freedom is about expanding opportunities for people to pursue their God-given passions so humans can flourish. This is how we approach economics at The King’s College.”

Brian Brenberg, Chair of the Program in Business and Finance at King’s, says, “The Ten Pillars of Economic Wisdom remain a helpful contribution in the ongoing conversation about how to best steward God’s creation for His glory and for the flourishing of people all around the world.”

DiStefano and Oakes prompt visitors to consider the issues the Pillars raise, saying, “For those of you who are able to see the exhibit in person, we encourage you to take enough time to consider the ideas behind each pillar that inspired the illustrations. We hope it will raise some serious questions, as it did for us, and which consequently provoked several hours of research into the design process.”

The unveiling took place at the conclusion of the quarterly meeting of the trustees of The King’s College, during which new corporate officers were appointed and a committee to study residential housing was formed.

The Ten Pillars of Economic Wisdom artwork is installed in the lobby and open to the public during the week from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM. King’s is located at 56 Broadway in Manhattan.