Salma Arastu
Receiving the MOFSA Award brought me immense joy and renewed confidence that being a spiritual artist is valued and recognized in contemporary times. I was deeply moved by the Foundation’s mission—I had never imagined that spiritual art could receive such meaningful support. … This recognition has strengthened my confidence and deepened my commitment to creating art that expresses spiritual connection and oneness.
Mia Bosna
Making a living and figuring out how to pay bills while remaining true to my dedication to creating art that inspires, has always been a challenge. Art that includes a spiritual aspect seems to narrow the field when applying for exhibit opportunities. Having an organization like MOFSA that sees artists in a more holistic way that includes our spiritual leanings, gave me a clear message that spirit-infused art has a place where it is acknowledged and valued. There are very few galleries or artistic marketplaces that understand how we are all part of the same consciousness, so I am grateful that this sacred space was created by MOFSA.
Emily Clare
Spending time outdoors and surveying flora has become a practice in mindfulness, a meditative space that breaks from the disruptions of the everyday. Printing the landscape has the same effect—a restorative, recentering undertaking that keeps me present and grounded. Working intuitively and intentionally, my works express my connection to the environment and the importance of stewardship of the Earth’s natural resources.
Marvin Eans
Receiving the MOFSA grant has significantly shaped both my teaching and professional practices by reinforcing the connection between creative exploration, cultural impact, and educational growth. It has encouraged me to model for my students what it means to pursue opportunities with intention and to use art as a vehicle for meaningful storytelling.
Deborah Hamon
I used to think that “spiritual art” looked a certain way, but as I moved through my own life and artistic journey, I began to understand spirituality differently. For me, it’s about transformation, openness, and connecting to something bigger than myself, and I realized that what I was trying to do in the studio was very much a part of my spiritual path.
Anne Klaus
It was one of my most memorable, auspicious days, because I had literally surrendered control over my books that very morning. To my guides, I said, “If you want this book out there, it’s in your hands now.” Hours later after our weekly Quaker meeting, Bob Oberg introduced me to MOFSA and allowed me to apply to the board for a “special” grant. … The story had been waiting patiently, for 6 years, to finally be introduced to the world. … When MOFSA awarded Emmalina Books the special grant, it was a breaking-through point, allowing me access to a professional artist, the truly talented Carlos Alvarez Cotera. And even more importantly, it was a clear and loud voice saying “Yes!” to Emmalina Books.
Nicole Leth
Receiving the MOFSA grant gave me both practical support and renewed confidence during a period of growth and transition in my practice. It allowed me to invest more deeply in my work at a time when I was expanding creatively and professionally. Beyond the tangible support, the grant affirmed the direction of my artistic path and reminded me that this work has value in broader cultural and community spaces. It helped strengthen my belief in the sustainability of my practice and encouraged me to continue building with care and intention.
Giulia Loli
MOFSA was a life raft both spiritually and physically–11th hour as spiritual lessons go. The heartfelt relief of knowing there was someone out there who also believed in the power of art, and most importantly, recognized the highest value of Spirit from which it emanates. It helped dreams come true, namely to keep working. … Thank you Marianne, for your love and belief in the arts and the spiritual. You live on in hearts and heavens, shining among the stars through Bob and all of whom you’ve touched. Love, Giulia
Trinh Mai
The Marianne Oberg Foundation for Spiritual Art supported me in a project that I had been ruminating on for years, but had been put on pause mostly due to fear. Uniquely founded upon faith, the Foundation introduced me to other artists who draw from faith as not just a thing we claim, but as a way of life, a way of being, and a source from which we draw guidance and inspiration.
Jennifer McCormick
Through my work as a medical illustrator, I became increasingly interested in the spiritual and psychological dimensions of healing—how unseen forces such as grief, resilience, faith, and attention shape our physical and emotional lives. The X‑Ray Visions series emerged from this shift, moving my focus away from the purely technical aspects of the human body toward the inner experiences that accompany illness, loss, and recovery. When I first began making work guided by what I understood as a spiritual or intuitive process, it was largely solitary — I had very little framework for understanding it or connecting it to a broader artistic tradition.
Receiving the MOFSA grant changed that. As I served on the board the following year, I was moved by the number of artists who, like me, use art as a way to connect with the divine and encourage others. What had once felt like an isolated path was, in fact, part of a much larger community exploring similar questions.
Emily McIlroy
Receiving the MOFSA Grant allowed me to step away from my university teaching responsibilities for a semester, and to receive two distinct but intertwined gifts: a residency at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology on the Oregon coast, and unstructured time to begin work on a new body of art.
Sitka offered a complete break from routine, immersion in a new landscape, and the chance to find a different rhythm entirely. The forest, the tides, and the particular quality of light along the coastline settled something restless in me, creating a spaciousness and clarity I hadn’t felt in years. In the stillness that followed, I was able to return to the deeper spiritual questions at the heart of my practice. It was during this period that All is a Circle Within Me began to take shape—an exploration of the infinite interconnectedness of existence. The grant did not simply give me time. It gave me permission to step back and create the conditions for renewal, shifting how I understand the relationship between teaching, making, and simply being.
Steve Prince
The MOFSA Grant was very instrumental in me being able to continue my artistic practice by providing me funds to purchase more materials. In a world that is increasingly more divisive and funds are shrinking for the arts, the MOFSA organization is critical for artists and particularly artists of faith to continue to create work that is faith centered, focuses on current issues that are affecting our communal fabric, and producing work that can speak to generations.
Jennifer Printz
Receiving the MOFSA grant felt like a meaningful door opening. It affirmed that there is a community invested in art that serves deeper purposes—work that is generous, generative, and oriented toward connection. I understand art as an act that positively influences both maker and viewer, giving voice to the heart and creating pathways to connection: with ourselves, with one another, and with something larger than ourselves. My aim is for my work to offer moments of insight and quiet beauty, communicating through color, tone, and material what language can only gesture toward.
Clark Valentine
Since receiving the MOFSA Grant in 2024, my practice has experienced a transformation, not just through the generous support of MOFSA, but through the community the organization provides. As a contemporary artist discussing spirituality, it is important to find other artists who investigate making with similar narratives and conceptual goals. MOFSA has connected me with artists from around the country who share these interests, and manifest them in unique ways. I am eager to continue to participate in this community and provide support to those who join us in the future.
Ana Lisa Volentine
I love MOFSA because it is a space of zen. Despite the happy appearance of my artwork, I’ve gone through many difficult experiences. MOFSA pulled me out of the weeds (where I had my face down in the mud) and into a higher perspective. Bob reminds me that there are intelligent people out there bringing good to the world, and I must do the same.
These are but a few of the rich reflections of artists in the growing MOFSA community. We invite you to spend more time with the artists through the Artist Directory. And when you feel led, please join the conversation!