Great religious traditions of the world teach that there is a spiritual dimension somewhere beyond observable reality. The laws of physics tell that matter and energy, which are fundamental to everything in our universe, can be transformed but cannot be destroyed. Perhaps, then, in some mysterious and unknowable way, we are surrounded by everyone we have loved and lost — indeed, all that has ever been!

A Moment in The Sun rises from personal grief and the universal human experience of recognizing that our time on this Earth is precious and fleeting. The artworks in this exhibit, curated mostly from the Museum’s permanent collection, are gathered to propose an encouraging idea for the living: the mundane and the numinous coexist more often than we realize. Profound beauty, inspiration, and even sustaining comfort may be discovered in ordinary places, in quiet moments.

This exhibit is presented with support from The Isabelle Gwynn and Robert Daine Exhibition Endowment.

This project is supported with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Tourism and the National Endowment