Patricia’s artwork is on display at the Presbytery offices through December.

Seeking worship spaces for the Spirit – visible and invisible, new and old – has continuously been part of Patricia Jackson’s journey of faith through art. She learned to create with fabric and threads from her mother and both her grandmothers and expanded that early interest into applique design work for a children’s clothing line and her own label of special occasion women’s clothing. Patricia has taken numerous and varied design classes, including art workshops at Montreat Worship and Music Conferences in North Carolina. She taught ESOL in Baltimore County elementary schools for many years and draws inspiration from studying different cultures and faiths, visiting art museums and traveling, most recently on a pilgrimage to the Southwest.

Growing up Patricia worshipped in Catholic, Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches, and for the past 30 years has been a member of Towson Presbyterian Church (TPC), where she has served as Deacon and Elder, worked on too numerous committees(peace and justice, property, mission, creation care, fellowship, children youth and adult education, Sunday Community Lunch team) and always serves with passion on Worship, Music and Arts woven into all areas of the church.

Over the last few years at TPC Patricia has created community liturgical art projects around the seasons and missions of the church and in which all ages and abilities have participated. Using textiles of purchased, re-purposed and hand-dyed fabric and heavy weight paper, she designs, fuses and sews art pieces large and small. With some courage and confidence, she climbs ladders to hang the finished creations and gives thanks to all those who help with installation.

Patricia’s art and writing are works of faith and seeking, seeking to encounter the grace of God in the everyday and extraordinary of life. By combining ancient Biblical text and contemporary poetry of faith, by presenting great master artists and new visionary art, by mingling traditional music and current world song, her hope is that each liturgical art participant and worshipper will encounter the Spirit in word, image, song and prayer, and be transformed and renewed in faith. 

For the name of her liturgical art creations Patricia chose Justice and Joy, from one of her favorite hymns, For Everyone Born a Place at the Table: “God will delight when we are creators of justice, joy, compassion and peace. Yes, God will delight when we are creators of justice…justice and joy.” Her liturgical art reflects today’s world, a world where, in the words of Frederick Buechner, “Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Be not afraid.” May faith and love and art prevail.

Patricia currently serves on the worship planning team for the June 2020 General Assembly in Baltimore.

For more information about Patricia’s art and commissions for liturgical art projects, please contact her at patriciamjackson@icloud.com or 410-299-3788.

For the Advent 2019 exhibit at the Baltimore Presbytery, two albums of her work are available to look at, one focused just on Advent and one on other Seasons and events in the liturgical calendar and life of the church.