By Tonya Burton

Churches are not unheard of places to hang artwork, it’s just that the paintings tend to be Biblically focused. But four local artists are pushing the boundaries and testing out a church as a new form of art gallery.

The diverse works of Wend Boomhower, Julie Cranfill, Jan Snyder and Nancy Waltz are currently being displayed in the lobby of the Hazel Dell Christian Church at 14501 Hazel Dell Pkwy. The display will show through November and may be viewed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Although the church does not sell the artwork, the welcome desk offers price lists and contact information for each artist. A meet-and-greet session for the artists has been scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 10.

The four artists, who had shown regularly at the former Artists on the Square gallery in Noblesville, were disappointed when that venue closed. They had become friends and fans of each other’s work and decided to work together to find a gallery that fit their needs.

“We’d like to show together once a year,” Snyder said.

At the same time, Joel Phillips, minister of music at the Hazel Dell Christian Church, was looking to expand the church’s inclusiveness and reach out to visual artists. Through a mutual acquaintance, the artists and the church came together to create the current colorful display.

Boomhower, a former graphic designer from England, works in several mediums, including acrylic, silk dies and tissue paper. Cranfill works in acrylics on canvas, while Waltz works in water colors. Snyder works with oils, acrylic and water colors.

Art is their passion and has been an important part of their lives for a very long time, they all agreed. This venue just fills the void that Artists on the Square left when it closed.