The Saint John’s Bible art exhibit spans an entire hallway of the Saint Bede Monastery in Eau Claire. Entering the hall of artwork, guests are greeted by a beautiful illustration of the first seven days of creation from the book of Genesis.

Seven vertical columns each depict a representation of a day of God’s creations. From a splash of dark colors bearing the Hebrew wording tobu wabohu (“void, chaos”) the first day begins, with satellite images of the Ganges River Delta suggesting the division of land and water on the third day, aboriginal rock paintings of Africa and Australia expressing the creation of humans on the sixth day, to the finality of the seventh day portrayed in a strip of golden color, representing the contemplation of the spirit and completion of God’s work. Seventeen completed pages of various volumes of the Bible stretch along the left hand side of the hallway, inviting visitors to ponder the artwork as they stroll from page to page.

The artwork, commissioned by Saint John’s Abbey and University, is that of Donald Jackson and numerous other calligraphers who have begun the incredible process of creating the first Bible written and illustrated entirely by hand in more than 500 years, since the invention of movable type. The project officially began in 1998, and is set to be finished by 2010, but Jackson’s desire to create the Bible spans back to 1970.

Jackson is the artistic director leading a team of calligraphers at his scriptorium in Wales. He has been doing calligraphy since the young age of 13, on a scholarship to art school. By 26, Jackson was chosen as one of Queen Elizabeth’s two official scribes and considered one of the leading calligraphers in the Western world.

The New Revised Standard Version translation was chosen for its modern translation, as well as its gender-inclusive language and broad use by Catholics and Protestants. Jackson’s team is using traditional materials: vellum (calfskin), ancient inks, gold and silver leaf, and platinum, and quill pens fashioned from goose, turkey, and swan feathers. Photographs of flora and fauna were taken for inspiration for illustrations from either Minnesota near Saint John’s Abbey and University or from Wales, where Jackson resides.

    Jackson also seeks inspiration from current archaeological and anthropological theories, and photos of Ethiopian tribes. In an illustration of Adam and Eve, Jackson expresses the couple as African Americans, linking the notion of the first humans and such theories. The illustrations also draw on the scientific and technological improvements since the last handwritten and illuminated Bible, to create a Bible to show future generations what life was like in our time. In The Genealogy of Christ, a Menorah represents the family tree of Christ, with strands of DNA threaded through the outer branches, symbolizing the connectedness of humanity. The new Bible’s illustrations will also have much more emphasis on women than in earlier Bibles. The script and illustrations are undoubtedly beautiful and unique.

The fact that the Saint John’s Bible art exhibit is here in Eau Claire is not only historical, but, to say the least, really cool. Sister Judy Kramer of Saint Bede Monastery explains the importance of such artwork, “The monks of Saint John’s Abbey are supporting this project because they want to give the world the first handwritten copy of scrip … supporting the dream of Mr. Donald Jackson to create an unforgettable work of art with the scriptures for the 21st century and beyond.” The artwork of Jackson and his team is undeniably unforgettable, and will be a source of inspiration and religious contemplation for hundreds of years to come.

    St. John’s Bible Art Exhibit • now through April 12 • St. Bede’s Monastery, 1190 Priory Road, Eau Claire • 9am-5pm and 7-9pm daily • FREE • 834-8642 • www.stbede.org