Sistine Chapel: "Man's Reach For God".

Central painting of the Sistine Chapel, The Vatican

            Some fifty years ago, I was asked to chair a major event in the city of Long Beach, California. The theme was art as it reflects the artist's attempt to transcend the material and reach toward the eternal. We contacted artists around the basin and even reached out to schools for children's art. 

              It was not just what would be called religious works, but pieces of significance to the artist. We struggled with a title for the show. A member of the committee who was the curator of the county gallery suggested "Man's Reach for God". It was difficult, but we got a local commercial photographer to create a piece where just the hands of Adam and God from the Sistine Chapel were shown. The photo above is a larger photo of the same hands. The show drew  large crown of visitors. 

            It was years later that we visited the Vatican ... and could not enter the chapel.