October 6 through November 17

The Unity Center will be hosting eco-photographer Jan Phillips’ exhibition “Human/Nature: The Incredible Oneness of Things” in our Sanctuary Art Gallery at 8999 Activity Road, San Diego. The show will run from October 6 through November 17 and there will be an opening reception and artist’s talk at noon in the Sanctuary. At the closing reception on November 17, Phillips, author, spiritual activist, and founder/CEO of the Livingkindness Foundation will be facilitating a group conversation on the relationship between creativity, spirituality and social justice.

“Jan’s photographs creatively express our commitment to social and spiritual transformation here at The Unity Center,” says Reverend Wendy Craig-Purcell, founding minister. “We established the Sanctuary Art Gallery because we believe in the power of art to uplift minds and hearts and Jan’s images do just that.”

Phillips has been photographing since 1975, using her images to promote peace and justice internationally. One of the co-founders of Syracuse Cultural Workers, she made a year-long peace pilgrimage around the world. She has authored 12 award-winning books and is a national speaker and workshop facilitator. “Creativity has been my spirituality in running shoes,” she says. “This exhibition is the culmination of fifty years of looking for signs of life and hope—everywhere I look I see it.”

“Jan’s photographs creatively express our commitment to social and spiritual transformation here at The Unity Center,” says Reverend Wendy Craig-Purcell, founding minister. “We established the Sanctuary Art Gallery because we believe in the power of art to uplift minds and hearts and Jan’s images do just that.”

Phillips has been photographing since 1975, using her images to promote peace and justice internationally. One of the co-founders of Syracuse Cultural Workers, she made a year-long peace pilgrimage around the world. She has authored 12 award-winning books and is a national speaker and workshop facilitator. “Creativity has been my spirituality in running shoes,” she says. “This exhibition is the culmination of fifty years of looking for signs of life and hope—everywhere I look I see it.”

Artists’ Statement and Personal Invitation

I became a photographer the same year I became a social activist—1975. My activism was a response to the homophobia I experienced in my church, family, and college classroom; the sexism I experienced in the workplace and society; and the growing number of nuclear weapons being amassed around the world that made me fearful and anxious. I was a lesbian/feminist/peace activist with a specific agenda: to use my photographs to promote awareness and provoke action for justice and peace.

I created a slideshow of peacemakers and rallies in the U.S. and Canada and made a peace pilgrimage around the world showing Focus on Peace to audiences from Nagasaki to Newcastle. I created an exhibition of photos from my childhood to adulthood called Born Gay, with captions that articulated the conflicts I dealt with from kindergarten to the convent. Behind everything was an awareness that a “picture is worth a thousand words.”

These photographs here surfaced like hidden treasures, coming together in pairs on my tabletop as I sorted through images from the past to the present. They spoke to me—not in any literal way, not about anything explainable or cerebral—but in a mystical and mysterious way. They spoke of oneness, connectedness, sacred ties between Earth and her creatures.

In each frame are two images, but they evoke a third thing: a feeling, an awakening, a moment of awe--- or whatever it is you feel as you stand before each one. My hope is that your feeling as a sacred Earthling is amplified. That you see more clearly your own Divinity and awaken to the reality that you and I are the Light of the World. ~ Jan Phillips, April 2024

Upcoming Exhibits

  • August through September

    Our inaugural exhibit featuring a variety of art styles and media (oil on canvas, water color, photography, mixed media) from 14 talented artists

  • October 6 through November 13

    Jan Phillips, eco-photographer, has been photographing since 1975, using her images to promote peace and justice internationally.

    Check the Art Gallery page for complete details about this inspiring exhibit as well as a chance to meet Jan and hear her talk.

  • December 1 through December 29

    Artist Julie Weaverling's, "Lift the Sky" project was born of a need for a counterpoint to, and respite from, inevitable and constant bad news confronting the world. Artists answer the question, “what’s your message to the world?” then create art on 18”x24” pieces of muslin, canvas or other material which is then sewn into hanging panels. Artists from 14 countries responded with universal positive expressions in words and art as declarations of hope with messages of caring for the earth and the human family. Lift the Sky invites the viewer to see and hear themself while walking through the broader singular voice of many artists. 

    Each exhibit will feature different art panels.

  • January 5 thorugh 26

    December 1 through December 29

    Artist Julie Weaverling's, "Lift the Sky" project was born of a need for a counterpoint to, and respite from, inevitable and constant bad news confronting the world. Artists answer the question, “what’s your message to the world?” then create art on 18”x24” pieces of muslin, canvas or other material which is then sewn into hanging panels. Artists from 14 countries responded with universal positive expressions in words and art as declarations of hope with messages of caring for the earth and the human family. Lift the Sky invites the viewer to see and hear themself while walking through the broader singular voice of many artists. 

    Each exhibit will feature different art panels.

  • February 2 through March 30

    A Special Art Exhibit in Recognition of Black History Month
    and in Honor of the Civil Rights Movement

The Unity Center Art Gallery is now open and being enjoyed by members, friends, and the broader community. We take pride in its quality and uniqueness, offering a space where art enriches and connects us all.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”  Pablo Picasso

The Gallery’s Mission

The Unity Center Art Gallery is dedicated to celebrating the transformative power of art. Our mission for the gallery is to create an inclusive environment that fosters reflection, inspiration, and connection. We believe in art's unique ability to educate, inspire, heal, and bridge diverse communities, and we are committed to providing a welcoming space for all.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”

— Pablo Picasso