Painting Christ on the Hearts of People

New in 2026!

Go the the Potter’s House: Documentary

An Artful Journey Through Psalm 92: Coffee Table Book and Traveling Exhibition

The God Who Whispers: Traveling Exhibition Releases May 17, 2026

God in the City: Traveling Exhibition Ready for Tour in September

2026 Theme:
"Something New"

Isaiah 43:19 CEV

“I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it?

I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.”

Welcome to Great Commission Artists!

WHO WE ARE: We are a non-denominational Christian network of artists who honor Christ together through art and community service. We love artists of all ages and seek to inspire them to inspire others. We also support and encourage them toward excellence in their craft and personal goals.

OUR ART: We base all of our art on the Word of God. Every piece of art has at its core a spiritual foundation to give it depth and purpose for God’s kingdom and glory. We desire to display beauty, integrity, and hope through powerful, meaningful, and artistic expression.

OUR MINISTRY: We design and provide traveling exhibits, an active art-based blog, imaginative events, and community service projects, all for the purpose of sharing the love of God.

Thank you for finding us here! We hope you will be inspired by what we do, and if you would like to participate in anything we do, please contact us at greatcommissionartists@gmail.com. 

Be blessed!

Announcing our first coffee table book!

An art book that reads like a devotional,

AN ARTFUL JOURNEY THROUGH PSALM 92

In 2024, one of our board members suggested we publish a coffee table book, so we began to pray about that. Then in early 2025 one of our blogging artists, Cheryl Barr, volunteered to design a book featuring the blogs, and we began to discuss it. But in May, 2025, a visitor at our Behold God exhibition asked , “Have you ever thought about making a coffee table book?” That’s when we committed to it.

 

 

Three requests. Not one of them knowing about the other. Yes, God’s hand was upon it.

 

 

Throughout the summer of 2025, Cheryl and Marianne collaborated for the content, design, and editing of An Artful Journey Through Psalm 92. Much to their delight, the theme evolved clearly and beautifully, matching all the blogs into various segments of Psalm 92. 

 

 

By September, we had a book, and the editing/publishing process began. On December 15, 2025, our lovely coffee table debuted on Amazon.

 

On January 11, 2026, we formally launched An Artful Journey Through Psalm 92 with a reception graciously sponsored by Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hopkins where our new exhibit of the same name now resides until March.

Revised 3

GO TO THE POTTER’S HOUSE

A Documentary Dedicated to the Master Potter

What does it mean to go to the Potter’s house? When Israel was desperate and lost, God told Jeremiah to get up, get going, and find the potter’s house. What would the prophet learn? And why was it so important that he understand how the Potter worked “at his wheel”?

 

In this intensely personal documentary, five pottery artists delve into the beauty of this timeless metaphor that still speaks wisdom. From the perspective of both the Potter (God) and us (the clay), they mingle the concepts of the intimate, mysterious, creative, and sometimes rugged relationship we have with our Maker.

 

This is not a scripted video. It is straight from the heart, informative, and filled with insights about this metaphor that potters alone can articulate. GCA Director, Marianne McDonough, conceived the basis of this video while reading Eugene H. Peterson’s extraordinary book, Run With the Horses, especially the sixth chapter, “Go to the Potter’s House.” Throughout the film, some bits and pieces of Peterson’s insights provide foundational depth. Additional quotes from Mark Buchanan’s Holy Wild also contribute, especially pertaining to God’s character and glory.

 

Great Commission Artists gratefully hopes and prays that all viewers will grow in their love for and submission to the Master Potter of the universe.

Traveling Exhibitions

2026 – 2027

 

 

Theme Scriptures:

1 Samuel 3:9 NIV

Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

1 Kings 19:12 (NIV) 

“After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. 

And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

Psalm 40:6 (Voice)

Sacrifices and offerings are not what You want, 

but You’ve opened my ears, and now I understand . . .”

“Nothing has the potential to change your life like the whisper of God.” Mark Batterson, Whisper

 

Artists’ Schedule

February 2, 2026: Submit registration form and frame size. This does not require a finalized plan or title. What we want is your commitment to participate and a general description of your intended project.

April 1, 2026: Submit high-quality image photo of your finished art and artist’s statement form.

April 10, 2016: Deliver by mail or in person.

May 17 – 18: Exhibition opening at Centennial Park Hughes Pavilion.

Our current 2025-2026 traveling exhibition, Behold God,
is on tour in the Twin Cities through June of 2026.
For venues, please consult our calendar.

Our repertoire of exhibitions also includes:  

Kids Love

Elder Love
Healing Love
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Communications Advisor

Debbie Gustafson

Debbie Gustafson has been an active member and participating artist since the first Psalms Exhibit in 2012. Consistently, she has supported our events and exhibits with wisdom and excellence. Her wisdom and faithfulness to our vision prompted us to seek her support as a board member, and she graciously accepted although she also serves her church and community in a number of other roles, including arts and education. In addition, she is an original member of our blogging ministry that now comprises our “Fresh Oil” artists group.

Programs Advisor

Roberta Sawyer

Roberta (“Bobbie”) Sawyer describes herself as “a lifetime dabbler with a love of experimentation with learners young and old.” Currently an elder at Prairie Community Church in Eden Prairie, Bobbie has participated in numerous types of ministry. She has taught art seminars for children including her “Art in the Park” outdoor summer series, served as a scenarist for church skits, plays and musicals, led Bible study fellowships for 12 years, and created backdrops and props for Vacation Bible Schools. She has also served as a literacy tutor and office support staff for South Hennepin Adult Programs in Education. Also an original Great Commission Arts core group member, Bobbie co-coordinates the monthly Art Klatch painters fellowship group. As a board advisor, she contributes much prayer, a tenacious faith, and a love for people and artists of all definitions.
Outreach Advisor

Geraldine Antoinette Mehta

Geri Mehta has served in numerous ministry positions, which include teaching Sunday school at Way of the Cross church in Blaine, directing girls programs at Hospitality House in north Minneapolis, serving on the mission field in Guatemala and India, and co-leading a home church. She has also been active in community organizations such as Jaycees and Toastmasters.
Geri brings a clear sense of vision and discernment to the board, especially in the area of outreach. She has a passion for promoting the gospel with compassion, love, and respect. As a painter and original Great Commission Artists core group member, Geri has served GCA faithfully in numerous capacities. Her wisdom, like her art, inspires us to seek God’s heart in all things.
Pastoral Board Advisor

Reverend Roger Kuhn

Roger Kuhn has extensive ministry experience, including numerous pastoral positions in New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, and Minnesota. Most of his career he has served as lead pastor and has particularly enjoyed discipling new believers. Currently, Roger serves as the National Pastor of Member Care and the Director of Church Relations at International Ministerial Fellowship, the licensing organization for W.I.N.D. of the Spirit Ministries. Additionally, his pastoral responsibilities include all IMF Alliance Churches and 200 Lead Pastors. With deep faith and a thorough understanding of ministry, Roger provides pastoral supervision, support, and prayer for W.I.N.D. Ministries, including Great Commission Artists.
Founder & Director

Marianne McDonough

Licensed for ministry in the creative arts through International Ministerial Fellowship, Marianne McDonough founded Great Commission Artists and serves as its director in addition to directing   W.I.N.D. of the Spirit Ministries, the 501 (c) (3) umbrella ministry. Believing the arts have a unique capacity to exalt God and inspire His people, Marianne loves to encourage and mentor Christian artists toward the full expression of their gifts, especially in the context of worship. Marianne’s experience includes writing in secular and Christian venues, leadership in worship and dance ministries, teaching worship arts seminars for children, and sponsoring visual arts workshops and exhibits.

In 2010, she initiated “Art in the Beauty of Holiness” seminars, specifically designed for visual artists and subsequently produced in DVD format. After the formation of GCA and its core group in 2011, she produced four more DVDs featuring artists’ interviews and three other seminars: Worship in the Potter’s Hands, Waterfalls with Rev. Paul Oman, and Banners with Elsa Hammond. She also created a cable television presentation on art and worship. 

Starting in September of 2012, Marianne inaugurated the first Great Commission Artists Exhibition, “Psalms Exhibit and Creative Arts Celebration,” at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. This event included a juried exhibit, continuous original worship music provided by local composers, and dance presentations. Since then, as of spring of 2023, GCA has presented eleven exhibitions with multi-generational artist participation, including numerous high school students from local high schools. The last six exhibitions have traveled for month-long display at Twin Cities’ churches.

Additionally, Marianne believes the Great Commission applies to all of the body of Christ, including artists of all definitions. Thus, she has guided Great Commission Artists to create a variety of teaching conferences and art-based community service projects including Kids Love, a popular Valentines day outreach to homeless children. Great Commission Artists is fulfilling its namesake mission to minister Christ to their world and glorify God.

With a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota, Marianne is an author and speaker. She has served as a board director for the Minnesota Christian Writers Guild and also leads a Christian writers’ critique group. Her 2016 book, 8 Steps to Getting Real with Cancer, won the Midwest Book Awards in the health category. In 2018 she released Beating Cancer One Truth At A Time, another guide for newly diagnosed patients designed for individual or support group reflection.

Marianne enjoys writing in various genres and desires for writers to explore new ways to release their talents to exalt Christ. Her passion is to see God’s beauty revealed in all of the creative arts.