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The art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson reflects the rhythms and sounds of spirituals and jazz and the heritage of her community in Columbus, Ohio. In awarding her a “genius” grant in 2004, the MacArthur Foundation called her work “Homeric in content, quantity, and scale.” She worked in various media, from paper and books to quilted cloth and buttons to hogmaug—a mix of pig grease, homemade dyes, red clay, lime, twigs, and leaves. Give Me Jesus is included in her book The Teachings, which focuses on the lyrics of African American spirituals and the teachings of the elders.

Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506) was only 26 when he received the commission for the predellas (horizontal panels) beneath the high altar in the church of San Zeno in Verona, Italy. The scene is symmetrical in Renaissance fashion. Three crosses mark a paved area outside the walls of Jeru­salem. This symmetry continues throughout the painting: compositionally, the soldier on horseback in the right corner corresponds to the apostle John on the left; Mary and the cluster of women supporting her are balanced by the gang of soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ tunic.

Brooklyn-based artists Joan Benefiel and Jeremy Leichman, principals at Figuration Studio, create a wide range of sculptures for an impressive range of clients, including cities, universities, churches, and the National Football League. Some of their most intriguing works are on spiritual themes, as in Examen, a sculpture of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits.