From Cross to Canvas: A Journey Through the Easter Story

‘Stations’ is not just an art exhibition but a spiritual journey through the last moments of Jesus’ life before going to the Cross – it is about making space to “reflect, absorb and take in the message of Easter.”

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With Easter approaching, it’s a time for reflection on the profound impact of Jesus’ sacrifices.

At Dayspring Church in Castle Hill, the annual Easter art exhibition, ‘Stations’ offers a powerful, immersive experience retelling the final moments of Christ’s life from the torment of the Garden of Gethsemane to the glory of His resurrection.

“What Stations is, is a unique and artistic take on the traditional Stations of the Cross,” Aaron Williamson told Hope Weekends.

“We set it up like an art gallery, and it leads you through the final 12 moments of Jesus life,”

“Stations” is Dayspring Church’s annual immersive Easter art exhibition exploring the 12 Stations of the Cross.

“Each station has been prayerfully curated to help you slow down and reflect on all that Jesus did for us; to reflect, absorb and take in the message of Easter.

“And so there’s artworks on display, there’s some tactile arrangements set up where you can interact with all the different Stations leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.”

Art and emotion: the testimonies

After attending Stations, there are countless stories of people leaving profoundly affected, describing the whole experience as powerful and moving.

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Aaron emphasizes the ability of art and beauty to deeply impact the heart, helping people connect with the Easter story.

“I think art and beauty and how we’ve presented Stations has a way of kind of getting in under our skin to bypass our minds and directly… speak to our hearts, which is really what the Easter message is all about,” Aaron said.

“It’s a message for our hearts – it’s God’s heart communicating and transforming and healing our hearts.”

“We see people come out of the station’s gallery and often visibly emotional, often with tears, often unable to find the words to describe what they’ve experienced.

“We had a high school through last year, and it really impacted teenagers – teenagers who were familiar with the Easter story and also teenagers who had never been exposed to the Easter story who were from non-Christian backgrounds coming in and encountering Jesus and the message of Easter for the first time.”

‘Stations’ runs April 15-19 and family friendly hours are available.

An event for all ages

Dayspring Church has structured the event to cater to a wide array of visitors.

Stations itself will run from April 15-19 between 9am and 8pm while family friendly hours are on Friday 18th April from 3pm-4pm, and Saturday the 19th of April from 10am-11am.

“We’ve had people of all ages come through, and that excites us because we want everyone to experience the Easter story.

“Because it is an art gallery experience, it can be a little bit different to bring children through, but they love it.

“And parents have enjoyed bringing their children through.”

There is an audio guide that leads you through all the 12 stations in both English and Mandarin.

Visitors are also given a journal to write their thoughts down.

It’s recommended to bring a smart phone and headphones.

The event is free and more information can be found at dayspring.com.au

Listen to Aaron’s Williamson’s interview with Hope Weekends’ Yvette in the player above.

Images: All photos supplied by Dayspring Church and used with permission.