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SALT LAKE CITY — Clinton resident Kristine Asay said she was inspired when she decided to recreate the miracle of Moses parting the Red Sea.
Instead of actually attempting the miracle Moses performed to free the children of Israel, Asay has the vision to recreate the parting of the Red Sea through a life-size replica using glass as the wall of water.
The project — On Dry Ground — is intended to be a glass sculpture exhibit that people can walk through, with waves over 10 feet high and between 50 to 60 feet long. The wall of water would be slightly curved to give the effect to the observer that they're surrounded by a wall of water.
"It was just a small idea that kept getting bigger," Asay described. "I never intended to do anything that big."
Asay said she originally imagined the project to be two paintings representing each side of the wall of water, but said "it just kind of grew, until one night I thought this would look so cool out of glass."
Having no previous experience working with glass, Asay made attempts at buying glass and even considered buying and building a kiln — a thermally-controlled oven to work with glass. But it was a trip to Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life in Lehi where Asay learned of Holdman Studios — a glass studio that has designed many glass projects for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other institutions.
Asay met with owner Tom Holdman who said he loved the idea and wanted to make it part of an upcoming BYU arts exhibit he was putting together. However, as the talks continued between the two, Asay and Holdman decided to make it its own traveling exhibit.
"As we continued to talk about it, and the idea was really becoming cemented in our minds, we both agreed and said this is going to be a piece that stands on its own and will travel from museum to museum all over the world," Asay said.
The message behind the sculpture, Asay said, is what makes the exhibit so compelling.
"There is a powerful message in this story and an amazing experience if people could actually walk through it and feel like this actually happened," Asay said. "This is a God that made something happen in a very difficult situation.
"We've all been in difficult spots before and things just follow through, things just happen, and you don't know how they happened or how it worked out for you," she added. "But just like the Israelites, sometimes the answer comes in ways we haven't thought about or didn't think ever would."
Holdman said the exhibit can give the observer the experience that God is actually holding back the waves at that moment.
"It can be constantly changing as the light plays off of it," Holdman said. "Depending on what angle you look at it, it could be a whole new piece of art.
There is a powerful message in this story and an amazing experience if people could actually walk through it and feel like this actually happened. This is a God that made something happen in a very difficult situation.
–Kristine Asay
Asay said she hopes to make the exhibit a "complete experience." Instead of walking into a museum and directly into the exhibit, the surrounding area before the exhibit will have an Egyptian look, with a Hebrew look on the other side of the parted Red Sea. The observer will gain a full appreciation of the miracle.
"The story combined with the beauty of the art, the glass, the colors is everything," she said. "I hope that is portrayed as they walk through — that there are some things we have to leave behind and change and let go of and grab something better."
The art exhibit is still in the development phase, with Asay setting up a Kickstarter campaign to help with the financial needs associated with such a large project. But whether Asay meets her financial goal on Kickstarter or not, she said the exhibit will be funded and the exhibit will move forward.
"One way or another, this will get funded," Asay said. "I'm not worried about that."
Asay is hopeful that others will see the powerful message behind the art exhibit.
"Not only did this piece get bigger, but the message behind it did as well," she added. "The message behind it is powerful. Hopefully we'll be able to convey that and people will be able to feel that, and just feel his power, his trustworthiness."
