"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace."

Few Christians have captured the imagination quite like St. Francis of Assisi. Remembered for his joyful simplicity, deep compassion, love for the poor, and reverence for all creation, Francis lived with an uncommon attentiveness to the presence of God in the ordinary world. His life continues to invite us toward humility, peace, generosity, wonder, and kinship with both our neighbors and the natural world.

This November, Creo Arts invites you to explore the life, legacy, and spiritual vision of St. Francis through the arts. Whether inspired by his care for creation, his radical hospitality, his pursuit of peace, or the beauty of a life fully surrendered to God, we welcome works that engage with the enduring themes of his witness. Through painting, sculpture, poetry, photography, music, and more, this exhibition celebrates a life that continues to inspire artists and believers across generations.

This exhibition will coincide with the premiere of Creo’s newest film exploring the life of St. Francis, directed by David Whitaker. Learn more about the film premiere here. Together, the film and exhibition offer an opportunity to encounter Francis’ story through both cinema and the visual arts, reflecting on the enduring questions, practices, and convictions that shaped his remarkable life.

The St. Francis Exhibition will be on view at the Creo Arts Gallery throughout November and December.

For Artists

Submissions are open to everyone—artists of all ages and backgrounds are warmly encouraged to apply. There are no prerequisites, credentials, or prior exhibitions required. We welcome a wide range of mediums—painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, drawing, ceramics, fiber arts, digital art, poetry, and more.

Artists are encouraged to interpret the theme. Your work might depict scenes from the life of St. Francis, reflect on his relationship with creation, respond to his writings and prayers, or explore the virtues that shaped his life—peace, humility, joy, reconciliation, simplicity, generosity, care for the marginalized, and delight in the created world. Whether representational or abstract, historical or contemporary, we are looking for thoughtful, compelling work that engages with the story of St. Francis in a meaningful way.

All submissions will be thoughtfully reviewed by a small curatorial team, and not every piece submitted will be selected for exhibition. Final selections will be made with care, prayer, and attention to how each work contributes to the exhibition as a whole.

Works accepted for exhibition will be available for purchase throughout the duration of the show. Creo is equipped and happy to facilitate sales on behalf of artists, helping connect artwork with collectors and community members who love supporting local work. Artists are under no obligation to price their work for sale if they prefer to exhibit only.

Please submit your work by 11:59pm on Sunday, September 13th.

Click here for our submission form.

You may need to log in to a Gmail account to submit the form. If you have any issues with the submission link, or if you do not have a Gmail account, simply email your submission to janelle@creoarts.org.