I was not prepared to face my own mortality in the hallway of the Sargent Art Building.

Experiencing the “Michael Slattery: The Finer Points” exhibition on the campus of Bob Jones University unlocked a deeper understanding of BJU’s Division of Art and Design. Familiarity with Emery Bopp, the “patriarch” of the department if you will, allows me to understand the origins and foundations of this conservative Christian-driven art school that blooms in the buckle of the Bible belt. My employment at BJU provides familiarity with the latest faculty roster. Andrews, Bopp (Emery’s son), Stanley, Schwingle, Hartman and so many others too numerous to name. But contemplating Michael Slattery’s work through “The Finer Points” builds a bridge of connection between the first great generation of art faculty at BJU, and the current cohort of professors actively invested in shaping the future of the department both in and out of the classroom this semester.

Michael Slattery truly represents what I have always believed to be the greatest attribute of the Division of Art and Design at Bob Jones University: artists who explore new ways to reframe eternal truths. Slattery was a master of the beautiful tension between mediums perhaps not yet broached by artists in his circles and the constant collision with the call to faithfully communicate the majesty of his Creator. Michael’s digital prints of security cameras and TV screens gone over with physical mediums show he understood the rapidly changing times in which he lived. His collaborations with colleagues after his cancer diagnoses and the work produced by his family and friends under his guidance shows how well he exercised his gift of teaching. And the architectural gauche paintings reveal his understanding of color, light, structure and design. “The Finer Points” never stops reminding the audience just how much fun it can be to take life seriously.

Immediately after my first encounter with the show I contacted a friend, raving about how “The Finer Points” truly captures Michael’s fingerprints on the 2025 version of BJU’s A+D. He built upon what he was taught while he was a student; he loved those he taught and served alongside; he provided a springboard for the students of the future. My text message included a hastily captured iPhone picture of [Repeating Figures], and I have returned to that photo on my mobile device every day for the past two weeks. There is something whimsical about the rows upon rows of miniature faceless forms who each have their own unique personality, their own casual stance, their own presumed hopes and dreams.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Tessa Bonnema

Photo of Michael Slattery

Yet it was the juxtaposition of [Repeating Figures] and its show neighbor First Rehab Exercise that brought me to tears. To see these pieces hanging so close together is to recognize more deeply that it is the spirit of the artist, the eternal soul residing inside the mortal body, that is the ultimate reflection of the Creator. I was not prepared to face my own mortality in the classroom hallway of the Sargent Art Building. But there Death stood outside the drawing studio, Fine Arts 24, deceptively shrouded in the dozens of carefully scrawled repeating rectangles designed to help a once meticulous fine artist learn how to draw all over again.

Made in His image, Michael Slattery produced a body of work in direct response to the command in Genesis to subdue the earth and bring about order. The mandate to cultivate ourselves and others as living canvases covered up by the brushstrokes of the Creator. In life Michael was known and loved by many because of his passion for helping others take small steps toward their big goals. In death, Michael yet lives, no longer bound by the diseases of this world and still creating beauty in the lives of those his soul touched through his art.

David Baral is the content director for BJU Alumni Relations and Advancement.