In 2003, an eight-year-old who had never gone to church or read a bible, painted a portrait of Jesus that became world-famous, then suddenly went missing for twenty years. Miraculously recovered and now hanging in a small Texas town, Prince of Peace is still the most recognized portrait of Jesus in the world. Within just a few short months, over 10,000 people from 15 different countries have journeyed to Belóved Gallery in Marble Falls, Texas, to take their moment with the painting.
Founded to amplify the work of extraordinary artists, Belóved Gallery’s mission is for people of all backgrounds to experience faith through art. Our premier exhibition, Akiane: The Early Years, is thoughtfully curated to tell the miraculous story of Akiane and her Prince of Peace painting through art, poetry, and film, providing a space for reflection, response, and connection.
Showcasing 13 of Akiane’s original childhood paintings, Akiane: The Early Years allows in-person viewings of Prince of Peace for the first time since its creation. Among the collection are works such as Dreams and The Missing Years, also re-imagined from Akiane’s visions of heaven, and Turquoise Eyes, Akiane’s eleven-year-old self-portrait. The paintings are accompanied by the artist's poems, descriptions, and deep reflections. Akiane: A Portrait of the Artist, the exhibition’s exclusive short film, follows Akiane’s journey through poverty, childhood fame, and tragic loss to becoming the master artist she is today.
Two masterpieces in the collection, Prince of Peace and Father Forgive Them, are recognized world-wide.
Belóved Gallery, exhibiting
Akiane: The Early Years featuring the world-renowned masterpiece,
Prince of Peace, hosted its first annual
Fall Affair: A Celebration of Faith through Art on October 27-29, 2023 in Marble Falls, Texas. The 20th anniversary of the
Prince of Peace painting, the face that has touched millions, was the pinnacle of the celebration.
It was a successful event with Master Artist Akiane Kramarik and a stunning lineup of artists, authors, and musicians. The celebration concluded with an immersive performance led by Music Producer Ramy Antoun and Recording Artist Robbie Saey at the
Belóved Gala.
The
Fall Affair was a series of events:
EXHIBITION TOURS
Akiane: The Early Years unveiled three new masterpieces in the collection
, Father Forgive Them, Infinite Perspective, and Planted Eyes, that have never been publicly exhibited. Over 700 guests attended tours of the exhibition at no charges.
SYMPHONY OF ART!
Symphony of Art! was a stunning lineup of live music and painting, poetry readings, book signings, art exhibits, and an intimate conversation with W. David O. Taylor and Akaine Kramarik.
BELÓVED GALA
The Belóved Gala included
an unforgettable immersive performance of the story of Akiane and her
Prince of Peace painting through a fusion of world-class art, film, dance, storytelling, and music. The performance included a 10-piece orchestra under the direction of Ramy Antoun, featuring singer-songwriter, Robbie Seay. Over $350,000 was raised to support Belóved Gallery's global mission.
LEWIS AND KIRSTEN CIRNE, CO-FOUNDERS
A seed for Belóved Gallery was planted when its co-founders, Lewis and Kirsten, acquired Akiane Kramarik’s world-renown painting, Prince of Peace. Captivated by the supernatural account surrounding its creation and astounded by the hope the painting inspires, they knew Prince of Peace was meant to be shared with the world. They dreamed about creating a space where a million people could have their own experience with the painting, thus amplifying Akiane’s message of unwavering faith, unconditional love and eternal life. They chose Marble Falls, Texas, to give the painting a destination of its own.
DONNA WILCOX, CEO
Donna Holland Wilcox has over 30 years of experience in business development, marketing, operations, and business management in both the public and private sectors, with an extensive network of business, government, and academic leaders throughout the State of Texas and around the world. Since 2019, Wilcox has served as manager and director of a large family office, including the roles of chief executive officer and executive director of Belóved Gallery, as well as executive director of Beloved in Christ Foundation. She led the formation of Belóved Gallery and Café from the ground up and manages the overall operations of the organization. Wilcox is a sixth generation, native Central Texan who lives on her family ranch with her husband, Brad, and daughter, Christian.
ALAINA SIVELLS, MARKETING DIRECTOR
Alaina Sivells has over a decade of experience in marketing, operations, and event management, where she has successfully built lasting customer relationships and transformed brands into communities of people who share similar interests. Alaina serves as Belóved Gallery’s director of marketing where she manages its brand through marketing and communications on all platforms of communications and events. She worked during the startup of Belóved bringing the exhibition to life. Alaina enjoys connecting with visitors who share their experiences with the paintings and building community around Belóved Gallery’s mission for people from around the world to experience faith through art. Alaina serves her community in many ways including as the program director at Camp Agape Grief Recovery Kids’ Summer Camp.
MICHELLE NEHME, CREATIVE PRODUCER
Michelle Nehme is a writer and filmmaker with over twenty years experience in the creative arts. Her work has played internationally on PBS and in film festivals and has included feature documentaries, short films, music videos, and commercials. Michelle is thrilled to be a part of the Belóved Gallery team, where she focuses on content creation for social media, web, and video. Michelle also helps to document the personal stories shared by Belóved Gallery guests, including their experience of the exhibition, Akiane: The Early Years, which has been a deeply meaningful and rewarding part of her work.
AKIANE KRAMARIK
Internationally recognized fine artist, poet, best-selling author, philanthropist, filmmaker, entrepreneur, visionary, and art ambassador, Akiane Kramarik is regarded as one of the world’s most accomplished and versatile living artists. A former child prodigy, she is considered by many art experts as the youngest binary genius in both realistic art and poetry. Her portraits of Jesus remain the most recognized face of Jesus across the world today. Kramarik’s creations have been exhibited in art galleries, museums, embassies, and private institutions, as well as collected by world leaders, CEOs, and celebrities. She has traveled to over 33 countries, lived in eight states, seven countries, and on four continents.
RAMY ANTOUN
The son of a producer and pianist, Antoun was given a snare drum at the age of three. By the time he was seven years old, he was playing in his father’s band and never looked back. His roster of credits include the Black Eyed Peas, Seal, Pat Benatar, Paul Oakenfold, and Ed Kowalczyk (formerly of the band LIVE). As a producer and songwriter, Antoun has track credits on hit television shows and movies such as
Matchstick Men,
Crazy Beautiful, and
The OC. Ramy is also a World Vision artist and served as the Creative Arts Pastor at Gateway Church in Austin, Texas. Most recently, he founded
A & F Drum Co, a boutique drum company based in Austin, Texas. Ramy’s unique ability to blend different types of art into a powerful immersive performance is the highlight of the Belóved Gala.
ROBBIE SEAY
Robbie Seay is best known for his career as a songwriter, recording artist and worship leader. Founding the Robbie Seay Band in 2001, RSB has released seven albums including the critically acclaimed 2007 EMI release
Give Yourself Away. Songs from these recordings have been featured in multiple TV shows and movies including
American Idol,
One Tree Hill, and numerous shows on ABC.
Song of Hope (Heaven Come Down) reached Top Ten of Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart.
Song of Hope was also dubbed one of the “top 50 radio songs of the decade.” Robbie Seay is the rare songwriter whose songs are both worshipful and inviting to a broader audience.
W. DAVID O. TAYLOR
W. David O. Taylor, theologian, author, speaker, and Anglican Priest, is an Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of several books, with his most recent being,
A Body of Praise: Understanding the Role of Our Physical Bodies in Worship. He has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa, and produced
a short film on the psalms with Bono and Eugene Peterson. In addition, he has written for
The Washington Post, Image Journal, Religion News Service,
Christianity Today, and
The Gospel Coalition, among others. He serves on the advisory board for Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts and was a core participant in the four-year project, “Theology, Modernity, and the Visual Arts,” hosted by King’s College, London, involving annual conversations between scholars and artists in London, Chicago, Berlin, and Venice.
SARA THURMAN
Sara Thurman is the founder of Acts 1:8 Blessings, an art ministry serving creatives all over the world. She mentors, teaches, writes, paints, and facilitates spiritual creative retreats. She’s also the host of the podcast
Small Beginnings with Sara. Sara has written two #1 bestselling books:
Small Beginnings, her memoir of becoming a prominent artist in her late 50’s with no previous art experience, along with an accompanying journal. In 2021, she wrote and illustrated her first children’s book
How Good Can God Be? using her own childhood memories of God’s goodness on a Texas ranch. Her book
Reflecting on Grief and Moving Beyond Pain presents journal entries and reflections on living with loss and discovering new meaning within the first 100 days after her husband passed from this earthly life into eternity. Sara just released
27,000 Miles in Love, which recounts her epic story of faith in marriage with her husband and its legacy. She enjoys life in Wimberley, Texas, and also traveling the world, inspiring others on their journey of creativity.
GENAVIEVE GILBERT
Artist, author and teacher, Genavieve Gilbert, developed a love for the creative process in high school then went on to study art and history at the Ringling School of Art and Design, as well as Palm Beach Atlantic University. Her daily studio practice developed in 2016 after struggling with anxiety as a young mother. It was a deeply personal time and space where her spiritual journey and creative process merged. She mostly painted celestial night-scenes in oil during this time. Soon after, Gibert began live painting in the midst of corporate gatherings and working more with acrylics on a larger scale. Her emphasis was in creating various series of works focused on spiritual themes observed in nature and the human experience. Gilbert’s last few series have been mixed media abstract florals. For her, there is something intrinsically linked between the flower and the human heart. Gilbert is most passionate about facilitating connections between The Creator and His children. Whether it’s through her paintings, books, or classes, her hope is that in choosing to share her own authentic journey as a human being - questioning, seeking, and peering into the mystery of life - that others will be encouraged in their own journeys. Gilbert lives in Greenville, SC, with her husband and two children and just released her book,
We are the Makers: Partnering with God & Releasing Heaven on Earth.
JOÃO PAULO GONÇALVES
After studying art and architecture in college and a long-standing career as a residential faux finish painter, João Paulo Gonçalves felt a strong desire to explore his creativity in the area of fine arts. In 2015, he developed an original technique that allowed him to depict detailed portraits through shadows. Soon after, he debuted his technique through a collection of portraits in Grand Rapids at Artprize, one of the largest international art competitions in the world, and received the highest prize in his category. It wasn't until 2021 that Gonçalves finally was able to use his innovative technique to work on a project close to his heart. He worked for several months as an art teacher at Holston Methodist Home for Children, a residential foster care facility. There, he developed another award-winning project with the partnership of his students and friends from the community - a series of portraits highlighting young people aging out of the foster care system and the challenges they face. He is currently developing a project to bring awareness and protect youth from the risk of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Gonçalves currently resides in Fort Worth with his family.
HARMONY SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS
Harmony School of Creative Arts is an organization of artists cultivating their God-given talents in dance, music, and art through exceptional education in a loving and nurturing environment. Performances will include "Abide" with Elliana and Jenna Anderson, "I Will Carry You" with Taylor Mason and Macie Porterfield, and "Wonderful, Merciful Savior" with Elliana Anderson, Jeanna Anderson, Sophia Burns, Amy Evans, Taylor Mason, and Macie Porterfield.
COREY EID
Around two years ago, Corey Eid was at a crossroads professionally: “What I thought I wanted didn’t really matter anymore and the entire world had stopped operating as we knew it. I was in an uncomfortable position of not knowing what I was going to do. One night, before I went to bed I prayed to God for something that I could do, that could be mine. I woke up the next morning and over the next few days I felt an intense inspiration to start drawing. I haven’t stopped since. I love drawing people. As the old saying goes, ‘The eyes are the window to the soul’ and for me, I truly believe that you can pick up on someone’s energy when you stare into their eyes. That is why my main focus as an artist is to bring out, not just the likeness, but the essence of the subject through my drawings.
RHODALYNN JETTON
Rhodalynn Jetton is a multimedia artist based out of Austin, TX. Through her practices of calligraphy and abstract art, she expresses both the exact and free flowing. Her art can be described as contemplative, nuanced, and heartled; disciplined and wild. As a live painter, she often combines movement with painting, creating from a place of holistic expression that invites others into an experience of drawing nearer to God. She is the author of Wild Silence: A collection of poetry and prose. Her most significant contribution to the world is the life she is building with her husband, Steven, and their four children.
GENE GLAESER
Gene Glaeser spent the past 40 years studying God, humans, and the arts. Glaeser believes that the intersection of the three shows a constant effort to understand God and the human beings He created. God communicates love, forgiveness and identity through the Bible. Humans communicate through art gratitude, anger, fear, joy, and angst in response to God’s words. As we explore art, we realize our own efforts to define ourselves and God. Gene has been a husband for 44 years to his wife Kaye, with whom he has two children and five grandchildren. He also successfully pastored several congregations, led international and national software sales teams, and worked with many non-profit organizations.
REV1211
REV 1211 works with a mission to cultivate a thriving artist community for the flourishing of the city. They work through community based relational, project and event programs in hopes of seeing the Austin area saturated with thriving artists who enrich the area through robust expressions of faith, life and creative work.
CHASE GASSAWAY
Chase is a lifelong musician and songwriter. While he primarily tours the country as a solo artist, you will often find him sitting in with a variety of Austin-based bands. Whether he’s on keys, guitars, ukulele, bass, or a bell kit, he feels most at home when he’s on a stage making music with people.
RYAN DESIATO
Ryan DeSiato is an award-winning professional singer, guitarist & songwriter from Austin, Texas. He writes and performs a mix of soulful rock, gospel-folk, blues ballads, and Psychedelic instrumental Spanish guitar. Ryan performs as a solo guitarist and singer utilizing live guitar loops to express his acoustic sound. Over the course of his sixteen-year career he has played both nationally and internationally with artists such as Patrice Pike, Ian Moore, Monte Montgomery and Big Wreck. Since 2014, he has been on the music production team at ACTS Church in Lakeway, Texas.
AMY HOOPER
Amy Hooper is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Austin, Texas. Originally trained as a flutist, her musical background includes a diverse array of genres such as classical, contemporary Christian, piano pop, Americana, and country. Amy’s 2016 track "Never the Twain Shall Meet" was selected as an Americana semi-finalist in the international Unsigned Only songwriting competition. "Toll on My Heart" was selected as a semi-finalist in two categories (Adult Contemporary and Christian) in 2021.
BETH // JAMES
Beth // James is a married indie-Americana duo from Austin, Texas made up of award winning singer-songwriters, Mikaela & Jordan Burchill. They've been dubbed "Masters of indie folk" by Austin's NPR station, KUTX and their song, "Lion Eyes" was in Spike Lee's, 'BlacKkKlansman. Their debut full-length record
Get Together (produced by James Petralli of White Denim) is out now!
KES EVANS
As a singer/songwriter and worship leader, Kes' music flows from a passionate heart for God that has birthed songs of both beauty and breakthrough. Growing up in a musical family, singing was almost second nature to Kes. As a teenager she picked up piano and guitar and in no time began to write her own songs. Kes now resides in Austin, Texas with her husband of 18 yrs and four beautiful children where she serves as Worship Pastor at Bethel Austin.
ISAIAH CRUZ
Isaiah was born in Austin, Texas and his Latino upbringing gave him a strong connection to family and Mexican culture. He believes that music is a gift from God to help weary souls find a connection to eternity. In 2022, Isaiah was diagnosed with ASD Level 1 and struggled with delayed speech, intense sensory issues, missed social queues, and hyper-fixation of music. Music gave him a voice and helped him find his place in this vast universe. Now, he lives his life to bring honesty and hope to those who have suffered under the pain of a society that told them they aren’t good enough.
EMJAE ROSS
EmJae Ross is worship leader, songwriter and pastor based in Austin, Texas, who writes songs for the masses that tell real stories in a unique way but ultimately point to Jesus and His character. He and his wife, Brittany, have the mission to help open the eyes of the lost to the life-changing reality of the Gospel and know the loving kindness of Jesus, whether it be through work with churches, the homeless, in prisons or in orphanages.
ABE THE AMBASSADOR
Born and raised deep in the heart of Austin, Texas, Abe The Ambassador is known for blending multiple genres seamlessly while incorporating modern turntablism into all his live performances. The results are a musical masterpiece of familiar sounds guaranteed to make an experience you’ll remember. When he’s not behind the decks you can find Abe giving back to his community, kicking it with family, spreading local awareness of Austin culture, bike riding, disc golfing, and exploring the world through his love and passion for all things in nature.
CHRIS BEALL
Chris Beall is a singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist whose albums have been featured on numerous Americana radio/music destinations. Along with his solo career, he is a member of the well-established South Austin Moonlighters. whose album “Travel Light” went to #1 on the Alternative Country chart in 2019. His most recent solo album "Abilene" hit number 16 on the Alt Country chart in 2021.
MATTHEW HAMMOND
Matthew Hammond is a singer-songwriter who has been residing in Marble Falls with his wife and three children for nearly three years. He has been composing instrumental and lyrical music on piano, guitar, and drums for over 30 years. Besides being a producer and recording artist, Matthew teaches songwriting workshops for teenagers and adults all over North America. His latest album of duets -- Love Only Grows -- was completed with the Alaskan singer-songwriter Davya Flaharty.
Please address all asset inquiries to:
Alaina Sivells, Marketing Director
asivells@belovedgallery.org
