How a 12 foot tall icon was made and installed at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Winter Park, Florida
Since the earliest times of Christianity, one of the most favorite subjects for iconographers has been the portrait of Jesus known as Christ the Teacher. Painted by Brother Simeon Davis in 1993, Monastery Icons' presentation of Christ the Teacher is our most popular subject. Thousands of reproductions of this icon, in sizes from 4 inches to 60 inches tall, appear in churches and home shrines throughout America.
In the summer of 2018 Saints Peter and Paul Church in Winter Park, Florida contacte us about creating a 12-foot-tall version of Christ the Teacher for their sanctuary.
After a high resolution digital photograph of the icon, preparations are made to create the 12-foot-high high mounted reproduction. For a reproduction of this size, three nine-and-a-half-foot wide segments are printed, each to be laminated and mounted separately and prepared so that they can be assembled at the SS. Peter and Paul Church in Winter Park, Florida, where is will be prominently displayed.
Our manufacturing team laminate the sections of the icon print, carefully making sure the prints meet quality standards and are free of dust and imperfections, and then prepare and mount the laminated print on the wooden substrate. The sections are then run through the edging machine, and the back of each section is carefully aligned and prepared for the final assembly.
Safely delivered to Florida, the sections of the icon are assembled by SS. Peter and Paul's team. Installing a 12-foot-tall icon in a spot 36 feet off the ground is no small task! A hydraulic lift is conscripted to help.
"We installed this icon over the main entrance and exit of the church," wrote Father Derk. "As people exit the church, I would like to reinforce Jesus' words, 'You are the light of the world.' As people go forth, I want them to remember to take God's light with them."
"The overwhelming reponse from parishioners was that the icon is absolutely beautiful!" says Aaron K. Director of Liturgy at SS. Peter and Paul Church
Do you have a special project in mind for your church's sanctuary? Contact customerservice@monasteryicons.com or call 800-729-4952 with the details and we'll be glad to provide a beautiful and affordable solution.
