The Travelling Toe: Christian Arts Museum in Fort Worth, Texas

CHRISTIAN ARTS MUSEUM OF
FORT WORTH

The Bedford Parc Lunch Ladies and The Travelling Toe journeyed to the West Side of Fort Worth to visit the Christian Arts Museum. This is a small white unassuming building off the busy intersection of Camp Bowie and 7th Street. But this little museum has lots to hold one's attention.

WALL OF CHRISTIAN CROSSES

As you walk in, to your right is a "Wall of Christian Crosses". They were all made by Rachel Joy Colvin, a Fort Worth artist, sculptor and calligrapher. There are 28 crosses in all. A leaflet is provided which identities each type of cross on the wall - most are familiar but a few maybe not.

WALL OF CHRISTIAN CROSSES
leaflet

In the next area are several interesting items including a needlepoint rendition of the Lord's Supper and another oil painting of the same subject but the clothing reflects a different time period. In the center of the room is a replica of the Arc of the Covenant. If it looks strangely familiar it is because you may have seen it before. According to the docent, this replica was made out the same mold that was used to make the Arc of Covenant for the movie "Raiders of the Lost Arc" .

LORD'S SUPPER
needlepoint

LORD'S SUPPER
oil painting

ARC OF THE COVENANT

The next room is very inspiring as it contains a life size wax figure of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, "The Last Supper". There are over 40,00 strands of hair used for the heads and beards. The clothing that the figures have on are the original period costumes from the 1950's and have to be sent to a special cleaners to be cleaned. As you sit and contemplate this tableau, an audio is played describing the story of the wax figures and each of the disciples at the table..

JESUS

LORD'S SUPPER
wax figures

LEONARDO DA VINCI

DA VINCI'S
THE LAST SUPPER

The display was created in the 1950's by Katherine Stubergh and her daughter. The work was commissioned by a Fort Worth family, the Fleming's, and was placed on display in 1956 in the Ridglea Shopping Center. The display was moved several times and was in storage for a period of several years. Then through the Walsh Foundation, a new building was funded so that the wax figures would be back on display in a permanent location for the public to enjoy.