Jennifer Fazzone knew she faced a demanding task.

As a juror at Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church's “Scripture & The Arts Exhibition: Personal Inspirations 2015” on Friday, she needed to designate three pieces for “Juror's Choice” awards.

“It was hard. There were so many beautiful pieces here, and they were all so different,” said Fazzone, an art teacher at Chartiers Valley Primary School. Still, “I liked hearing and seeing everyone's personal views on Scripture. It was a joy for me to be a part of.”

This was the fourth arts exhibition at the Green Tree church. Ellen Heriger, director of Christian education, initiated the displays in 2009.

This year, artists interpreted a Bible verse of their own choosing through painting, drawing or sculpture. They also wrote a statement that was posted next to their art.

There are 20 pieces on display through Sunday. “Juror's Choice” selections were Susan Vincent, William Biell and Doris Gottschall. Hannah Bittell, 11, won the under-18 award.

“I'm pleased some of them look typical religious, and some of them don't look religious at all. I love it,” Heriger said.

A member of the West Hills Art League in Moon, Heriger said she is a “fledgling artist” and writes meditations on art.

“I want people who aren't artists to see how, especially when they read their statements, how different people can interpret Scripture and how God can speak to people in different ways.”

Ray Wolfgang of Pittsburgh's Fineview neighborhood submitted a piece of “manipulent art” created through using varied photographs and drawings scanned into a computer.

He chose Ruth 4:16-17: “Then Naomi took the child, laid him on her lap and cared for him. The woman living there said, ‘Naomi has a son.' And they named him Obed. He was the father of David.”

Wolfgang said the image will be used for a book he's creating that will feature one image for each of the 66 books of the Bible.

“I liked that particular verse because the baby turns out to be one of the major characters in the Bible. It just seemed at that point the one that caught me,” he said.

“It's just a mixture of everything to arrive at the digital, finished product.”

Heriger consulted with Elizabeth Asche Douglas, a retired art-history professor at Geneva College, when she had the idea for Wallace Memorial Presbyterian to sponsor the art exhibitions.

Douglas, of Rochester, created an ink drawing — a “glorified doodle,” she calls it — inspired by Psalm 23:4, “Yea, Tho' I Walk,” while listening to music based on the psalm.

“I like the idea of fostering art out in the community so people don't think of art as something you go to a museum to see. There are people who live among them who make art and want to share it with others.”

She said most of the great art throughout history has been in service of one religion or another, as art began as “spirit traps” intended to capture the spirit of something people desired. Examples include cave drawings and Native American totem poles.

“Many historians believe religion was the origin of the beginnings of art because people wanted to be able to express themselves and their life needs.

“I strongly have the belief you can't have life without art. That is as fundamental to fulfilling human needs as anything is.”

David Mayernik Jr. is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at dmayernik@tribweb.com.

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