The Church of the Frescoes

The Churches of the Frescoes in Ashe County provide some beautiful works of art created by Artist Ben Long who painted several frescoes in two churches in Ashe that draw thousands to see them each year. Visitors can visit the frescoes at either the Holy Trinity in Glendale Springs St. Mary’s in West Jefferson.

“People can come in and see the frescoes anytime. If they are bringing a larger group, we want them to call ahead so we can be there to greet them and answer any questions they might have,” Sara Goodman of the Gift Shop at the Holy Trinity in Glendale Springs explained. “We have a gift shop that people can stop in and look around. We have all kinds of fresco items including prints magnets and more. We have hand carved items and sterling silver jewelry from Jerusalem. There are also local crafts and items with religious themes for sale.”
The gift shop is located in a gray two story building across the street from the church to the right. It is open 10-4 Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 10-4. The frescoes have been featured on PBS on a television special and videos of the show are for sale.

Long, a native of Statesville, attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He studied painting at the Art Student’s League in New York. In 1970 he went to Florence, Italy. As an apprentice to the master artist Pietro Annigoni, he spent seven years mastering techniques which included oil, tempera and fresco.

He is now internationally known for his for his religious frescos in Ashe County and Charlotte as well as in Europe. In Charlotte, he has also completed frescoes in the NationsBank Corporate Center, the Charlotte/Mecklenburg Law Enforcement Center and the Monumental Dome of Trans America Square.
A Festival of the Frescoes is held at Holy Trinity Church in Glendale Springs on the first Saturday in October. Crafts, food, entertainment, a silent auction, plants, a quilt raffle, children’s activities and more are always held during this event.

Long painted three frescoes at St. Mary’s in West Jefferson beginning in 1974 with “Mary Great With Child”; in 1975 he painted “John the Baptist” and in 1977, he painted “The Mystery of Faith”. He painted the fresco of “The Last Supper” at Holy Trinity in 1988 as that church building was being restored. It is located behind the altar at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs.

When the artist and his students began working on the frescoes at Holy Trinity in Glendale Springs, much interest was aroused in the community. Rumors spread around the area that the artists were painting people in the nude, which was untrue, but created a lot of interest. The interest in the frescoes remained high even after people learned the rumors were untrue and the community began to help the project in many different ways.
People from many denominations took turns feeding the artists and something of a competition began with each meal working to be better than the previous one. People from the community also became models for both the students’ works and as the disciples in Long’s “The Last Supper.”

”The Departure of Christ,” by Jeffrey Mims, was painted during 1983-84 and is located in the Christ the King Chapel at Holy Trinity. Mims was a student of Long and was commissioned to paint the fresco as a memorial to Buffy Leland, a young girl in the church’s congregation who died at the age of 10 after being struck by a truck near St. Mary’s Church.

The Columbarium is a place of repose for the cremated remains of the departed. It is a comfortable place for family and friends to gather in loving remembrance as it serves to provide a consoling link between life and death. Urns of ashes are placed in niches of blue slate with walnut fronts and nameplates. The Columbarium and grounds are available to all persons, however a committal service must always be held. It is also located in Christ the King Chapel.

“Christ the King” is a large mosaic created by John Early in 1920. After being in a private residence for more than 50 years, its owner gave it to Holy Trinity Church, where it is located in the chapel. Both churches have extensive history as construction began on St. Mary’s church in the summer of 1905 and the Holy Trinity in Glendale Springs was completed in 1901. Both church buildings today are in use and together form the Parish of the Holy Communion.

For more information, call Holy Trinity at (336) 982-3076 or visit their website online at www.churchofthefrescoes.com.