It may sound a little “fishy,” but Shandon Baptist Church now has a 1,500-pound whale in its outdoor baptistery.
On Dec. 2, members of the Columbia congregation dedicated what some have dubbed “a whale of a sculpture.” Crafted by former Columbia native Robert Allison, the nine-foot-tall sculpture, comprised of more than 125 bronze pieces welded together, depicts the Bible story of Jonah and the whale.
Dick Lincoln, pastor of Shandon, is making a concerted effort to incorporate various forms of religious art that tell biblical stories into the design of the church’s new facility. Shandon, which recently celebrated its centennial anniversary, commissioned the artwork last January.
“Our search for a world-class sculptor led us to Robert Allison,” said Lincoln. “We were attracted to his sculptures for the way he captured facial expressions and brought life to the art.”
In fact, Allison, a graduate of the University of South Carolina who now resides in Colorado, reportedly had something of a supernatural experience while crafting the sculpture for Shandon.
“Usually I work from a picture, or if none is available, most of my faces look the same,” said Allison. “Obviously, I didn’t have a picture of Jonah. But as I worked on the piece, the face just came out and didn’t look like any other face I’ve ever sculpted.
“I’m pretty sure someone else guided my hands,” he added.
“I think it’s beautiful,” Lincoln remarked to a local television reporter after the sculpture’s dedication ceremony. “It tells me about the love of God, and I love seeing it.”
