The “Art” of Giving

By Dan Clifford

Feb. 26, 2025

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Cynthiana’s Church of the Advent received, about a year ago, a nice testamentary gift from a former priest and his wife who served in the 1970s, Fr. William and Cornell Moore.

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Their generosity is now being paid forward.

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The Moores left a tidy sum which Advent placed into the diocesan investment trust upon receipt. But, in addition to “socking it away,” Advent decided to “tithe” monthly some of its unexpected blessing.

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So, about $1,000 was given each month for a year to a worthy community need. Some examples were Harrison County’s Clothing Closet, Jackie’s House, Helping Hounds, the Cynthiana Juneteenth Celebration, the Harrison County Adult Day Center and support for water bills and laundry expenses — and one gift was to the local elementary schools who were given $1,000 for art supplies.

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Then, without really any expectation, the teachers of the elementary students had the kids paint, draw or watercolor Advent’s church building and other well-known community structures.

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The children’s artwork, from fourth and fifth graders, ranged from the subtle to the sublime. The painting styles were as varied as Frans Hals to Frank Frazetta, Picasso to Pollock, and Pointillism to Pop art.

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The artwork was on display at Advent for a few weeks, and then was returned to the students, with the artwork being held until the Starry Night event in April 2025 in the local school system.

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“Starry Night is a district wide event that showcases Harrison County students K-12 in the arts. It is a night of visual art, music, drama and talent created by students from all four elementary schools, the middle school and high school,” says Shelley Slade, a local teacher.

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The artwork was touching in and of itself, but it also reminded the congregation, and anyone inclined to notice, that selfless planning from a couple of people (largely long-forgotten to the modern congregation) in the 1960s and 70s, could start seeds that grew 60 years later into the materialization of youngsters’ talent far remote from the original benefactors and likely beyond anything they imagined, and certainly ever planned.

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Advent learned a wonderful lesson about the chain of human events, humility, hopefulness and optimistic energy. We were inspired.

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“The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.”

— William Blake (1757 – 1827)

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“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”

— John Bunyan (1628 – 1688)

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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

— Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)