The River Told Me It's Name

Publication information:

Nordin, Kendall. 2025. “The River Told Me It’s Name.” in Spirituality and the Arts. Harvard Divinity School: Program for the Evolution of Spirituality.

Abstract

Artist Talk: A new non-narrative theological video piece made with footage from the banks of the James River in Richmond, VA. Considered by some “the most spiritually polluted river in the country”, the river has been a first-hand witness and conduit to the lifespan of the land we call the United States. The video will offer a view of engagement with landscape as formula for spiritual practice that can address the complexity of histories. Spirit moves back and forth through time, ground, self, and this is how we come to new understandings and build new paths forward.


Presenter Biography

Kendall Nordin’s art is religious art for a secular world. As site of theological thinking, her work explores time, chance, the body/universe, and human experience. Her work has appeared in shows in D.C., Anchorage, NYC, PDX, Melbourne, Australia, Tallin, Estonia, and the former site of Black Mountain College.

Find a link to their artwork below.