When students from Antonian College Preparatory High School in San Antonio came to Belóved Gallery for a tour of Akiane: The Early Years, they didn’t expect to find the artist herself waiting to greet them. In this #iam_beloved reflection, the students describe what it was like to stand before Akiane Kramarik’s paintings — including Prince of Peace — and to be surprised by what the art unlocked in them. Watch their story below, then read their reflections.
“I saw my grandma’s eyes. I haven’t seen your eyes since I was nine years old.” — Antonian College Preparatory student
A group of students from Antonian College Preparatory High School traveled from San Antonio to Marble Falls to tour Akiane: The Early Years, and were surprised when Akiane Kramarik herself met them at the gallery. One of their teachers, Keith Needham, bought a troubled student a signed print of Prince of Peace; a week later, another student’s family quietly handed him an envelope to reimburse the gift, saying that day had changed their lives. Needham described watching forty students cry — not from sentimentality, he said, but from something deeper and eternal. For these young artists, the visit opened their minds to new possibilities and, as several put it, unlocked memories and emotions they didn’t know were there. Their #iam_beloved story is a witness to what happens when a generation encounters the art up close.
We’re at the Belóved Gallery in Marble Falls. I could see that all of her paintings have meaning behind them. As an eighteen-year-old, I just couldn’t fathom how she could have these visions and put them onto canvas. It just really blew my mind. “Infinite Perspective” — I found it very beautiful. What she was saying is that you can understand anything with just enough perspective, and I find that very true.
They had the Missing Years. I never thought about that — how did Jesus look when He was a teenager? “I am the Prince of Peace.” I saw my grandma’s eyes; I haven’t seen your eyes since I was nine years old. I just stood and stared at it for a while, like one last time. The eyes are very familiar. Wow — this is beyond human. It really opens up your mind to possibilities. It means so much to me.
Seeing the way you walk around the gallery — taking in the poetry, the descriptions, the artwork — when I had the chance to see the painting, I feel complete as an artist, and I want to create more throughout my life. I felt very boxed in, and after viewing all these beautiful pieces, it’s opening my mind to better ideas and future opportunities. It hits me deep in my soul.
You will probably find out something about yourself that you didn’t know was there. You’ll see the paintings and it’ll unlock a memory or an emotion. It brings out a part of you that you didn’t know existed. I would encourage you to come with close friends — it’ll bring you all closer together. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you have to experience.
