God therefore called man into existence, committing to him the craftsman's task. Through his “artistic creativity” man appears more than ever “in the image of God”, and he accomplishes this task above all in shaping the wondrous “material” of his own humanity and then exercising creative dominion over the universe which surrounds him.

With loving regard, the divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power. Obviously, this is a sharing which leaves intact the infinite distance between the Creator and the creature, as Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa made clear: “Creative art, which it is the soul's good fortune to entertain, is not to be identified with that essential art which is God himself, but is only a communication of it and a share in it”.(1)

Pope John Paul II
1999 - Letter Artists

The Story Behind the Artist Mark Sanislo
The Pope's directives for Artists — Evangelize through Art By Fr. Robert J. Fox Immaculate Heart Messenger Oct-Dec 2002

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II To Artists Easter Sunday April 23rd 1999
To all who are passionately dedicated to the search for new “epiphanies” of beauty so that through their creative work as artists they may offer these as gifts to the world. “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gn 1:31)

Religious