In the hands of Reverend Joyce McDonald, clay becomes testimony. McDonald models small-scale figures of Black people whose presence and poise convey the quiet labors of love. Ministry, the artist’s current survey at the Bronx Museum, pays homage to this intimate care. Nearly 80 sculptures are assembled on tiered white pedestals arranged like altars. The display creates a visual litany; each figure is distinct yet part of a collective rhythm of reverence that unfolds through the gallery. Every work is minute enough to cradle in two hands yet radiates a monumental spiritual grace.
McDonald began making these pieces in 1997 through an art therapy program that helped her process her HIV diagnosis, transforming that experience into a lifelong spiritual and creative practice. As an ordained minister and advocate through Visual AIDS, she channels faith and care into clay, shaping a ministry of resilience and love.
Joyce McDonald, “Peace” (2004), clay, wood frame, canvas board, African textiles, Mod Podge, and fabric paint (photo Alexandra M. Thomas/Hyperallergic)
Upon entering the exhibition, viewers encounter “Peace” (2004): a gold face nestled in African fabric, framed by a similar print and mounted on the wall. The folds of the material suggest both a head wrap and a halo, accentuating the sacred aura of the figure seemingly suspended in peaceful repose.
Sitting atop an altar, “Mothers Prayers” (1999) and “Glory (A Taste of Sweetness)” (2001) appear to be in silent conversation. On the lower step, an older, silver-haired woman wearing a red dress kneels in prayer with closed eyes. Above her, a young girl in a purple dress prays in a similar position, but her head faces skyward, her eyes open and her long dark hair cascading back. The placement of figures on different levels deepens a sense of intergenerational dialogue, linking their gestures of faith across space and time.
Continuing through the installation, “Sweet Peace” (2007) depicts a hooded woman veiled in gold drapery that pools thickly at her clavicle like cast metal. Across these works, McDonald uses acrylic paint, fabric, and even paper towels to clothe and adorn her subjects. In this way, she transforms everyday found media into sacred figurines. Similarly, “Covered with Love” (2003) reimagines the “Madonna and Child” in clay and cloth — the work portrays a Black mother and infant nestled together in a tender embrace. The theme of familial closeness extends into “The McDonalds” (1998), a sculpted portrait of the artist’s own family, in which four children sit pressed together with their parents atop a piano.
Installation view of Ministry: Reverend Joyce McDonald at the Bronx Museum, with “Mothers Prayers” (1999), acrylic, Mod Podge, paper towel, and fabric on air-dry clay; “Glory (A Taste of Sweetness)” (2001), Wite-out, paper towels, acrylic on terracotta air-dry clay (photo Alexandra M. Thomas/Hyperallergic)
A stunning scene of vulnerability and intimacy, “The Draping of Compassion” (1999), shows three women in white dresses: two bend forward in an arch, cradling a third who lies prone across their laps. The composition forms an architecture of care — the women’s bodies serving as both support and shelter.
Many of the statuettes portray unnamed Black figures performing universal gestures of care, devotion, and rest. Others respond more directly to the urgencies of our time: “Prayer Changes Things” (2020) shows a worshipper wearing a surgical mask, evoking the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, while “Colin Kaepernick” (2020) is among the show’s most explicitly political works, as the activist-athlete bends down on one knee in uniform. The pose recalls his act of kneeling during the national anthem before a 2016 NFL game to protest police brutality and racism in the US. The physical statement provoked professional retaliation but galvanized the movement for Black lives across professional sports and beyond.
Together, the tiers rise like a congregation in clay, where repeated actions — kneeling, clasped hands, veiled heads — become a chorus of faith. McDonald describes herself as a “testimonial artist,” someone who bears witness and represents the sacred as she and her community experience it. Through her primary medium, she captures moments of care and kinship that channel the deep bonds that Black people share with the divine and each other.
Joyce McDonald, “Covered with Love” (2003), acrylic and fabric on air-dry clay (photo Alexandra M. Thomas/Hyperallergic)
Installation view of Ministry: Reverend Joyce McDonald at the Bronx Museum (photo by Argenis Apolinario, 2025, courtesy the Bronx Museum)
Joyce McDonald, “Sweet Peace” (2007), acrylic, Mod Podge, and fabric on air-dry clay (photo Alexandra M. Thomas/Hyperallergic)
Joyce McDonald, “The Draping of Compassion” (1999), acrylic, Mod Podge, and paper towel on air-dry clay (photo Alexandra M. Thomas/Hyperallergic)
Joyce McDonald, “Colin Kaepernick” (2020), acrylic, Wite-Out, varnish, and nail polish on air-dry clay (photo Alexandra M. Thomas/Hyperallergic)
Installation view of Ministry: Reverend Joyce McDonald at the Bronx Museum (photo by Argenis Apolinario, 2025, courtesy the Bronx Museum)
Joyce McDonald, “The McDonalds” (1999), acrylic on air-dry clay and found objects (photo Alexandra M. Thomas/Hyperallergic)
Installation view of Ministry: Reverend Joyce McDonald at the Bronx Museum (photo by Argenis Apolinario, 2025, courtesy the Bronx Museum)
Ministry: Reverend Joyce McDonald continues at the Bronx Museum of the Arts (1040 Grand Concourse, Concourse Village, The Bronx) through January 11, 2026. The exhibition was curated by Kyle Croft, executive director of Visual AIDS.
