Acts of Faith provides viewers an opportunity to observe what nature can bring, in a small but visually compelling way. By building birdhouses, the community youth who participated in the project both undertook (albeit individually) a communal activity and independently committed their own acts of faith, trusting in a future that will allow birds to continue their life cycle by nesting in the boxes. Their acts are pathways to hope, a reminder that nature always provides something good despite a present moment that may make it difficult to look forward to anything.  The artwork was donated to the Mapleton-Fall Creek community after appearing for a year as a temporary installation with Indy Art & Seek, a 2020 project of the Arts Council of Indianapolis and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

Stefan Petranek (b. 1977) is an image-based artist and Associate Professor of Photography and Intermedia at Indiana University’s Herron School of Art & Design. Working with subjects that range from genetics to climate change, his work explores how contemporary culture, especially through advances in science and technology, affects our perception of nature and how we define it today.  Petranek is a 2018 recipient of the Arts Council of Indianapolis’ Christel DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award.  His work was recently exhibited in FotoFocus’ Auto//Update exhibition and Creative Advocacy’s Collective Voices exhibition in 2019. Petranek’s Brain Tumor Diaries, Genotyping and Genetic Portrait Project series have also received critical recognition, including a review by Lenscratch, publication in Front Line Genomics Magazine, and Manifest Press’ contemporary fine art photography book INPHA3. He currently resides with his family in Indianapolis.