Church has always been an important part of Wallace’s life. For 50 years, he attended First Presbyterian in Augusta, where he served as a deacon and elder.

Artist Wilmer Wallace recently paid homage to the Columbia County church he helped start. The 90-year-old Augusta man recently completed a 25-by-22-inch oil painting of Christ Church, Presbyterian, which was constructed in 2007.

The Evans church unveiled the painting this week as it plays host to “The Art and Heart of Wilmer Wallace,” featuring 25 of Wallace’s works spanning from the early 1940s through 2010.

“I think it’s better than what I thought I was going to get,” said Wallace, who admitted to changing the sky in the painting of the church four times. “I think it has a mystical feel about it, too.”

Wallace’s newest work marks one of many in which a church is the focal point.

In the past, Wallace has painted churches in Augusta, including First Presbyterian, Union Baptist Church and Sacred Heart, in addition to well-known churches in Charleston, S.C., and Washington, D.C.

“They’re such good landmarks,” Wallace said. “Some of them have been there for so long.”

In the 1940s, Wallace studied art at the University of Georgia under the guidance of Dr. Lamar Dodd, whom he considers a father figure.

While serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Wallace was sent to Washington, D.C., to design charts that helped commanding officers track fighter planes.

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The link (URL) to the original article is unavailable and has been removed.]