The Last Supper Sculpture: Uniting Art, Theatre, and Sacred Spaces
Bustling through the corridors of history, art, culture, and faith, our website proudly unveils the monumental masterpiece of DC Artist Akili Ron Anderson—The Last Supper Sculpture.
The Last Supper Sculpture is a 20-foot-wide altarpiece that portrays Jesus and his disciples as African American men, serving as a tribute to the African American community. Commissioned in the 1980s under the leadership of Pastor Bobby Hicks for New Home Baptist Church, this monumental artwork remains in its original location today, serving as a testament to the steadfast faith of both the congregation and the Columbia Heights neighborhood and the artist’s vision.
With meticulous craftsmanship and unwavering devotion, Anderson's extraordinary sculpture captures the spirit and significance of The Last Supper, inviting you to explore its depths and discover new layers of meaning.
When New Home left the building in 1997, they were not able to move the sculpture to their new location due to logistical constraints. In the fall of 2019, the hidden gem was found behind drywall, during the renovation of the church by its new owner, Studio Acting Conservatory. The rich history and legacy of Anderson’s work was revived, and the mural’s reemergence opens a new chapter, sparking conversations about its preservation and potential future.
Original interior of New Home Baptist Church. Photographer unknown. Date: Circa 1980s
Meet the Creative Visionary:
Akili Ron Anderson
Picture of Akili (Photographer: Joe Graf, November 2019)
Akili Ron Anderson is a member of the Black Arts Movement and the Chicago based AfriCOBRA collective, and who was commissioned to create a large painted bas-relief sculpture for DC’s New Home Baptist Church in 1981.
In a moment of heightened racial discrimination and neighborhood changes, Anderson envisioned his artwork using local community members as inspiration to recreate and reimagine the infamous illustration of DaVinci’s The Last Supper.
To learn more about Akili Ron Anderson and his extensive list of public and private artworks, please visit his website.
Akili Ron Anderson stands in front of the Last Supper Sculpture for the first time since its recovery (Photographer: Joe Graf, November 2019)
Preserving access to the sculpture.
The Conservatory’s mission as stewards of this important piece of art is to provide public access and educational programming that seeks and builds community engagement. Your gift helps us to fulfill our mission. Thank you for your support!
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