Quadriptych was created by children and adults of four UU Congregations.
Left to Right: #1 Albany, #2 Saratoga, #3 Glens Falls, #4 Schenectady.
2009. Mixed Media.
Visitors to Albany UU may notice a series of four colorful panels displayed together as one work of art. Created in 2009, this mixed-media quadriptych tells a story of connection, collaboration, and shared purpose among four Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Capital Region.
Each panel represents one congregation: Albany, Saratoga, Glens Falls, and Schenectady. Together, the four panels form a single work, connected by images of bridges that weave through the landscape. The bridges are more than recognizable features of the region—they represent the relationships that connect communities and the shared work that brings people together.
The project began in 2009 when Rev. Sam Trumbore, then minister at Albany UU, imagined a way for the four congregations forming the Capital Region Unitarian Universalists of New York (CRUUNY) to celebrate their connection with one another. The goal was simple: create something together that would remind people that although each congregation has its own identity, they are part of a larger Unitarian Universalist community.
Albany UU member and artist Dan Sekellick developed the design for the project, creating four interconnected scenes in an expressionist style. With assistance from fellow member Terry Way, Dan incorporated recognizable elements of the Capital Region landscape, including bridges that connect places and people throughout the area.
But the artwork was not created by one person alone. Children and adults from all four congregations participated in creating the panels, with Religious Education directors coordinating the work within their communities. Each group contributed its own creativity and perspective, and the final piece emerged from those many individual contributions.
The Quadriptych offers a visual reminder of Interdependence. Like the pieces of the artwork itself, communities become stronger when people bring their gifts together. No single panel tells the whole story. The beauty comes from the relationships between the parts.
The artwork also reflects Pluralism. Each congregation brought its own identity, experiences, and creative expression to the project. The goal was not to make the communities identical, but to celebrate how different voices can contribute to something larger.
The completed Quadriptych was unveiled at a joint worship service in Saratoga in the spring of 2009, where the theme was “Building Bridges.” For a moment, the four congregations gathered not simply as separate communities, but as partners in a shared vision.
After its initial display, the artwork spent several years in storage at Albany UU. In 2023, the Arts & Aesthetics Team rediscovered the piece and began exploring how it could once again become part of the life of the congregation. Albany UU member Brad Workman created the maple framework that now brings the four panels together in a unified display.
The restoration and renewed presentation of the Quadriptych reflects Generosity—the many gifts of creativity, craftsmanship, time, and care that have allowed this artwork to continue telling its story. From the children and adults who created the original panels to the members who helped preserve and display them, each person contributed something meaningful.
The Quadriptych also reminds us of Transformation. A bridge changes what is possible by creating a path between places that were once separate. In the same way, relationships create new opportunities for learning, collaboration, and shared work.
The bridges in this artwork are not only made of lines and colors. They are made of relationships—between congregations, between generations, and between people who believe that more is possible when we work together.
As we encounter these four connected panels at Albany UU, we are invited to remember that strong communities are built by honoring both our unique identities and our shared connections.
Together, we continue building bridges.
