As the President of Orange County Rescue Mission, I am honored to commemorate the late artist Peter Brandes (1944 – 2025) for his contributions to enriching our Village of Hope campus. Brandes, who passed away on January 4, 2025, was commissioned by philanthropists Howard and Roberta Ahmanson to bless Village of Hope with original works of art. They believed that the beauty of art lifts the soul and wanted to incorporate this beauty into the community. For this, we are grateful. Even 17 years later, residents are in awe that they live at Village of Hope, which doesn’t look or feel like a typical homeless shelter, but instead, is a community that instills beauty and dignity.

Two installations of Brandes’ works of art are permanently on display at Village of Hope. A porcelain urn, named “The Brandes Urn,” is mounted in the courtyard and sits atop a water fountain. In addition, thirteen stained glass windows, called “The Twelve,” adorn the chapel and depict Jesus Christ’s life on earth, with one window for each disciple and one for Christ on the cross. As a liturgical artist, Brandes firmly believed that a gathering space for the spoken Word of God with art depicting the Word of God created a sacred space. Enjoy viewing the photos of his artwork.

The passing of Peter Brandes saddens me. He was an artist who shared his gift to bless others, even those considered the “least of these” among us: our homeless neighbors. Village of Hope will continue to be a sacred space with us as caretakers of Peter Brandes’ artwork.