Grace Farms Lectures with Concert | Dr. Hannah Rose Thomas and a chamber ensemble of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sunday, March 14, 2027, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Experience a Grace Farms Lecture by artist, scholar and advocate Dr. Hannah Rose Thomas with a performance by a chamber ensemble of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Dr. Hannah Rose Thomas has established a portrait painting practice, harnessing art as a tool for advocacy. Her work has received critical acclaim, with exhibitions in prestigious places, including Buckingham Palace, the UK Houses of Parliament and the Saatchi Gallery. Through her portfolio of portrait paintings, she seeks to elevate the voices of the marginalized and prescribe dignity to the persecuted and forcibly displaced. To do so, Thomas incorporates early Renaissance and iconography painting techniques into her work.
Central to Thomas’s practice is an understanding of portraiture as an act of gifting – an offering of attention, dignity, and presence that honors the irreducible humanity of each individual. Her work also reflects a deep ethic of hospitality, creating space for encounter, listening, and relational exchange between artist, subject, and viewer.
The concert continues this dialogue through music, with a chamber ensemble of the London Philharmonic Orchestra performing a program responding both to Thomas’s work and to Grace Farms.
In 2023, Grace Farms hosted the U.S. launch of Thomas’s book, Tears of Gold, as well as a temporary exhibition of her work. The book features portraits of Yazidi, Rohingya, and Nigerian women who have suffered violence in areas of conflict and tells the women’s stories, providing a testimony to their humanity and resilience in the face of adversity.
As of 2025, Thomas’s life-size portrait painting, Nasreen, of modern slavery survivor Nasreen Sheikh, has been on view in the With Every Fiber exhibit at Grace Farms. Nasreen was created using egg tempera paint mixed from natural pigments — a technique traditionally used for religious art. Thomas’s use of iconography and early Renaissance painting techniques and gold leaf for portrait paintings is symbolic of the restoration of dignity and the sacred value of each individual.
In 2025, players of the London Philharmonic Orchestra recorded Woven in Tears, a composition by Evan Williams commissioned by Grace Farms. Woven in Tears was especially written for the With Every Fiber exhibit, and responds to Thomas’s portrait, Nasreen. The London Philharmonic Orchestra also performed at Grace Farms’ 9th Annual Benefit in 2024.
Registration is now open for Grace Farms Members
General Registration opens at 10 am on Monday, May 18, 2026
Grace Farms Lectures with Concert
Experience a moving afternoon of inspiring dialogue and chamber music while immersed in 360-degree views of the surrounding natural landscape.
Visionary leaders who have shaped our world share a thought-provoking portrait of their life’s work on the Grace Farms Sanctuary stage, inviting you to explore central themes and fundamental questions that define their distinguished careers. Following these talks, a curated chamber music concert is performed by some of today’s most celebrated musicians. This unique musical program thoughtfully responds to the lecturer’s creative output, grounding this one-of-a-kind experience rooted in hope, scholarship, and innovation.
Past lecturers include Sharon Prince, Dr. Miroslav Volf, and Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer.
2026/2027 season
The 2026/2027 season deepens our ongoing exploration of the programmatic theme, We all build, through a new slate of one-of-a-kind experiences rooted in our mission to foster more grace and peace locally and globally. Join us for unforgettable musical performances, stirring dialogue from today’s leading thinkers, and community moments — each held in an immersive setting where boundaries between people, architecture, and landscape dissolve. Visit us throughout the seasons to sit at this unique intersection and explore topics that aim to inspire both introspection and joy. From there, we hope you connect with our theme that encourages all to build a more graceful and peaceful world, every day.
thank you to our 2026-2027 season sponsor
