The Maryhill Museum of Art near Goldendale, Washington, has a gallery displaying Holy Icons of the Orthodox Church. Religious icons are a way of making visible religious concepts. The symbols used in the Orthodox icons are intended to direct the hearts and minds of the people with God. Icons make the mysteries of Christianity visible. According to the Museum display:
“Icons are not merely decorative religious paintings but sacred objects that connect people to the figures they portray.”
In 787 CE, the Seventh Ecumenical Council that icons are not idols and that they are not to be worshiped. According to the Museum display:
“Icons play a vital role in both liturgical practice and private devotions. In Orthodox churches, they typically appear on a screen at the front of the nave that separates the sanctuary (altar area) from the parishioners. In addition to the sanctuary interior, icons are also displayed on walls and special stands throughout the nave and narthex. There they receive the veneration of worshippers.”