Help Donald Gallagher complete an historic work

For nearly 40 years, Donald Gallagher, has been meticulously painting the interior of Grace Church Van Vorst. This 170-year-old neogothic church in Jersey City, NJ had been a vibrant part of the community before falling into disrepair by the 1980s. As Donald's work has brought color and life into the space, it has been transformed. Grace now serves not only as a house of worship for multiple congregations but also as an exhibition venue for local artists, theater groups, and dance companies, a food provider for the hungry, a social space for seniors, and a safe play space for young children.

Guided by archived photographs and original drawings, Donald, a painter and historian, has sought to revitalize the church interior by restoring and, where necessary, reimagining the colors, murals, and patterns that appear throughout the space. Donald has created a living work of art that is captivating and inspiring to all who experience it. He strives not only to complete this restoration, but to capture the history of the building and his decades-long journey to give it new life. To that end, he is creating a book documenting the process and celebrating the richness of the art and architecture that makes this space so unique. The funds collected through this campaign will not only help Donald meet his living expenses while actively painting and restoring, but also help him self-fund the publishing of the commemorative book.

While the congregations, artists, and communities who rely on this space have paid what they can to Donald, work on this scale is difficult, laborious, and expensive. Donald turns 76 this year; this project has taken over half his lifetime, and there is much work still to do.

Our hope is to raise the needed funds to allow Donald to complete his opus.