In Sacred Light: Holy Places in Louisiana (University of Mississippi Press, August 2010), renowned photographer A. J. Meek takes readers on a visual journey with 88 color photographs of the interiors of churches and synagogues located in south Louisiana, mostly along the lower Mississippi River valley.

Often incorporating long exposures and select framing, the images in the first section of Sacred Light encompass altars, chancels and sanctuaries. The second section contains photographs of statues representing deities, angels, madonnas and saints, often seen with intense color derived from stained-glass windows or artificial light. Light itself is the subject of the third and last section. Additionally, the book includes an essay by Louisiana State University art historian and liturgical space consultant Marchita B. Mauck.

Sacred Light also contains photographs of some church and synagogue restoration projects after Hurricane Katrina. Meek places emphasis on restoration, not destruction, as a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit.

Copies of the book will be available at The Shop at The CollectionThe Shop at The Collection for $35, and members of The Collection receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases at the shop. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org or call (504) 523-4662.