Planning for New Banners

Today it was great fun to attend a meeting for a prospective banner commission. Beginning a new commission is always exciting...the ideas are brainstormed, the goals are set, and the creativity starts to churn as you try to meet the needs of the physical space in combination of integrating art that enhances but doesn't distract from worship. This meeting had some extra bright spots. First, I don't usually get to meet my clients face-to-face. Most work is done via email with an occassional phone call. Secondly, it was delightful to learn some of the history of this sanctuary. For example, the main stained glass window was actually taken from another church building that was no longer going to have a congregation and was installed when this sanctuary was built. I think this is a lovely symbol of the Church continuing--just in another location. Lastly, this group was particularly open to new ideas. Ideas were flying...long skinny banners instead of wide ones, flags with symbols telling the story of the church hung the length of the nave, painting of the walls (and ceiling!), and processing with the worship banners on the first Sunday that they were to be used. What is working for your worship space visually? What do you dream of adding to your worship space. Try this: take a photograph of your worship space and study it. Sometimes you'll see and think of things in a different observational mode with this technique. Dream, think, pray, plan, and search for those in your community that have the gifts to meet your needs!

The photo in this post is of a commission that took much prayer, planning, and time to execute so it would be ready for Advent 2007. And the commission all began with a vision of doing something a little different from whta had been done prior in this congregation!

Three Rivers Arts Festival

For me, it's always good to be amongst artists. This year's trek to the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh, PA provided an interesting bit of installation art at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Trinity Episcopal is by itself a grand space that allows you to realize it is sacred. Artists Jeffrey Mongrain and Nicholas Kripal created several pieces that are a response to the site itself. "Our work involves creating ceramic pieces that respond to the history, congregation and architectural iconography of the church," Kripal says. Read more in the Post Gazette article here. If you're anywhere in the area Sunday is the last day....open 7-1:30.

Pittsburgh, like many cities, has wonderful old churches that reflect the culture, history and faith of the community. If you can't get to Trinity Cathedral tomorrow, but are in Pittsburgh another time you might be interested in a Pittsburgh. Learn more about the Pious Pittsburgh tour here.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Last night I had the fun opportunity of teaching an art class at my home church to 23 second through fifth graders. It's always energizing to step back to my professional roots of art education. The group was creating art that will be used in an exhibit in our church art gallery. Guess who's the curator of the gallery? ME! The gallery has the mission statement of "...to encourage artists, individuals, and the congregation to engage the visual arts in the spiritual life of the church. Westminster Presbyterian Church values the significance of visual imagery in spiritual formation and the development of faith." To me this includes the artistic gifts of the children in our community so, the children will display their art work during the month of July. I got a warm feeling when one of the little girls in the class showed me her work (shown) that was in response to Joshua 1:9-"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Before creating our art we discussed all of the places that God would be with us. This creative group came up with a wide variety of ideas including at the amusement park, to in the middle of a tornado, to while I'm at school. I particularly enjoyed this picture of God is With Me at Church. We get a glimpse of church inside and we can see church outside...a great example of the fact that the church is not the building. And, don't miss the fun detail on the left hand side of the congregants doing cartwheels! This art reflects the joy of God being with us at church seen through the wise eyes of a nine year old.

Devotion

I came across the following from the Rule of St. Benedict (AD 480-547).

Let us consider, then, how we ought to

behave in the presence of God and his
angels and let us stand to sing the
psalms in such a way that our minds

in harmony with our voices.

These thoughts on coming together for worship make me think of Psalm 63 illustrated here by Magrit Prigge an artist residing in South Africa.

Oh God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

You might think about these questions while examining this art:

• What might this artwork's purpose be?
• Do I recognize any images? If so, what?
• What kind of lines do I see?
• What kind of movement do they suggest?
• Are there any visual metaphors in the artwork?
• Does each visual metaphor look like something in or outside of the artwork?
• What does this art mean to me?

On My Travel List

I'm a list maker. I'm afraid I go well beyond the "what to buy at the grocery store" list. I have lists of books I want to read, movies I'd like to watch, things my children should pursue this summer, gift ideas, ways that I might fund my children's college educations, vines to try, etc. etc. I love to travel. For the time being most of my travel is in my dreams....so I keep a list of all those places I will go someday when time and funding allows. On the list is the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, France. Henri Matisse used shape and color toward the end of his career to design this Chapel. I feel drawn to the simple and quiet and the photographs of this space tell me I'd love to experience it first hand.Isn't it wonderful?

Thinking of simple I'd also like to share with you one of the books I'm working my way through. The Holy Way: Practices for a Simple Life, by Paula Huston is about the author's search for simple living modeled after the lives and writings of the great monastic saints. Using her first hand experiences she relates a variety of practical, day-to-day measures that we might apply to our lives. Yes, it was on my summer reading LIST!