RUN WITH THE FIRE: Call for Submissions

‘Run With The Fire’ is an arts project for the London 2012 Olympics organized by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse based on the image of fire which links the Church’s Pentecost celebration with that of the Olympic runner.

The images that seeded this project come from the celebration of Pentecost, with its tongues of fire, new languages, and promise of dreams and visions, plus the Olympic games, with its running messenger carrying forward the burning torch and its dreams of cross cultural harmony. The vision of Pentecost, and also of the Olympics, is one of celebration and cross-cultural understanding. As a result, our title ’Run With The Fire’ emerged.

PROJECT

Artists and designers, selected to be part of the project, will begin by writing a statement to describe their vision of ’Running With The Fire’ for the other artists/designers involved. Each artist/designer will then create an artwork, using the idea of another artist/designer as a starting point. This aspect of the project simulates the idea of a relay, with ideas being passed from one artist/designer to the next.

Artists will make their work available electronically for use in the project, so that the mapping of ideas as they travel from one artist to another can become part of the final product. The resulting virtual exhibition will be available on DVD, for display on large scale HD TV or monitor, or for projection using a digital projector. This virtual exhibition of international artwork will be presented alongside arts events or exhibitions organized by local churches.

’Run With The Fire’ also aims to provide an electronic resource package, to accompany the virtual exhibition, which will give ideas for churches on how to organize and facilitate community arts events. These local events will enrich the experiences of those attending and will provide a context for the ’Run With The Fire’ exhibition in each venue.

Optimal exhibition spaces are churches, community centers, open air venues (with some covered space), local art galleries etc.

Once churches sign up to the event, they will need to pay £50 to cover the cost of the DVD and other materials. Any profit on the sale of resources will be donated to Oxfam. Churches will also bear the cost of actually putting on the ’Run With The Fire’ event, including venue hire, additional publicity and resources used at the community events.

INVITATION

You are invited to apply to join the project by submitting samples of your work (website link or e-mailed images in jpg format) and your CV (consisting of education, awards, solo and group show exhibition history) to Sue Newham at membership@veritasse.co.uk by 19th November 2010 at the latest.

All submissions will be considered by a jury/selection committee invited by the steering group which includes Dianne B. Collard (Director of Ministries - Europe for Artists in Christian Testimony International), Martin Crampin (Artist, researcher and designer), and Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker (Editor-in-Chief of ArtWay). All entrants will be informed about selection by the end of January 2011. Successful applicants will then be asked to submit their completed artwork electronically by the start of August 2011.

Artists will be selected based on: submitted samples of their work (website link or e-mailed images in jpg format); their CV (consisting of education, awards, solo and group show exhibition history); and their geographical location (in order to have a genuinely international spread of artists).

Successful applicants are asked to make a firm commitment to complete their artwork by the August 2011 deadline. We are aware that unforeseen personal circumstances can make it impossible to fulfill a commitment at times, but we are keen that the integrity and impact of the project should not be jeopardized by a high drop-out rate. We ask every applicant to count the cost and time implications of involvement in this project, before submitting their name and work for inclusion.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Three arts groups with international connections (commission4mission, CANA and Veritasse) have come together to organize this project which celebrates creativity, cultural exchange and hope for the future. More information about these groups can be found at: http://cana-arts.blogspot.com/; http://commissionformission.blogspot.com/; and http://www.veritasse.co.uk/.

Janet Roberts

Janet Roberts is a member of the Faith and Image group based at St Mary's Woodford. For the past few years, Janet has had an annual two week exhibition at the end of November and beginnning of December at South Woodford Library which raises funds for homelessness charities. She has also exhibited her religious paintings at Orleans House Main Gallery, Twickenham.

Janet writes: "I would class myself as a Symbolic Expressionist. I tap my unconcious taking a 'walk with a line' and up comes a picture. Otherwise I use an Ignatian imaginative prayer method of taking a Bible reading, then painting a picture. I also can see a picture in a blotch of spilt ink or paint. Now my main aim is, hopefully, to express the presence of Christ."

Pick Up A Pencil!

Come and join in the "Big Draw" on Saturday, October 16th, 10.00am – 4.30pm at St Mary’s Church, High Road, South Woodford.

Demonstrations every hour on the hour. Not just pencils - lots of other different media and techniques to try, including mono-printing! All materials supplied. Come along at any time, have fun and stay for as little or as long as you like. The day is FREE and open to everyone. Professional artists will be there to help. Refreshments available. Telephone 020 8504 5840 for further details.Saturday, October 16th, 10.00am – 4.30pm at St Mary’s Church, High Road, South Woodford.  

Peacing Together One World

commission4mission is to hold an exhibition of contemporary Art and Design work in St Mary Magdalen, Billericay. This is a great use of this recently redeveloped old building, with its own heritage, and will open each day during the week 16th – 23rd October from 9.00am to 5.00pm. During these opening times c4m artist Harvey Bradley will act as an artist in residence, working on his oil paintings and decorating some of his porcelain pottery. If others join him, there may be some coffee and biscuits available too. The exhibition in general will provide a good opportunity to view the work of 10 talented commission4mission artists.

On Friday evening from 7.30pm c4m members, and hopefully local poets, will contribute to a fascinating evening of poetry and music. We hope the exhibition and performance evening with the One World Week theme ‘Peacing Together One World’ will appeal to Christians of all denominations as well as to others, of faith or none, who are interested in contemporary art and the joys and plight of the human condition.

c4m artist's update (6)

Peter Webb is to exhibit in the 77th Annual Exhibition of the National Society of Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers at the Menier Gallery from 15th - 26th September (closed Sunday 22nd September) between 10.00am and 6.00pm.

St Paul's Goodmayes is to host an Art Exhibition for the Our Community Festival from Monday 20th to Sunday 26th September. The exhibition will feature collages on the themes of people and places which were begun at a community art workshop led by Mark Lewis earlier in the year and which feature drawings and reflections by many local people. Additionally there will be a display of local photographs by Jonathan Evens from his 'Windows on the world' series and visitors will be able to see the permanent artworks commissioned for St Paul's Goodmayes including stained glass by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Leonard Evetts, new Stations of the Crown of Thorns by Henry Shelton and a sculpture by Jane Quail, among other works.

The Our Community Art Exhibition will be open at St Paul's Goodmayes on Monday 20th to Sunday 26th September from 10 am to 2 pm. Light refreshments will be available. On the final day, Sunday 26th, opening times will be extended to 4 pm to coincide with the Our Community Festival itself. The Our Community Festival features: local exhibitors; climbing wall; local talent; basketball; conservation; food stalls; children's play area; martial arts; face painting; live music; mobile library and much ...

Joy Rousell Stone will be exhibiting work at St Nicholas Rawreth from Monday 25th October.

Celebration of Christian Poetry

Ann Creasey, Michael Creasey and Jonathan Evens are all contributing to a celebration of Christian poetry from John Donne and George Herbert to R.S. Thomas, Stewart Henderson, and beyond which will include poetry readings, information on featured poets, favourite poems introduced and read by local clergy, and choral recitals of well known poems. The event takes places on Friday 1st October 2010, 7.30pm, at St John's Church, St John's Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex IG2 7BB. Contact the Parish Office on 020 8598 1536 or info@stjohns7kings.org.uk for more details. This event is part of the London Borough of Redbridge's Word of Mouth Festival and the Patronal Festival of St John's Seven Kings.

Church transformed into gallery for community Art Trail

St Barnabas Church Walthamstow has been transformed into a gallery for a community art trail.

The E17 Art Trail, one of most exciting community events in London, is now in its fifth year and the ten-day programme includes work by hundreds of artists exhibited in 120 venues. St Barnabas participated for the first time in 2009 with work by Henry Shelton but this year is displaying work by ten artists and is described by the Art Trail organisers as “a major venue”.

The Grade II* Listed church is open during the Art Trail to exhibit its own collections of fine Arts and Crafts furnishings and the contemporary work including fashion photography, portraits, silverware, a 20 foot wall installation and a newly-painted altar triptych.

Portraits, by artist Emma Scutt, are hung in the spaces usually occupied by the church’s stations-of-the-cross. They relate to the Art Trail’s 2010 theme “Welcome to Walthamstow” and include depictions of 10 Walthamstow people past and present, including Walthamstow-born William Morris, artist Grayson Perry, TV presenter June Sarpong, pop-star Brian Harvey and the church’s parish priest Father Steven Saxby.

Walthamstow’s MP Stella Creasy (also depicted in a portrait) cut a tape to launch the Trail at St Barnabas’ private view and responded to Father Saxby’s description of Walthamstow as “the cultural capital of the Universe” by saying she prefers to call E17 “God’s own country”. There are also three events for the Art Trial at St Barnabas: a discussion on Pen Dalton’s work “Does your mother come from Ireland?; ‘the Art of Singing’ by the choir of the Rose and Crown Pub and a dance event including dance from the many cultures represented in the congregation at St Barnabas.

Father Saxby said, “It is wonderful to see the church being used in this way to welcome the wider community. We have already had scores of visitors to see the art work, including many from the neighbourhood who’ve walked through the doors for the first time. It was a challenge for me displaying work by ten artists but the work looks spectacular in the church!”

Opening times are Thurs 9th (7pm-10pm), Fri 10th (Noon-4pm), Sat 11th (10am-4pm) and Sun 12th (Noon-4pm).

E17 Art Trail @ St Barnabas Walthamstow

Fr. Steven Saxby has provided information about the diverse range of artists which St Barnabas, Walthamstow is hosting this year for the E17 Art Trail. Their private view and "meet the artists" event is tomorrow evening (Thursday 2nd September) from 8pm - 9.30pm. Click here for subsequent opening dates and times.

Anna Newson-Lyons presents 'From here to there', a collection of pictures including Funky Big Ben and Double Vision; London at night taken on the South Bank of the Thames. Mara Love and Pride are from a collection of wildlife photographs taken in the Masai Mara, Kenya. The collection also includes from dusk to dawn landscape pictures of Australia in Sunrise at Uluru and Sunset Storm in The Maldives. Handmade cards are also included in the collection of local winter scenes and summer flowers taken in Waltham Forest.

Anthony Lane presents “Lano” – two oil on canvas works.

Cinthia Oram presents two flower arrangements characteristic of her work which specialises in creating unique flower arrangements using fruits, vegetables and various materials.

Emma Scutt presents "E17 Portraits, Past & Present" inspired by the theme for this year’s Art Trail, 'Welcome to Walthamstow', which made her think of all the different people who live in the borough, and also St Barnabas church itself.

Johanna Melvin is exhibiting seascapes taken from old-fashioned nautical engravings. Jo has exhibited widely including the Royal Academy of Art, Contemporary Art Society, Flowers East Gallery and has work in several provate collections including Whitechapel Gallery Archives, John Cass Faculty of Fine Art and the Colony Room collection.

Pen Dalton presents a large wall installation 5 x 20 feet, concerned with issues of identity and entitled “Does your mother come from Ireland?” The title comes from a popular song in the early 20th Century. The installation uses documentary writings and images from the twentieth century: familial, legal, educational, popular, medical, academic, religious and cultural to show how people – in this case Pen's grandmother – interact and change their identities in and through the social world.”

Rebecca de Quin and Louise Loder are art school trained silversmiths. De Quin is a Master of Arts of the Royal College of Art where she teaches part-time. Loder received her Master of Arts award from London Guildhall University. They have shared a workshop in Walthamstow for six years where they work independently but enjoy the benefits of sharing knowledge and discussing ideas. Both explore the potential of silver to capture the imagination of a contemporary audience, but achieve very different results as shown in their exhibit 'The Art of Silver'.
Sean Pines - Fashion Photography. With a career in photography spanning over 20 years, Sean has kept ahead of current trends, consistently producing fresh, concept based images which present not only the garments, but the fantasy also.

WACVC (Walthamstow Amateur Cinevideo Club) has been going strong since 1949. The club will be exhibiting some its productions on local history and special-interest. This will include DVDs such as "Hollywood E17" which uncovers Walthamstow's secret history in the early years of the cinematic industry. Find out what the club is about and take part in a workshop on ChromaKey where we place you somewhere else using a green screen.

St Barnabas Walthamstow itself is a work of art, an architectural gem. It is a Grade II* listed building designed by W.D.Caroe and completed in 1903. The church also houses a wonderful collection of art works, some of which are highlighted below:

- ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’, lettercutting on slate behind the font (1994) by Charles Smith.
- Statue of St Barnabas (1946) by Faith-Craft Works
- a carving of ‘Christ the Good Shepherd’ (c.1890) by Peter Brunner and originally part of the Children’s Shrine at St Martin’s-in-the-Fields.
- Statue of Our Lady, Mary (1936) by Faith-Craft Works
- ‘Christ the Man of Sorrows’ – C18th copy of the painting by Luini.
- Reredos from children’s chapel of St John’s, Red Lion Square (c.1925) by Christopher Webb.
- East Window stained glass, depicting ‘Our Lord in Majesty and Twenty Four Elders casting down their Crowns’ (1903) by Clayton and Bell.
- 1902 Foundation stone (behind the main altar) by Eric Gill, then articled to W.D.Caroe.
- Statues of St Michael and two angels (by and above the main altar) (1910) by Alec Miller
- Organ corbels of David and Miriam (2000) by Charles Gurrey
- Oak Rood (large crucifix hanging above chancel steps), designed by W.D.Caroe and carved by Nathaniel Hitch (1921)
- Statue of St James (c.1950) by Faith-Craft Works
- Green reredos designed by Julian Litten (1989) and incorporating panels of the four evangelists (painted c.1860)
- Stations of the Cross – currently lying flat on pews in south aisle.