Ranulph Fiennes portrait

Henry Shelton has painted a portrait of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Patron of the National Kidney Federation (NKF), which he has presented to the NKF and which is displayed at their Head Office in Worksop.

Mbeng Pouka

Pouka is an artist and sculptor who believes in the ability of human love and kindness to make our world a free and safe environment for every living creature. As we are coming to the climax of technology and increasing knowledge, the interconnection of people makes our world look small.

We are now facing a huge challenge in our planet - the growth in the population, the transformation of our climate, natural catastrophes, the extinction of animals, the insecurity of nations and the increase in poverty due to the wider gap between the rich and poor.

All these challenges we are facing in our modern times are the driving force of the creativity in his artwork as he believes everything created has its own purpose, like the earth we live in - there is no other place where humans can share the same breath with animals and plants or drink the same water and many other things.

Charitable donation - Safer Places

Each year commission4mission makes a donation to a chosen charity with the money donated having been raised through commissions and sales obtained in the preceding year. This year our committee members have asked that our annual donation - which this year amounts to £668.46 - go to Safer Places in support of their work with victims of domestic abuse.

Safer Places is an independent domestic abuse charity dedicated to supporting adults and children affected by domestic abuse. They are able to provide a wide range of services to support users and respond to individual needs and circumstances, whether it is in their refuge accommodation or in the community.
All their services work in a holistic and empowering way to help enable users to live independent lives free from domestic abuse.

Over the first three years of our existence we have been able to donate £4,936 to charities, with our earlier donations going to Haven House, Sightsavers International, and Smile Train UK.
 

AGM & Annual Report

The AGM for commission4mission was held today at All Saints West Ham. The evening included: a drinks reception; viewing of the c4m exhibition located at All Saints; Colin Burns performing tracks from his debut album Emerald&Gold; a talk by Mark Lewis on 'Stanley Spencer - A visionary of our time' followed by personal reminiscences of Spencer as art tutor at the RCA from Joy Rousell Stone. The evening concluded with the AGM itself.

Annual Report 2011-12

Commissions at All Saints Hutton, St John’s Seven Kings & St Margaret’s Great Ilford

In 2011/12, our third year of operation, commission4mission has continued to develop its work, made key decisions for its future, and undertaken work in partnership with other arts and faith organisations.

During 2011/12 commission4mission has:

·        completed commissions for artworks at All Saints Hutton, St John’s Seven Kings and St Margaret’s Great Ilford;

·        gained commissions for artworks at Christ Church ThamesView and Dagenham Park Church of England School;

·        maintained a changing display of member’s work at All Saints West Ham and organised exhibitions at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Mary Magdalene Billericay and Tokarska Gallery;

commission4mission exhibition, Crypt Gallery at St Martin-in-the-Fields

·        held an evening of art talks by Dr Graham Gould and Mark Lewis, led with Dr Philip Jenson an art workshop at St Paul’s Harlow which produced a design for a frieze, and organised a Study Day on the value of public art (also at St Paul’s Harlow);

·        worked in partnership with CANA and Veritasse (Run with the Fire, an international art project for churches in the 2012 Olympic year) and also with Art & Christianity Enquiry and Harlow Art Trust (Study Day on the value of public art);

·        completed the Run with the Fire digital exhibition and event guidance materials and produced a DVD containing these materials; and

‘Running Towards The Goal’ by Erland Sibuea,

part of the ‘Run with the Fire’ digital exhibition.

·        produced Condemned, a creative reflection for Lent  illustrated with contemporary art works by seven member artists, accompanied by the words of Isaiah 53;

·        donated £1,568 split between Sightsavers and SmileTrain, this being the charitable element from our second year of operation.

We are very grateful to: all members for their support and involvement; all committee members for their direction and guidance; our Patron, Bishop David, for his ideas and interest; and Ranjit Solomon for his independent examination of our accounts.

Rev. Jonathan Evens, Secretary – May 2012

Tree of Life

Photographing community relations

Click here to view Mark Burton's beautiful photographs documenting the recent visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to Leytonstone. Mark will be the main exhibitor at St Barnabas Walthamstow for the E17 Art Trail 2012 during the first three weekends of September.
On June 7th the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, visited St Andrews Church and Shri Nathji Sanatan Hindu Mandir in Leytonstone. He had come to hear about initiatives from the Near Neighbours programme, which bring people of different faiths together.

Mark was invited to photograph the day by the Forest Women’s Interfaith Network. Like many grass roots leaders, they work tirelessly behind the scenes to create a web of relationships that bind our community together.

During the day he was enormously impressed by Dr Williams saying he had never seen anyone work a room like he did – not a hand was left unshaken and he made time to make sure there were a few words and a warm smile for everyone.

c4m member's update: two PVs and a Talk

The latest exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery is Katherine Green / 1948 Olympians (21 June - 21 July 2012) with the Private View on 21 June 2012 from 6pm - 9pm. 1948 was the last time the Olympics were held in London. The contrast is stark; London was recovering from war, athletes weren’t paid, were training on rations whilst working full-time and many had to hand sew their own kit. During the past six years, Katherine Green has has been meeting with, photographing and recording interviews with the British Olympic Team from the 1948 Olympics. Now in their 80s and 90s, they share their extraordinary stories in this touring exhibition.

Andrew Graham-Dixon will give a talk about Caravaggio at the Tokarska Gallery on Friday 20 July 2012, 6pm - 9pm. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) lived the darkest and most dangerous life of any of the great painters. The worlds of Milan, Rome and Naples through which Caravaggio moved, and which Andrew Graham-Dixon describes brilliantly in his latest book Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane, are those of cardinals and whores, prayer and violence. Andrew Graham-Dixon is one of the leading figures in broadcasting in the UK, having presented seven major television series on art for the BBC – more than anyone else in the corporation’s history. He has been researching Caravaggio’s life and art for more than ten years, and the results of that work are now drawn together in this book. This is a ticketed event with an Entry Fee £10 - see http://tokarskagallery.co.uk/ to book.

Project 2012 is back with a third exhibition showcasing an eclectic selection of artworks and with a special intervention on the opening night by CHRISTOPHER CLACK [http://christopherclack.co.uk/]. Christopher will be providing personalised Death Certificates for all who believe the world is due to end on 21 December 2012. Project 2012 aims to provide a platform to reflect on the path our society has taken in relation to other cultures throughout history as well as nature. The end of the world can be an inspiring source for creation and destruction, whether you believe it is coming or not.

FEATURED ARTISTS in the exhibition are: FRAN COPEMAN [http://francopeman.blogspot.co.uk/]; JOSEPH FALCONER [http://joefalconer.com/];  SEDI GHADIRI [http://theyellownotes.tumblr.com/]; ANDREW HLADKY [http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewhladky/]; SARAH LE ROY [http://www.saraleroy.com/]; HELEN SAUNDERS [http://www.helensaunders.co.uk/]; and GARY WINSHIP [http://www.reconstruct-art.com/].

The VENUE is: ARBEIT GALLERY, 4 Helmet Row EC1V 3QJ, London [http://arbeit.org.uk/]. HOW TO GET THERE: Tube: Old Street {Northern line}; Train: Old Street; Buses: 55/243/N35/N55. PRIVATE VIEW: Tuesday: 6pm-9pm. REST OF THE DAYS: Wednesday:11am-6pm; Thursday:11am-6pm; Friday:11am-6pm; Saturday:11am-6pm. Events page: https://www.facebook.com/events/187294234730523/

A Reflection on the Art in the Church Workshop

Sara Schumacher has posted an interesting reflection on the Art in the Church workshop hosted online by Transpositions. In it she considers two recurring themes that emerged over the three weeks of rich and deep conversation via the workshop. Her two themes are diversity & the importance of context and art begetting creativity and innovation. She uses commission4mission as one example of "innovative and creative solutions to overcome one of the most commonly-mentioned challenges: the lack of money for the arts." Sara's reflection can be read by clicking here.

Francesca Ross

Deep Peace, ink (20 x 20 cm)

Labyrinth, silk (49 x 49 cm)

Francesca Ross works particularly in watercolour, mostly on botanical grade illustrations of plants but also in acrylic, ink and fabric. She tries to show her faith not only in the subject matter (if 'religious') but also in the care taken and attention to detail in portraying the beauty of creation.

Tree of Life exhibition

The Tree of Life art exhibition by professional and local artists is currently at St Barnabas Walthamstow. Two workshops, a launch event and a dialogue discussion have already taken place in relation to the exhibition. 

Tree of Life is an interfaith art exhibition inspired by the Christian and Islamic traditions. It includes new artworks by Christian and Muslim artists, responding to the theme The Tree of Life and the Eternal Garden. The artworks explore the shared heritage of, and commonalities between, the two traditions.

St Barnabas is also expecting a bigger neighbourhood presence for the E17 Art Trail this September with various residents and institutions planning to exhibit. A very exciting and varied line-up is being planned for St Barnabas itself.

Transpositions interview

Jonathan Evens has been interviewed about the work of commission4mission for the current online 'Art in the Church' workshop at Transpositions. The interview can be found at http://www.transpositions.co.uk/2012/06/an-interview-with-commission4mission/ and more information about the workshop can be found at: http://www.transpositions.co.uk/2012/05/introducing-the-art-in-the-church-workshop/.

Art Talk and AGM

 

This year's AGM for commission4mission will be on Saturday 23rd June at All Saints West Ham (http://www.westhamchurch.org.uk/), 6.00pm for 6.30pm. All are welcome.

 

The evening will include:

• drinks reception and viewing of the c4m exhibition located at All Saints;
• Stanley Spencer – A Visionary of our Time – Mark Lewis. A talk which examines the life and work of one of Britain’s most renowned and eccentric 20th Century painters. The main themes include Spencer’s time as a war artist, and his extraordinary paintings which envision the Christian Gospels played out by the people in his beloved home town of Cookham;
• the AGM.

Richard Baxter and the Leigh Art Trail

Richard Baxter is showing new work in the Leigh Art Trail. He writes:

"Richard Baxter will be selling work from his latest porcelain kiln firings. Refined forms and stunning glazes, not to be missed.

Sheila Appleton is showing colourful, vigorous oil paintings, watercolours and acrylics and telling stories to entertain and inspire you.

We are also proud to be showing a retrospective of the late Alec Owen’s turned wooden bowls. He showed here for several years at the Art Trail.

Please come to Old Leigh Studios, 61 High Street, Old Leigh to see our shows. Open 16-23rd June (except Monday 18th) 11am – 5pm. Thursday 21st is our late evening when we will be open from 6-9pm and a cool refreshing drink may be had!"