Christian Art – fallacy or fusion?

Jonathan Evens is running a course entitled 'Christian Art – fallacy or fusion?' as part of the Eastertide School in the Diocese of Chelmsford. The course aims to explore approaches to and understanding of the relationship between art and faith. 

In this course participants will explore approaches to engaging with and looking attentively at art in addition to exploring the history of art and faith plus definitions of Christian Art. As they do so, participants will also look at contemporary art exhibitions, public art and church commissions.

The Lent & Eastertide Schools are a collection of education, training and skills events across the Diocese of Chelmsford during Lent and Eastertide each year. A series of short courses running across the diocese between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost with a wide variety of themes and costing £15 per course.

'Christian Art – fallacy or fusion?' will take place on five Tuesday evenings beginning 9th April, then from 23rd April - 14th May at St John's Seven Kings (St Johns Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex IG2 7BB). All are welcome to attend. For brochures and booking forms please contact: Liz Watson. Diocesan Office, 53 New Street, Chelmsford, Essex. CM1 1AT. Tel: 01245 294449, email: lwatson@chelmsford.anglican.org.

CiTiES: All Dimensions Part 2

Part 2 of CiTiES: All Dimensions, an exhibition celebrating urban-living and virtual-architecture, will open shortly at the Tokarska Gallery:

• Thursday 7 March 2013 – Private view will be held at Tokarska Gallery, 6pm-8pm
• Saturday 9 March 2013 – Performance night: 6-9pm. Music provided by Mark Beazley
• Thur 7 March – Sun 17 March 2013 – Exhibition will be open to the public Thursday to Saturday 12 – 7pm 

Mark Lewis: Days and Rites

Days and Rites: Popular customs of the Church by Mark Lewis is due to be published by the Heart of Albion Press in April 2013:

"People go to church to worship and, as is often quipped, to be 'hatched, matched and dispatched'. Yet these quintessential rites have been adapted in all sorts of ways by parishioners and clergy up and down the country, while a great number of 'blessings' and other services that are quite specific to individual churches are performed annually. Collectively, they create a rich variety of traditions, many of which are only known about locally.

Some of these liturgical traditions have survived unbroken over many centuries, others have been revived after a break during the twentieth century – while yet more continue to be invented. Some of these more recent traditions – such as Harvest Festivals and Christingle – are now so ubiquitous that many churchgoers are unaware of a time when they were not part of the yearly cycle of customs.

By drawing together, for the first time, detailed information about these popular customs of the church, Mark Lewis hopes to stimulate further interest, research and recording of these remarkable events."

Hayley Bowen: Noah's Art

Hayley Bowen is currently showing work in Noah's Art at the Orleans House gallery where, until 28th April, you can meet the animals of the earth, water, air and imagination.

Contemporary artworks of wild and domestic animals, selected via open submission, are hung alongside historical works by Laura Knight, Vere Lucy Temple and Marc Chagall.

Also on display is a surreal collaborative Cabinet of Curiosities, and vibrant, mobile animal installations created by the gallery’s art clubs. Explore all kinds of creatures, from the wild to domestic in a range of media including paintings, photographs, textiles, sculptures, assemblages and film.

Member's updates: Caroline Nina Phillips, Mark Lewis and Peter Webb

Caroline Nina Phillips is showing work in Start 13: The New Industrialists celebrating the full opening of London’s newest creative hub, The Bermondsey Project, which comprises Crisis Skylight Bermondsey, Bow Arts SE1 Studios, London Sculpture Workshop, London Community Furniture and the Outside Puppets Collective.

Featured artists: Caroline Nina Phillips, Grace Aza-Selinger, Mick Bateman, Aimee Betts, Giles Corby, Clare Davidson, Franco DiCesare, Aaron Distler, Namaan Ebdon, Katie Elder, Suzanne De Emmony, Stephen Grant, Judith Hayes, Heeryong Hong, Jeff Hubbard, Mike Lane, Juyoung Lee, Caterina Lewis, Abigail Lipski, Jayne Lloyd, Anna Lytridou, Jodi McFayden, Caroline MacKenzie, Roman Manfredi plus work in progress from artists attending classes at Crisis Skylight Bermondsey.

Admission is free and there is ample free parking. 15th February to 3rd March 2013. Opening times: Monday to Sunday, 1pm-6pm. Private view: 15th February 2013, 6pm-9pm. Bermondsey Project,

46 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SF.

Mark Lewis and Peter Webb are organising a Big Draw style event for Saturday 16th February in the St Mary's Memorial Hall alongside St Mary's Woodford. There is also likely to be a small c4m exhibition in the Memorial Hall on the same day. Contact Mark on pharos@sketchbook.wanadoo.co.uk or Peter on oilpaint@hotmail.co.uk for more information.

Mark is also planning an exhibition of his sketchbooks at the School of Jewellery in Birmingham for two weeks from 16th April. Many of his sketchbooks, used weekly on the train journey from London to Birmingham, will be digitised and displayed on flat screens in the exhibition.

New website page on Arts initiatives

commission4mission and aspects of its work now feature on the website of the Diocese of Chelmsford. c4m  is an initiative and organisation which has grown out of the Chelmsford Diocese although its membership and activities now extend beyond the Diocese itself.

The website page has been written by Jonathan Evens and includes information about c4m commissions in the Diocese, the Barking Episcopal Area Art Trail, and the Barking Episcopal Arts Festival to which we regularly contribute.

Click here to see the new website page.

CiTiES: All Dimensions

Celebrating urban-living and virtual-architecture the call for entries for CiTiES: All Dimensions by the Tokarska Gallery invited regional and international artists to showcase their deeply personal perceptions of modern inhabiting. With hundreds of entries from across the globe the resulting show offers the selected artists a prestigious platform for cultural integration and an exclusive opportunity to network with artists and critics in this genre.

The show, which will be split into two parts, will begin with the Private View on 14 February 2013. At the Private Views you can meet some of the artists behind the works on show, which will include sculpture, paintings, photographs and installations.

CiTiES: All Dimensions Part 1:
Thursday 14 February 2013 – Private view at Tokarska Gallery, 6pm-8pm
Saturday 23 February 2013 – Performance night 6-9pm. Music provided by Young Zen
14 Feb 2013 – 24 Feb 2013 Exhibition will be open to the public Thur - Sat 12pm – 7pm