commission4mission

Gillian Barritt

2012-01-24T23:48:00.000-08:00

Gillian Barritt is a ceramics artist whose work is expressive and sculptural. Her work reflects her Christian faith as well as capturing a love of Cornwall where she lives and was born.

Gillian is also interested in writing and incorporates words with clay pieces which include scripture and also poetry.

She also has an interest in recycled media like sea china and glass and has incorporated these into recent work. She uses the form of the cross to create work with biblical imagery.

Death is certain - nothing dies

2012-01-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

Members update: event and exhibitions

2012-01-19T00:43:00.000-08:00

The next event organised by Faith & Image, a forum for all who are interested in art and spirituality, will be: 'Politics, Persecution and Propaganda: The Music of William Byrd.'

William Byrd was England's greatest composer of the Elizabethan period, but his life was shaped by his Catholic religious commitment. In hostile circumstances, he made his voice heard through a highly politicised use of his art.

This will be a talk with music examples by Graham Dixon on Tuesday, January 24th January at 8.00pm. Venue: The Gwinnell Room, St Mary’s Church, High Road, South Woodford, E18. Visitors welcome. Donations invited. Refreshments available. Details from Mark Lewis: Telephone 020 8504 5840 or email: pharos@sketchbook.wanadoo.co.uk.

Emerging artists Melissa Burn, Jakub Ceglarz, Mette Tofte Philipsen, Polly Saunders and Subash Thebe are showing their latest work in ‘Five Seasons’ at the Tokarska Gallery until 28 January, Thursday - Saturday, 12noon - 7pm.

Then the Gallery will show the work of Lia Vio, who lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. Her work positions the viewer as a voyeur and participant in a surrealistic journey of self-reflection, offering not only formal inquiry into the ephemeral visual relationships around us, but also the blended aspects of the visual world and visual thinking as well. The visual perception of her photographs operates on many planes: you can always see more in conjunction with what you're focused on.

Tokarska are showing large format photographs from the series "Reincarnation", "Solely in My Head", "Mining the Silent Evidence" and others. Each photograph is cohesive within its series, both formally and conceptually, evoking a sense of awe, mystery and suspense. 2 - 25 February 2012. PRIVATE VIEW 2 February 2012, 7pm - 9pm.

'Run with the Fire' on YouTube

2012-01-10T04:34:00.000-08:00

A promotional presentation for 'Run with the Fire' is now available to be viewed on YouTube. The presentation outlines the project, shows examples of work included and gives information for ordering copies of the 'Run with the Fire' pack.

Every 'Run with the Fire' pack includes:

· a digital exhibition on DVD with a 2 year licence for use in the purchasing church

· an electronic book and planning aid produced by three experienced Christian event organisers, with samples and templates to save you time and effort

· telephone, skype or e-mail support to help you use the pack effectively

· access to a large pool of Christian artists who you may wish to involve in your project

Each 'Run with the Fire' pack costs £50.00 (any profits, go to Oxfam) and can be bought from http://www.veritasse.co.uk/ or by contacting Sue Newham on 01686 626228.

Member's updates

2012-01-03T09:18:00.001-08:00

Viki Isherwood Metzler has a new website showcasing her cartoons. It can be found by clicking here and, once there, allows you to sign up to receive a free weekly cartoon.
Christopher Clack has added an essay by James Elkins to his Modern Religious Art website. The essay entitled 'Bridging the Gap between Modern Art and Religion' reflects on Re-Enchantment, a one-day event at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in April 2007 which has recently been written up and published as a book with the same title.

Jonathan Evens will be speaking on commission4mission and understandings of Christian Art at the February Learning Supper for West Mersea Parish Church (6.30pm, Sunday 26th February). Learning Suppers on Mersea Island include a time of worship, teaching, prayer and a convivial supper of soup, cheese and wine on the 4th Sunday in the month.

Tokarska exhibition: Private View

2011-12-03T14:30:00.001-08:00

We had an excellent Private View at the Tokarska Gallery tonight. As part of the evening Colin Burns performed guitar instrumentals from his forthcoming CD. Andrew Vessey read three poems that, like several of the paintings he is exhibiting, explore encounters and travels in well-known biblical stories but set into the context of contemporary landscapes of Suffolk and Gower. Peter Webb spoke about creativity as the essence of God in his introductory remarks and Jonathan Evens read his poem on the creative process entitled 'The Mark'.

Anglicans invite artists back to church

2011-12-01T23:09:00.001-08:00

Marisa Martin is a Christian, conservative political activist, practicing artist of over 30 years, and writer of the 'True Colors' column on WorldNetDaily. Her most recent piece - 'Anglicans invite artists back to church' - is a feature on commission4mission, including our current exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery.
In her article, Martin notes that commission4mission works to keep alive the Anglican Church tradition of inspiring, commissioning and installing new art but "uses contemporary and decidedly nontraditional art" to do so. She highlights particularly the work of Peter Webb and Christopher Clack, describing Webb's Supper at Emmaus as "something like a cross between Jack Levine's and Franz Hals' group scenes" and Clack's Descent II as "visually riveting, although spiritually neutral."

The question that commission4mission poses, she suggests, is whether "new and contemporary symbols be found for the traditional images and doctrines of the Christian faith?"

Tokarska Gallery: commission4mission exhibition

2011-12-01T08:05:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery opened today and features a variety of c4m artists working in a variety of media (ceramics, concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, painted wooden reliefs), styles (abstract, conceptual, figurative, semi-abstract) and content (biblical scenes, landscapes, portraits, still life, symbolic scenes).

Contributing artists include Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Christopher Clack, Ally Clarke, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Janet Roberts, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton, Joy Rousell Stone, Andrew Vessey and Peter Webb.

1 - 31 December 2011, Thursday - Saturday, 12 noon - 7.00pm.

PRIVATE VIEW 3 December 2011, 6pm - 9pm.

Tokarska Gallery 163 Forest Rd., Walthamstow, London E17 6HE Tel: 020 8531 5419. Email: info@tokarskagallery.co.uk.

How to find Tokarska Gallery: Victoria Line to Blackhorse Road Station. Buses: 123, 158. Map.

Opening Hours Thursday - Saturday, 12pm - 7pm or by appointment.

c4m artists update

2011-11-29T14:14:00.001-08:00

Our most recently completed commission - etched windows by Henry Shelton and Richard Paton at All Saints Hutton - is to be dedicated this Sunday.

Janet Roberts is to have an exhibition at South Woodford Library from 3rd to 12th December.

Our next commission - a holy water stoup by Mark Lewis at St Margarets Great Ilford - has been granted a faculty.

Tokarska hang: Day 1 photographs

2011-11-29T12:38:00.001-08:00

_ commission4mission _

1 - 31 December 2011

PRIVATE VIEW 3 December 2011
6pm - 9pm

Contributing artists include Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Christopher Clack, Ally Clarke, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Janet Roberts, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton, Joy Rousell Stone, Andrew Vessey and Peter Webb.

An exhibition designed to encourage the commissioning of contemporary Christian art opens in the Tokarska Gallery on Thursday 1st December 2011. commission4mission artists will show work in a variety of media, including concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, pottery and reliefs. With much of the work exploring Christian themes, this exhibition will be of particular relevance and interest in the preparations for Christmas. Jonathan Evens, secretary of commission4mission, explains: ‘This exhibition demonstrates some of the ways commissioned art can be used to enhance a place of worship and add another dimension to a church’s mission.’

Tokarska Gallery 163 Forest Rd., Walthamstow,
London E17 6HE Tel.: +44 (0) 20 8531 5419 info@tokarskagallery.co.uk

How to find us Victoria Line to Blackhorse Road Station Buses: 123, 158 Map

Opening Hours Thursday - Saturday
12pm - 7pm or by appointment

Creative Spirit

2011-11-29T09:34:00.001-08:00

Creative Spirit is a new resource for the Church based on the Methodist Church Collection of Modern Christian Art. It consists of eight study sessions on disc with DVD and PowerPoint resources. A 48-page booklet includes leader's notes, colour reproductions, prayers, and bible readings related to the paintings. Forty works of art, by a range of international artists are featured, with eight works selected for special presentation.

Creative Spirit is compiled and written by Sarah Middleton, Elizabeth Moore, David Hollingsworth and Neil Thorogood: artists and educators from within the Methodist Church, Church of England, and The United Reformed Church.

Who is it for?

House groups
Works very well for Lent bible study
Local Preachers and leaders of worship
Retreat and Quiet Day leaders
School and youth groups 16 +
Individuals wanting a fresh, art-based approach to personal devotion

How does it work?

Each DVD case contains a booklet and two discs:

A DVD for TV use, featuring almost the full Collection of Modern Art – new works are still being acquired.
A Powerpoint slideshow CD of the same material designed for projection onto a large screen.
A 48-page booklet which contains:
Notes for leaders, questions helping viewers to explore the paintings, prayers, bible readings, outline study sessions, comments from visitors to exhibitions of the Methodist Art Collection, information on the eight artists featured, and colour reproductions of these selected 20^th/21^st century works of art from the Methodist collection:

1) Dalit Madonna by Jyoti Sahi
2) Nathaniel (asleep under the fig tree) by Mark Cazalet
3) Storm over the lake by Eularia Clarke
4) The pool of Bethesda by Edward Burra
5) The healing of the lunatic boy by John Reilly
6) Aimez-vous les uns les autres (Love one another) by Georges Rouault
7) The cross over the city by Michael Edmonds
8) Untitled-Pentecost by John Brokenshire

Session material in the booklet may be photocopied for one-off use.

The price is £9.99 plus £2.50 p&p and there are three ways to order: includes works by Graham Sutherland, Elisabeth Frink and many other renowned artists. It is a living collection, and It has been seen and appreciated by thousands of people, and now you can also experience it on this website; most of the images are accompanied by expert commentary: http://www.methodist.org.uk/static/artcollection/.

- Online: http://www.ourmagnet.co.uk/
- by phone: 0844 736 2524
- by post: PO Box 10378, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 9FT. Cheques payable to Magnet Resources.

The Methodist Church Collection of Modern Christian Art

December exhibition

2011-11-21T01:26:00.001-08:00

commission4mission
1 - 31 December 2011
Private View
3 December 2011
6pm - 9pm

An exhibition designed to encourage the commissioning of contemporary Christian art opens in the Tokarska Gallery on Thursday 1st December 2011.

commission4mission artists will show work in a variety of media, including concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, pottery and reliefs. With much of the work exploring Christian themes, this exhibition will be of particular relevance and interest in the preparations for Christmas.

Jonathan Evens, secretary of commission4mission, explains: ‘This exhibition demonstrates some of the ways commissioned art can be used to enhance a place of worship and add another dimension to a church’s mission.’

Contributing artists include Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Christopher Clack, Ally Clarke, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Janet Roberts, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton, Joy Rousell Stone, Peter Webb and Andrew Vessey. Much of the work is for sale, and enquiries are invited. The exhibition will also include examples of some completed commissions and information about the commissioning process.

The exhibition continues each day until 31st December, Thursday – Saturday, 12.00 noon - 7.00pm. Private View: Saturday 3rd December from 6.00pm. RSVP jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Andrew Vessey

2011-11-10T21:59:00.001-08:00

The Revd Canon Andrew Vessey is an artist-priest who, while believing it important that Christian art connects with wider society as well as church members, thinks the particular duty of the artist who is a Christian is to develop images and symbols that stretch the meaning of our inherited biblical visual vocabulary.

His own major oil or gouache paintings grow from within particular landscapes in which he has come to see and feel the presence of saints and angels, to the point of becoming a setting of a particular biblical story in a contemporary setting. These studio works are supported by poems, written to explore the same theme both before or after the painting takes place. Other pictures will directly record in ink or pastel the changing light, impact of seasonal differences and the weather, especially around the woods and fields and along the estuaries of northern Suffolk.

Andrew trained at the Chelsea College of Fine Art and Bishop Otter College of Education. His ordained and parish ministry was in Suffolk, Worcestershire and Swansea. He has exhibited at Bury St Edmonds (1968/70), Bath (1975/76), Salisbury (1983), Worcester (2003), and Swansea (2008/11).

New blog - Run with the Fire

2011-11-10T05:51:00.001-08:00

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.

Run with the Fire aims to celebrate creativity, cultural exchange and hope for the future by providing a virtual exhibition of international artwork for use in Olympics-themed events organised by churches in 2012.

Run with the Fire will provide a virtual exhibition of international artwork available on DVD, for display on large scale HD TV or monitor, or for projection using a digital projector. This digital exhibition can be presented as part of Olympics-themed events organised by churches in 2012 plus arts events or exhibitions organized by local churches.

The Run with the Fire DVD will come with an electronic resource package, to accompany the virtual exhibition, which will give ideas for churches on how to organize and facilitate community/arts events.

The Run with the Fire resources (virtual exhibition DVD & electronic resources package) cost £50.00 and can be ordered by contacting Jonathan Evens on 020 8599 2170 or jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Latest news of Run with the Fire can be found on our blog at http://runwiththefire.blogspot.com/. Two recent articles about the project can be found at: http://www.artway.eu/content.asp?id=1043&lang=en&action=show and http://www.artway.eu/artway.asp?id=225&lang=en&action=show&type=current.

c4m newsletter No. 9

2011-11-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

The Bishop of Barking dedicated Viki Isherwood Metzler’s mosaic

Newly completed commissions

Two mosaics, commissioned as part of the development of the community garden at St Johns Seven Kings, were dedicated in October by the Bishop of Barking. Envisaged as bold, bright works to catch the eye of passers by and draw them into the green space of the garden, Viki Isherwood Metzler’s Graffiti Love is displayed on the East wall of the church, while Sergiy Shkanov added a mosaic to the Trinity sculpture in the remembrance area of the garden. This design of circular and triangular lines connecting three granite shapes symbolises the constant exchange and interconnections within the Godhead.

A second set of etched windows have been installed at All Saint's Hutton completing our second commission at this church. These windows, as with the earlier commission, were etched by Richard Paton to designs by Henry Shelton. The windows feature symbols of the four Evangelists complementing the earlier set of windows in the opposite screen which features symbols of seven Saints.

The value of public art

The value of public art came under discussion at St Paul's Harlow during a study day, organised by commission4mission and supported by both Art and Christianity Enquiry and the Harlow Art Trust. Delegates heard from The Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, and Benedict Read, Trustee of the Harlow Art Trust and Deputy Chairman of the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association.

Bishop David argued that our towns and cities are increasingly dominated by multi-national brands and images that overtake communities visually and commercially. Within this context, "Public art helps to create the identity of a place by providing a rallying point around which people can be formed, as well as providing an opportunity to look beyond the humdrum in order to live better lives with more inspiration.”

Benedict Read summarised the history of public art in the West to set in context the outstanding collection of public art in Harlow: "In their context, Harlow's commissions placed an emphasis on restoring the social fabric. Sir Frederick Gibberd saw public sculpture as a sign of civilisation and much public art is about exploring what should be valued in society.”

Delegates visited the Gibberd Gallery to see the John Mills retrospective and the Frederick Gibberd Collection of British watercolours and drawings before taking a tour of the Town Centre sculptures. An art workshop for members of St Paul's was led by Dr Philip Jenson of Ridley Hall and commission4mission artist, Robert Enoch. Participants planned a freize for St Paul’s telling the big story of the Bible to which the congregation and the wider community will be able to contribute. We ended with a cream tea at St Mary's Little Parndon.

A127 Art Trail exhibition

Harvey Bradley curated the latest commission4mission exhibition held at St Mary Magdalen Billericay in September as part of the A127 Art Trail. The exhibition included work by Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton, Joy Rousell Stone together with a number of exciting sculptural works by Vin Harrop, founder of the Basildon Arts Trust and Heritage Director in Basildon.

Member profile: Anne Creasey

Anne Creasey is a textile artist and embroiderer working in a variety of styles from traditional to abstract and experimental. She is very interested in helping people discover their spirituality through the creative process. Her work includes traditional embroidery, appliqué with painted fabric and includes a large range of materials, from yarns and threads to plastic bags. If it can be sewn down, it can be used!

Run With The Fire

The 25 international artists participating in Run With The Fire have completed their works and the DVD displaying those works as a virtual exhibition is being compiled. The DVD will come together with a guide to setting up art events and will cost £50.00. Copies of the DVD can be ordered from Jonathan Evens – tel: 020 8599 2170 or email: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Christmas exhibition

c4m will be exhibiting at the Tokarska Gallery in Walthamstow throughout December - Thursdays – Saturdays, 12 noon – 7.00pm. The Private View will be from 6.00pm on Saturday 3^rd December. See http://tokarskagallery.co.uk/.

Completed commission: All Saints Hutton

2011-11-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

A second set of etched windows were installed today at All Saint's Hutton completing our second commission at this church. These windows, as with the earlier commission, were etched by Richard Paton to designs by Henry Shelton. The windows feature symbols of the four Evangelists complementing the earlier set of windows in the opposite screen which features symbols of seven Saints. Click here and here to see images of the earlier commission.

Christmas c4m exhibition at Tokarska Gallery

2011-10-26T00:44:00.000-07:00

An exhibition designed to encourage the commissioning of contemporary Christian art opens in the Tokarska Gallery on Thursday 1^st December 2011.

commission4mission artists will show work in a variety of media, including concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, pottery and reliefs. With much of the work exploring Christian themes, this exhibition will be of particular relevance and interest in the preparations for Christmas.

Jonathan Evens, secretary of commission4mission, explains: ‘This exhibition demonstrates some of the ways commissioned art can be used to enhance a place of worship and add another dimension to a church’s mission.’

Contributing artists include Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Christopher Clack, Ally Clarke, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Caroline Richardson, Janet Roberts, Henry Shelton, Joy Rousell Stone and Peter Webb. Much of the work is for sale, and enquiries are invited. The exhibition will also include examples of some completed commissions and information about the commissioning process.

The exhibition continues until 31^st December, Thursday – Saturday, 12.00 noon - 7.00pm. Private View: Saturday 3^rd December from 6.00pm. RSVP jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Guide on Commissioning New Art for Churches

2011-10-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Evens represented commission4mission at the launch today by the Church Buildings Council of the Church of England of their guide on Commissioning New Art for Churches at St Stephen Walbrook, London. The guide aims to encourage parishes to embark on the adventure of commissioning new art for their churches.

Much of the information in the guide is aimed at parishes, but it will also provide an insight for artists and other interested parties. It is not only promoting the commissioning of artwork such as painting, stained glass or sculpture, but also wants parishes to consider other options such as kneelers, processional crosses or vestments.

The guide, richly illustrated with examples of recent commissions throughout England, has been developed through consultation with a working group chaired by artist Mark Cazalet. Mark Lewis was commission4mission's representative at a consultation event earlier this year as part of the process which produced the guide.

The guide includes details on what parishes should consider, how to write briefs and commission and choose artists as well as the legal framework. This is the first time that the Church of England has produced a guide of this type and it hopes that this will make parishes realise that commissioning artwork - both permanent and temporary - can be very straightforward.

To complement the launch of this innovative guide, the Church Buildings Council is delighted that the Jerusalem Trust has agreed to donate a prize for £10,000 to be awarded to the parish that makes the best case for commissioning a new artwork applying the guidelines.

Anne Sloman, Chair of the Church Buildings Council, said, "The Church has always been a significant Patron of the Arts in this country and we are determined that this tradition continues into the 21^st Century. The Guidelines are intended to help our 16,000 parishes with this process. We are very grateful to the Jerusalem Trust for the Prize which will encourage parishioners to use the guidelines creatively to work with artists to achieve a distinctive legacy."

Mark Cazalet, Chair of the Working Group, commented, "The launch of Commissioning New Art for Parishes is an exciting and overdue initiative from The Church Building Council; it sets out clear, concise guidelines for getting the most out of the commissioning process, and ensuring the best results. The advice it contains was gathered from key figures at all levels and backgrounds in the field, representing the experience of: artists, commissioners, funders, Diocesan Advisory Committees, diocesan chancellors, clergy and parishes. It aims to be the comprehensive single document for all those starting out on commissioning a new art work for a parish church.

Bishop of Chelmsford Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell noted: "The word that was made flesh in Christ has also down the ages been made paint and stone. On canvas and cardboard and marble and glass, artists have delighted and disturbed us with their own interpretations of the Christian story. The tradition of commissioning art for the church is as important today as it ever was; not just for telling the story of Christian faith, and not just for adorning Christian worship and buildings, but for celebrating the endlessly inventive splendour of God. For it is in the image of this creative God that we are made, and it is when we turn our minds - and hands! - to beauty, as well as truth and goodness, that we most reflect this gracious God."

The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, Bishop of London and Chairman of the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division, also commented: "The unfolding drama whose author is God seeks artistic expression in every generation. The Church needs to engage with contemporary artists in order to explore afresh the forms which divine truth should be taking in the here and now."

For further information and to download a copy of the guide, visit http://www.churchcare.co.uk/.

ArtWay Meditation

2011-10-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Evens has written the ArtWay Visual Meditation for 9th October based on Descent II by Christopher Clack.

His meditation, which ends with the question 'What would be the impact, I wonder, were we more frequently to take religious images out of their religious context, as Clack has done, and trust them to raise their questions and reveal their meanings in other landscapes, cultures and worlds?', can be read by clicking here.

Descent II will feature in the next commission4mission exhibition to be held at the Tokarska Gallery from 1st - 31st December 2011 (Thursdays - Saturdays, 12 noon - 7.00pm). The next exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery is 4 Man Show from 14 - 29 October.

Also published today on the ArtWay site is an essay by Jonathan about the significance of the imagery of clowns in the life and work of Albert Houthuesen entitled 'The spirituality of the Artist-Clown.'

Update: Harvey Bradley

2011-10-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

Harvey Bradley will be exhibiting with Anglian Potters this weekend (8th and 9th October) at the Ickworth House Wood Sale and Craft Fair. 20 Anglian Potters are taking part in the Fair, which includes raku, throwing and hand building demonstrations, and children's activities.

The vase above is from a recent firing and is in memory of Jenny, an active member of Emmanuel Church, Billericay, who was killed in a tragic traffic accident in Suffolk.

Dedication of mosaics

2011-10-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking and patron of commission4mission, dedicated new mosaics, commissioned through commission4mission, at St John's Seven Kings today. The dedication took place at the end of the Patronal Festival service for St John's.

The two mosaics were commissioned as part of the development of the community garden at St Johns. They were envisaged as bold, bright works to catch the eye of passers by and draw them into the green space of the garden. Viki Isherwood Metzler has re-created her Graffiti Love design for display on the East wall of the church, while Sergiy Shkanov has added a mosaic to the Trinity sculpture in the remembrance area of the garden. This design of circular and triangular lines connecting three granite shapes is intended to symbolise the constant exchange and interconnections within the Godhead.

Completed commission: St John's mosaics

2011-10-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

A commission for two mosaics at St John's Seven Kings has been completed today in readiness for their dedication by Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, during tomorrow's Patronal Festival service at the church.

The mosaics complete work that the church has carried out to create a community garden and will also feature in both the local Church art trail and the art trail for the Barking Episcopal Area.

Graffiti Love by Viki Isherwood Metzler has been installed on the east wall of the church, where it can be seen by passers-by on the busy Aldborough Road South. The second mosaic is by Sergiy Shkanov and forms part of a Trinity sculpture, designed by the community garden planning group, for the remembrance area of the community garden.

Commissions update

2011-09-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Commissions are regularly being discussed, explored and developed through commission4mission. We currently have two which are rapidly approaching completion.

St John's Seven Kings have commissioned two mosaics as part of the development of their community garden. These were envisaged as bold, bright works to catch the eye of passers by and draw them into the green space of the garden. Viki Isherwood Metzler has re-created her Graffiti Love design for display on the East wall of the church, while Sergiy Shkanov is currently adding a mosaic to the Trinity sculpture in the remembrance area of the garden. This design of circular and triangular lines connecting three granite shapes is intended to symbolise the constant exchange and interconnections within the Godhead. The church hope to have both works installed for their Patronal Festival this Sunday when they can be dedicated by the Bishop of Barking.

A faculty has been obtained for a second set of windows to be etched by Richard Paton to designs by Henry Shelton for a screen at All Saints Hutton. On this occasion, Henry Shelton's designs are of the four evangelists. The new windows will be located opposite those of the original commission.

Other commissions currently being designed and developed include a holy water stoup by Mark Lewis and an altar frontal by Anne Creasey. Additionally through the art workshop, which was held at St Paul's Harlow and led by Robert Enoch and Dr Philip Jenson during our recent Study Day, we have developed a design for a temporary freize at St Paul's which will tell the big story of the Bible.

Run With The Fire

2011-09-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Run with the Fire - a tremendous opportunity to reach out to your community by engaging with the 2012 Olympics.

Order your RWTF pack now!

Includes a DVD of 25 new artworks from international Christian artists, with information about the works
An event support pack, written by Christian artists and event organisers, covering over 20 different themes, to help you plan and run your community arts event
Phone or e-mail advice and support

All the artwork is in from our 25 international artists, who have created a new piece of artwork specifically for the Run with the Fire project.

This project is unique in that every participant has started their artistic journey from an idea or vision statement provided by another artist. This has created a sense of community and energy which comes through clearly in the finished pieces. Different artists, different media, different nationalities but one common purpose– to glorify God through their work.

CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse are delighted to announce the names of participating artists:

Ally Clarke, England

Andrew Taylor, England

Michelle Mattingly, USA

Bobbette Rose, USA

Christine Garwood, Wales

Dietske van Winkelhoff, Netherlands

Erland Sibuea, Indonesia

Glenn Lowcock, England

Jen Smith, Wales

Hyun-Young Kim, South Korea

Jae Im Kim, South Korea

Kirsten Borror, USA

Jenny Hawke, England

Heather Distant Taiwo, USA

Karen Burnett, England

Nickolay Steffanov, Bulgaria

Kim Daus Edwards, USA

Diane Fairfield, USA

Michelle Arnold Paine, USA

Miriam Cabello, Australia

Rick Delanty, USA

Seong-Kyoo Jeon, South Korea

Titia Ballot, South Africa

Whojeong Lee, South Korea
(Residing in USA)

Sue Newham (Wales)

To order a Run with the Fire pack, e-mail Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com or phone 020 8599 2170.

Any profit made after publicity and production costs have been met will be donated to Oxfam.

Current hang @ All Saints West Ham

2011-09-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

The latest hang of work by c4m artists in our exhibition space at All Saints West Ham features work by Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone. The works can be viewed during church opening hours - click here for details.

The value of public art

2011-09-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

The value of public art was under discussion yesterday at St Paul's Harlow with delegates to a commission4mission study day touring the Gibberd Gallery and Harlow Town Centre sculptures as examples of good practice in public planning.

Those attending the study day, organised by commission4mission and supported by both Art and Christianity Enquiry and the Harlow Art Trust, heard from the Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, and Benedict Read, Trustee of the Harlow Art Trust and Deputy Chairman of the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association.

In his presentation, Benedict Read summarised the history of public art in the West in order to set in context the outstanding collection of public art in Harlow: "In their context, Harlow's commissions placed an emphasis on restoring the social fabric. Sir Frederick Gibberd saw public sculpture as a sign of civilisation and much public art is about exploring what should be valued in society."

Delegates visited the Gibberd Gallery to see the current John Mills retrospective and the Frederick Gibberd Collection of British watercolours and drawings before taking a tour of the Town Centre sculptures. An art workshop for members of St Paul's Harlow was led by Dr Philip Jenson of Ridley Hall and commission4mission artist, Robert Enoch. The workshop was used to plan a freize for St Paul's Harlow telling the big story of the Bible to which the congregation and the wider community will be able to contribute in future. The day ended with a cream tea at St Mary's Little Parndon.

St Paul's Harlow is a key part of the artistic heritage of Harlow being a modernist church designed by Humphrys and Hurst which includes an impressive mosaic by John Piper, on the theme of the Emmaus Road. St Paul's is also, as a result, one of the churches which features in the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area. Recognising the significance of the Arts to Harlow and wanting to contribute to the understanding and development of public art in the Town Centre were two of the reasons why St Paul's Harlow chose to host this study day and involve commission4mission in exploring new possibilities for artwork in the church building. A photographic display, which can still be seen at the church, had also been commissioned to show hidden aspects and unusual perspectives of the church building as part of stimulating thought and encouraging fresh thinking.

For more on the presentations at this study day click here and here.

78th National Society Exhibition

2011-09-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

c4m members Peter Webb and Michael Creasey are currently exhibiting in the 78th Annual Exhibition by the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers.

Dates	14th - 24th September [closed Sunday 18th \| closes 4pm Saturday 24th]
Times	11am - 6pm \| open late thursdays & fridays until 8pm.
Location	The Menier Gallery Ground Floor Menier Chocolate Factory 51 Southwark Street LONDON SE1 1RU

The National Society was formed in 1930 to meet a growing desire among artists for an annual exhibition in London which would embrace all aspects of art under one roof, without prejudice or favour to anyone.

This legacy has continued as a guide and inspiration to creative artists ever since. The freedom to experiment and explore new media or techniques has created a society that is totally professional while allowing individual artists to realise their full potential.

Members [to name only a few] who have gained worldwide fame include:

• Mark Gertler	• Jack B Yeates	• L S Lowry
• David Bomberg	• W Russell Flint	• Henry Moore
• Bernard Meninsky	• William Nicholson	• Graham Sutherland
• C R W Nevinson	• Frank Dobson	• Bernard Adams

Some of the above artists' highly acclaimed works were first shown in the National Society's Annual Exhibition, and current members now exhibiting may well gain similar recognition in future years.

The National Society is, therefore, a society that offers a challenge to all creative artists of the highest ability from any school of thought. By its very nature it strives to communicate with the widest possible audience, to excite, interest and involve the public by showing a broad spectrum of contemporary and innovative painting, sculpture and printmaking.

Among the wide range of work included in the exhibition, I was particularly struck by the work of Minne Fry and Norma Silverton.

Art competitions - 'Drawing the Culture' and 'Images of Hope'

2011-09-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

The Tokarska Gallery, run by c4m member Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, is delighted to announce the winners of their “Drawing The Culture” Annual Competition: Nathan John–Baptiste - First Prize; Kathryn O’Sullivan - First Prize; Sofia Shann - Second Prize; and Steven Peralta - Third Prize. The competition was judged by c4m member, Mark Lewis. The Award Ceremony will be on 14 September, 6pm - 8pm and the drawings will be on display at the Tokarska Gallery from 15 – 22 September.

St John's Seven Kings, where c4m member Jonathan Evens is Vicar, is currently running an Art Competition for Bible Year 2011 called 'Images of Hope' which challenges local schools, churches and the wider community to illustrate their Bible story of hope. This competition, based on materials from the Bible Society, invites people to illustrate a Bible story of hope and brings communities together as they think about hope and its meaning. The closing date is 23rd September and the competition is open to children and young people in the following categories: Under 7s; 7-11s; 11-19. All entries to the competition will be exhibited at St John's Seven Kings on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October, their Patronal Festival, with a prizegiving ceremony held on 1st September at 2.30pm. c4m artist, Henry Shelton, is among the judges of this competition.

c4m, churches and the E17 Art Trail

2011-09-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

c4m Associate, Rev. Steven Saxby has overseen the involvement of St Barnabas Walthamstow and St Saviour's Walthamstow in this year's E17 Art Trail. Among the artists exhibiting at St Saviour's is Henry Shelton whose Stations of the Cross, previously exhibited at York Minister and St Barnabas, can be seen at St Saviour's this weekend as part of the Art Trail, and subsequently at the usual church opening hours.

Three c4m members - Valerie Dean, Rosalind Hore and Henry Shelton - have completed series of Stations of the Cross and would be interested to discuss the possibility of these being located in local churches. To discuss this possibilty further and to see images from each series, please contact tel: 020 8599 2170 or email: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Work being shown at St Barnabas this year includes banners, cartoons, flower arrangements, jewellery, photograms, photographs, silver. Artists include: Rebecca de Quin, Lorraine Huddle, Lano, Louise Loder, Anna Newson-Lyons, Sean Pines, J.A. Saxby, Kirsten Schmidt, Sandra Shevlin, Simplystems, Paul Tucker.

St Saviour's is also showing paintings by Elizabeth Pell and soft sculptures by Harriet Hammel. For the last 20 years Elizabeth Pell has been an art tutor in Adult Education. There is also a display of work by Jonathan Carthy, Kofi Serebour, Susan Collins and Alyson Scott who are members of a class which she currently teaches at Scope.

Current commission4mission exhibition

2011-09-09T00:52:00.000-07:00

The latest commission4mission exhibition includes work by Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone and is being held at St Mary Magdalen Billericay until 18th September (10.00am - 5.00pm) as part of the A127 Art Trail. The exhibition also a number of exciting sculptural works by Vin Harrop, founder of the Basildon Arts Trust and Heritage Director in Basildon.

Forthcoming events and exhibitions

2011-09-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

Our Study Day on the value of public art will be at St Paul's Harlow (http://www.stpaulsharlow.org.uk/) on Saturday 17th September from 10.00am - 5.00pm.

Speakers at the event include the Rt. Revd. David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, and Benedict Read, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Fine Art, University of Leeds, Trustee Harlow Art Trust, Deputy Chairman Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. Benedict has published and lectured on British sculpture since 1974. Presentations during the day include 'The value of public art to Harlow' and 'The spiritual value of public art'.

Participants will also be able to tour the Gibberd Gallery (to see the John Mills retrospective & the Frederick Gibberd Collection of British watercolours and drawings - http://www.visitharlow.com/places-to-visit--things-to-do/art-galleries,-theatres-and-live-music/the-gibberd-gallery) and Harlow Town Centre's sculptures (http://www.visitharlow.com/places-to-visit--things-to-do/harlow-sculpture-collection/the-collection). Local participants will take part in an art workshop led by commission4mission members, Robert Enoch and Jonathan Evens, designed to contribute to new artwork at St Paul's Harlow. The day will end with a cream tea at St Mary's Parndon.

To register for the Study Day contact tel: 020 8599 2170 or email: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com. There is no charge for this event. For more information see http://commissionformission.blogspot.com/.

c4m exhibition

commission4mission members will be exhibiting at St Mary Magdalen Billericay (http://www.billericaychurches.org/html/st_mary_magdalen.html) from 9th - 18th September (10.00am - 5.00pm), as part of the A127 Art Trail (http://www.a127trail.com/). Our exhibition will feature work by work by Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone. Work by Vin Harrop can also be seen at the same venue.

Stations of the Cross

Three commission4mission members - Valerie Dean, Rosalind Hore and Henry Shelton - have completed series of Stations of the Cross and would be interested to discuss the possibility of these being located in local churches. To discuss this possibilty further and to see images from each series, please contact tel: 020 8599 2170 or email: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com. The series by Henry Shelton is being exhibited as part of the E17 Art Trail this month (see below).

Members' exhibitions

c4m associate, Rev. Steven Saxby writes: "The E17 Art Trail programme is just out. Once again we have a wide selection of top quality work at St Barnabas Walthamstow (Venue 76 - http://www.saintbarnabaswalthamstow.co.uk/) and some excellent work, including Henry Shelton's Stations of the Cross, coming into St Saviour's Walthamstow (Venue 77 - http://www.saintsaviourswalthamstow.co.uk/). The link for the programme with all the listings for both churches and all other venues is http://www.e17arttrail.co.uk/index.php?page=97&name=Exhibition.

Two c4m members - Michael Creasey and Peter Webb - have works in the forthcoming exhibition by the National Association of Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers (http://www.nationalsociety.org/) at the Menier Gallery, Ground Floor, Menier Chocolate Factory, 51 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU. The exhibition runs from September 14th to 24th (11.00am - 6.00pm), and the private view is on the 14th September, from 5 to 8.30pm.

Jonathan Evens will be showing a specially shot set of photographs - taken in and around St Paul's Harlow - from my Windows on the World series at St Paul's Harlow during the Study Day there on 17th September. From 8th - 22nd September a selection of my paintings and photographs will be on show in the c4m exhibition space at All Saints West Ham (http://www.westhamchurch.org.uk/).

Clorinda Goodman has two pieces in the Wanstead Art Trail (11th - 25th September 2011 - http://www.artgroupwanstead.com/01/art_trail_wanstead_2011.html). 'Eagle beset by hound' is a drawing in sanguine chalk which can be seen in the gallery at the George Pub, while 'Head of Aurora' will be displayed in St Mary's, Wanstead Park.

c4m exhibition and Study Day

2011-08-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

The next commission4mission exhibition will include work by Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone and will be held at St Mary Magdalen Billericay from 9th - 18th September (10.00am - 5.00pm). This exhibition is being organised for the A127 Art Trail.

Our next Study Day is taking place on Saturday 17th September at St Paul's Harlow, College Square, Harlow CM20 1LP. Exploring the value of public art, the day will feature input from the Bishop of Barking, Harlow Art Trust and Art and Christianity Enquiry plus opportunities to view the public art of Harlow Sculpture Town (including a tour of Harlow Town Centre sculptures and a visit to the Gibberd Gallery to see the John Mills retrospective and the Frederick Gibberd Collection of British watercolours and drawings). The day will end with a cream tea at St Mary's Parndon. To register contact – tel: 020 85992170 or email: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Update: member's exhibitions

2011-08-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

Valerie Dean is exhibiting with the Canterbury Christian Art Group in their Summer Exhibition at the Chapter House, Canterbury Cathedral until Monday 29th August. The exhibition is open 10.00am - 5.00pm daily and is free (although normal Precinct charges apply).

Christopher Clack currently has a large print in artsdepot Open, an exhibition which runs until 4 September.

Stations of the Cross by Henry Shelton will be at St Saviour's Walthamstow for the E17 Art Trail, 2 - 11 September.

E17 Art Trail 2011

2011-08-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Rev. Steven Saxby writes: "The E17 Art Trail programme is just out. Once again we have a wide selection of top quality work at St Barnabas Walthamstow (Venue 76) and some excellent work, including Henry Shelton's Stations of the Cross, coming into St Saviour's Walthamstow (Venue 77). The link for the programme with all the listings for both churches and all other venues is at http://www.e17arttrail.co.uk/index.php?page=97&name=Exhibition."

Work being shown at St Barnabas this year includes banners, cartoons, flower arrangements, jewellery, photograms, photographs, silver. Artists include: Rebecca de Quin, Lorraine Huddle, Lano, Louise Loder, Anna Newson-Lyons, Sean Pines, J.A. Saxby, Kirsten Schmidt, Sandra Shevlin, Simplystems, Paul Tucker. St Saviour's will also show paintings by Elizabeth Pell and soft sculptures by Harriet Hammel.

The Tokarska Gallery is also taking part in the E17 Art Trail. Cognitive Congestion is a group show featuring: Allen Browne, Punk Recruit, Fiona McGregor, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska. The Private View is Thursday 1 September 2011, 6pm - 9pm and the exhibition continues until 11 September 2011, 12pm - 7pm.

At first, the work that arises may seem disparate and divergent, but give it a second consideration, and dialogues emerge. Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska's paintings of London's business streets form a dialogue with Patrick O'Sullivan's structural paintings which in turn draw our attention to the fabric of the gallery. Allen Browne's paintings draw us back to the present as he explores fragmentation through refraction by glass and prisms. In Fiona McGregor's Silent Song, a post-apocalyptic robotic intelligence delivers its message through fragments of text and song. You would imagine that silent mannequins would be in-human and alien, but in Punk Recruit's handling they are far from being a non-human presence and come to stand in for the human presence absent, though implied, by the other works in the show.

Newsletter No. 8 – July 2011

2011-07-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

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

Exhibitions @ St Martin-in-the-Fields & the Leytonstone Festival

Our exhibition in the Crypt Gallery at St Martin-in-the-Fields (4th – 17th July) was designed to encourage the commissioning of contemporary Christian art as 16 of our artists showed work in a variety of media, including cartoons, concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, reliefs and textiles, and new roll-up banners provided examples of some completed commissions and information about the commissioning process.

Contributing artists include Adam Boulter, Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Ally Clarke, Anne Creasey, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Viki Isherwood-Metzler, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Caroline Richardson, Janet Roberts, Henry Shelton, Sergiy Shkanov, Joy Rousell Stone and Peter Webb.

A well attended private view was followed by significant numbers viewing the exhibition. Comments made included: “Great variation and imagination”; “beautiful and interesting”; “a creative combination of art – materials, textures and colours”; “deserves lots of visitors, looking forward to the next exhibition and a growing network of Christian artists!”

A smaller commission4mission exhibition was also held at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone (14th - 20th July) as part of the Leytonstone Festival and the Barking Episcopal Area Art Festival.

The exhibition included work by Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone. Also able to be seen as part of this exhibition were a set of intricate Stations of the Cross by Barbara Sampson and Scenes from the life of St Augustine, a concrete frieze by the sculptor Stephen Sykes.

c4m AGM

We held our AGM on Wednesday 20th July at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone and heard presentations from Dr Graham Gould on Scenes from the life of St Augustine, a concrete frieze by the sculptor Stephen Sykes, and Mark Lewis speaking on the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area, before agreeing a revised constitution designed to enable us to register as a charity.

Annual charitable donation

We have recently made our annual charitable donation accrued over the previous financial year from our commissions and sales. Following our first full year of operation we were able to make a donation of £2,700 to the children's hospice, Haven House. This year we have donated £1,568 split between Sightsavers and SmileTrain. Sightsavers is a charity which works to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people in the developing world. SmileTrain is focused on solving a single problem - cleft lip and palate - by providing free cleft surgery for poor children in developing countries.

Member profile: Joy Rousell Stone

Joy studied under John Nash, Edward Bawden, Stanley Spencer and Edward Ardizzone at the Royal College of Art. She has had many one man shows. Her favourite subject matters are: The Holy Land, Egypt, Greece, Italy (especially Assisi) and USA. She works in all media and is the retired Head of Art & Design at The Plume School, Maldon.

Study day: The value of public art

A study day, organised by c4m, featuring input from the Bishop of Barking, Harlow Art Trust and Art & Christianity Enquiry plus opportunities to view the public art of Harlow Sculpture Town (e.g. Harlow Sculpture Trail, Gibberd Gardens, Parndon Mill etc.) will be held on Saturday 17th September at St Paul’s Harlow. To register contact – tel: 020 85992170 or email: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Forthcoming exhibitions @ St Mary’s Billericay (9th – 18th September) and Tokarska Gallery, Walthamstow throughout December 2011.

Chandrakumar Sukumaran

2011-07-29T00:04:00.000-07:00

Chandrakumar Sukumaran was born in Kerala (Attingal) in south India and came to England in 1980. He gained an HNC / HND in graphic design through Barking College and a BA in graphic media design at the University of the Arts, London (London College of Communication) while dealing with the effects of dyslexia. His dissertation was on the depiction of Christ in film. He likes writing scripts for short and feature length animations and has an ability to use colour in harmonious way in design and creative art. His work has been published in a graphic design book for students by Alan Swann. He has used the flexi plastic ID card with acrylic paint to create most of his recent work; this is animation to canvas painting and is called the miracle code.

Study Day: The value of public art

2011-07-27T23:30:00.001-07:00

Brighter futures through charitable donations

2011-07-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

commission4mission recently made its annual charitable donation from the charitable element in its commissions and sales. £784.00 was given to both Sightsavers and SmileTrain.

Sightsavers write: "Thank you very much for the generous donation of £784.00 from commission4mission and for choosing to support Sightsavers ... Seven-year-old Murtaza Mir, from Pakistan, was born with cataracts in both eyes. He had never seen his village or his family clearly. It was a 645km bus trip for Murtaza and his mother to reach the Sightsavers-supported Korangi Hospital for cataract surgery. The day after surgery some of his sight had started to return and he could see his mother's face. Your support will ensure a brighter future for more people like Murtaza."

SmileTrain write: "SmileTrain would like to extend a big thank you to all those involved with this special fundraising effort!

With your help, we will provide more free cleft surgeries this year than we ever thought opossible. The surgery you are helping us provide is really a modern day medical miracle. In as little as 45 minutes, for as little as £150, this surgery gives a desparate child not just a new smile, but a second chance at life!"

Annual Report 2010/11

2011-07-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

Rt. Revd. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford launching the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area

In our second full year of operation commission4mission has consolidated its initial achievements, reviewed its strategy, and maintained its growth and development.

During 2010/11 commission4mission has:

• researched, published and launched a Church Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area;

Pottery and paintings in our ‘Peacing Together One World’ exhibition at St Mary Magdalen, Billericay

• completed commissions for artworks at All Saints Hutton, St Peter’s Harold Wood, St Edmund’s Tyseley and St Pauls Goodmayes;

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

• maintained a changing display of member’s work at All Saints West Ham and organised exhibitions at St Mary Magdalene Billericay, St Nicholas Rawreth and as part of the West Ham Festival;

• held a networking event and a performance evening and organised a launch event for the Barking Episcopal Area Art Trail;

• worked in partnership with CANA and Veritasse to create ‘Run With The Fire’, an international art project for the London 2012 Olympics;

• completed a strategic development review resulting in work commencing to gain charity registration for commission4mission;

• expanded our membership to 38 (as at 31/03/11) and were joined by Wendy McTernan as regional co-ordinator in South/West London; and

Jonathan Evens and Henry Shelton present the c4m cheque to staff of Haven House.

• presented a cheque for £2,700 to the Haven House Children’s Hospice, this being the charitable element from our first 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; Rev. Helen Gheorghiu Gould for her work on our Strategic Development Review; Mark and Matt Lewis for work on the Barking Episcopal Area Art Trail; Wendy McTernan who joined us as a Regional Co-ordinator; Ranjit Solomon for his independent examination of our accounts; and to London-over-the-Border for their generous financial support of the Barking Episcopal Area Art Trail project.

Revd. Jonathan Evens, Secretary – July 2011

All Saints West Ham: Current exhibition

2011-07-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

An updated commission4mission exhibition has been hung at All Saints West Ham (click here for church opening times). The exhibition features works by Colin Burns, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Caroline Richardson, Joy Rousell Stone and Henry Shelton.

commission4mission @ Leytonstone

2011-07-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

The latest commission4mission exhibition begins tomorrow at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone (4 Holloway Road Ell 4LD). The exhibition runs from 14th - 20th July (10.00am - 1.00pm, 4.00 - 7.00pm) as part of the Leytonstone Festival and the Barking Episcopal Area Art Festival.

The exhibition will include work by Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone. Also able to be seen at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo are a set of intricate Stations of the Cross by Barbara Sampson and Scenes from the life of St Augustine, a concrete frieze by the sculptor Stephen Sykes.

On Wednesday 20th July at 7.30pm, c4m will also be holding its AGM at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone. The exhibition can be viewed prior to our meeting. At 7.30pm we will hear presentations from Dr Graham Gould on Scenes from the life of St Augustine, the concrete frieze by the sculptor Stephen Sykes, and Mark Lewis speaking on the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area, and these will be followed by the AGM. The AGM will include discussion of a revised constitution designed to enable us to register as a charity.

The Barking Episcopal Area Art Festival includes a number of interesting activities and events (which are open to all), including other visual arts exhibitions and presentations. Click here for the Festival programme and for more information.

commission4mission exhibition and AGM

2011-07-11T03:57:00.000-07:00

On Thursday 14th July the latest commission4mission exhibition begins at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone (4 Holloway Road Ell 4LD). The exhibition runs from 14th - 20th July (10.00am - 1.00pm, 4.00 - 7.00pm) as part of the Leytonstone Festival and the Barking Episcopal Area Art Festival.
The exhibition will include work by Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Elizabeth Duncan Meyer, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone. Also able to be seen at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo are a set of intricate Stations of the Cross by Barbara Sampson and Scenes from the life of St Augustine, a concrete frieze by the sculptor Stephen Sykes (see images above).
On Wednesday 20th July at 7.30pm, c4m will also be holding its AGM at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone. The exhibition can be viewed prior to our meeting. At 7.30pm we will hear presentations from Dr Graham Gould on Scenes from the life of St Augustine, the concrete frieze by the sculptor Stephen Sykes, and Mark Lewis speaking on the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area, and these will be followed by the AGM. The AGM will include discussion of a revised constitution designed to enable us to register as a charity.

The Barking Episcopal Area Art Festival includes a number of interesting activities and events (which are open to all), including other visual arts exhibitions and presentations. Click here for the Festival programme and for more information.

Christopher Clack

2011-07-07T23:34:00.000-07:00

Christopher Clack says, "I have been making images for as long as I can remember and for as long as I can remember there has always been an element of religious imagery or content in the work I have produced. Why this should be, I do not really know.

What I do know is that the connection between religion and art is for me a profound one, one that I think has implications for the way we think about religion as well as art."

He trained as a painter, studied at Camberwell School of Art and then at the Royal College of Art. His main medium was oil paint, but he also loved etching and making sculptures. One very important aspect of all his work was the physical, tactile nature of whatever he made, so it seems very strange to him now that he works almost completely on computer. His images are produced using scanners, cameras, and software such as Photoshop and paint programs like Coral painter. The product of all this is then turned into an object by printing it out using large format printers, using the best quality materials he can lay his hands on.

It’s now become a sort of challenge for him to bring into this medium a sense of the physicality of things that is generally felt to be lost in the digital production.

commission4mission @ St Martin-in-the-Fields (2)

2011-07-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Our exhibition designed to encourage the commissioning of contemporary Christian art opened in the Crypt Gallery at St Martin-in-the-Fields yesterday. Fifteen commission4mission artists are showing works in a variety of media, including concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, reliefs and textiles.

Contributing artists include Adam Boulter, Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Ally Clarke, Anne Creasey, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Caroline Richardson, Janet Roberts, Henry Shelton, Sergiy Shkanov, Joy Rousell Stone and Peter Webb. Some of the work is for sale, and enquiries are invited. The exhibition will also include examples of some completed commissions and information about the commissioning process.

The exhibition continues each day until 17 July. Open 10.00am - 8.00pm.

Private View @ St Martin-in-the-Fields

2011-07-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our exhibition at St Martin-in-the-Fields got off to an excellent start this evening with a well-attended private view and a range of positive comment on a group show which showcases the range of work able to be commissioned through commission4mission.

Sermon: Emmaus epiphany

2011-07-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

As part of ongoing work designed to develop temporary and possibly permanent artworks in the parish of St Paul's Harlow and St Mary's Parndon, which will involve a study day on 'The value of public art' on Saturday 19th September at St Paul's Harlow, Jonathan Evens preached the following sermon today at St Paul's Harlow:

Thanks very much for the invitation to come along to St Paul’s today. It’s great to be here. As Rev. Martin Harris has mentioned I’m part of a group of artists called commission4mission which encourages churches to use contemporary art. We are the people who put together the Church art trail leaflets for the Barking Episcopal Area which feature St Paul's Harlow because of its artistic importance in terms of its architecture and the ‘Emmaus’ mosaic by John Piper, something which I’m told Martin manages to mention in each of his sermons! I’m here today with Robert Enoch (who installed your Easter pillars) and we’re here because we would like to work with your church to develop new pieces of art as part of your vision for the growth of this church and as part of the mission work you are undertaking in Harlow.

So I’m going to talk for a few minutes about some ways in which art can open our eyes to see more of God in our world. I’m going to start, naturally enough, with a painting.

(Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio)

I wonder if any of the children or young people here could tell me what they see in this painting by Caravaggio. Did anyone here watch the quiz show called ‘Catchphrase’ that used to be on ITV on Saturday nights? ‘Catchphrase’ had its own catchphrase which was ‘Say what you see’ and that is a good rule of thumb to remember whenever you look at a painting. So, who would like to say what they can see in this painting?

Who is at the centre of the picture?
How does the artist make sure we focus on Jesus?
Why is Jesus the central person in the picture?
What is Jesus doing?
How are the other people reacting to him?

At the centre of the picture and at the centre of the story is a very simple and ordinary action; breaking bread or tearing a loaf of bread into two pieces. Although it is a simple and ordinary thing to do, it becomes a very important act when Jesus does it because that is the moment when Jesus’ two disciples realise who he is. They suddenly realise that this stranger who they have been walking with and talking to for hours is actually Jesus himself, risen from the dead. They are amazed and thrilled, shocked and surprised, and we can see that clearly on the faces and in the actions of the disciples as they are portrayed in this painting.

Something very simple and ordinary suddenly becomes full of meaning and significance. This simple, ordinary action opens their eyes so that they can suddenly see Jesus as he really is. That is art in action! Art captures or creates moments when ordinary things are seen as significant. When our eyes are suddenly opened, in this way, to see meaning and significance in something that we had previously thought of as simple and ordinary, that is called an epiphany.

There is a time in the Church calendar that is also called Epiphany. Who can remember when Epiphany is? What do we remember and celebrate in the season of Epiphany? At Epiphany we remember the Magi or Wise Men coming to visit Jesus as a young child.

In the Epiphany icon above Jesus has a halo and is being spotlighted by the star that led the Magi to him but Jesus would actually have been a very ordinary looking young boy. There wouldn’t have been anything special that the Magi would have seen that marked him out as being significant but nevertheless they realised who he was and worshipped him. They saw the significance of the ordinary looking child they had come to visit and that is why they had an epiphany. By giving Jesus a halo and spotlighting him with a star, this painting focuses our attention on the significance of Jesus, rather than this ordinariness. It shows us the significance that the Magi saw in this ordinary looking child through their epiphany.

An epiphany happens when an everyday reality becomes charged with spiritual significance. This is what art can do for us. It can give us epiphanies by helping us see ordinary things in new ways. Caravaggio’s painting does that for us. It is a painting of an epiphany but it is also an epiphany itself because it brings the story to life in a way that helps us see it afresh, as though we were seeing it for the first time.

You have a wonderful and important work of art in your Church – John Piper’s ‘Emmaus’ mosaic. It is important because John Piper was a significant British artist and also because this mosaic is probably the first that he made for a Church. Whatever you think about it, whether you like it or not, because you see it so often it is likely that you often don’t really notice it or think anything much of it. That is what happens whenever something becomes very familiar to us. How could we change that so that we start to see it afresh, as though we were seeing it again for the very first time?

Art could do that for us? One of the ideas that Robert Enoch has suggested for this Church would make that happen, if it was tried as a temporary installation, by covering up the mosaic initially with another design; like this …

Then over several weeks more and more of the mosaic would be revealed until the whole image was visible once again.

We’re not saying that that idea will definitely happen – that would be for you to decide as a Church and we would like to discuss some of our ideas with you after the service is over – but, if that installation were to happen it would have the effect of helping you see your ‘Emmaus’ mosaic again as though for the first time. Just as the disciples had an epiphany when they saw Jesus as though for the first time, this artwork would help you to have a similar epiphany about your ‘Emmaus’ mosaic.

Something similar could happen with the Church building too. Lots of people locally will come into the centre of Harlow regularly and walk straight past this building as though it isn’t there. Again, it is something so familiar that they don’t stop to look at it and see it as though for the first time. Once again, art could make them stop and stare. Another of our ideas is to project images at night onto the west windows of the church. Changing or moving images in those windows, again as a temporary installation, could make local people stop and look again at this building. Through the projected images we could show on the outside something of what happens on the inside and that might make people stop and look and see this church – the building and the people – as though for the very first time.

This is what art can do and when art gives us epiphanies like this then our eyes are opened, as were the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and we see something of God in the ordinary, everyday things around us. Whether we like the idea of the artworks that I’ve mentioned this morning or not, having epiphanies, seeing God in the everyday, seeing heaven in the ordinary, now that is something for which each of us should pray on a daily basis. Art can help to make that happen for us but our prayer should first and foremost be may our eyes be opened to see the glory of God all around us, whether that comes through art or by some other means. May it be so for each one of us. Amen.

2011's charitable donations

2011-07-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

commission4mission has recently made its annual charitable donation accrued over the previous financial year from our commissions and sales.
Following our first full year of operation we were able to make a donation of £2,700 to the children's hospice, Haven House. This year we have been able to donate £1,568 split between Sightsavers International and the Smile Train UK.

Sightsavers International is a charity which works with partners to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people in the developing world.

The mission of Smile Train UK is focused on solving a single problem - cleft lip and palate - by providing free cleft surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries and free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals.

Richard Baxter: 'Hoard'

2011-07-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

Having been involved in the Leigh Art Trail, Richard Baxter is now exhibiting in Artside 2011.
Baxter's work entitled Hoard at the Southend Museum involves a spherical goldfish bowl filled with water and several dry but unfired pots relating to the timeline of the history of pottery making. These pots are facsimiles of ones on show in the museum which were all made or found in the Southend area.
Each day one pot is immersed in the bowl and allowed to dissolve back into mud. Each pot contains ‘treasure’ (kept in bank cash bags) which is revealed as the pot breaks down. Each successive pot represents a later time period, and may be in a different clay colour to result in stratification of the sediment.

commission4mission @ St Martin-in-the-Fields

2011-06-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Our exhibition designed to encourage the commissioning of contemporary Christian art opens in the Crypt Gallery at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Monday 4 July. Sixteen commission4mission artists will show 40 works in a variety of media, including concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, reliefs and textiles.

Jonathan Evens, secretary of commission4mission, explains: ‘This exhibition demonstrates some of the ways commissioned art can be used to enhance a place of worship and add another dimension to a church’s mission.’

Contributing artists include Adam Boulter, Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Ally Clarke, Anne Creasey, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Viki Isherwood-Metzler, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Caroline Richardson, Janet Roberts, Henry Shelton, Sergiy Shkanov, Joy Rousell Stone and Peter Webb. Some of the work is for sale, and enquiries are invited. The exhibition will also include examples of some completed commissions and information about the commissioning process.

The exhibition continues each day until 17 July. Open 10.00am - 8.00pm. Private View: Monday 4 July from 6.00 - 8.00pm. RSVP jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

commission4mission banners

2011-06-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

We have produced three roll-up banners for display at future events and exhibitions which briefly describe recent commissions, as an additional means of promoting our work of encouraging the commissioning of contemporary art by churches.

The banners tell the stories of comissions by Caroline Richardson at St Peters Harold Wood, Rosalind Hore at St Edmunds Tyseley, and Henry Shelton/Richard Paton at All Saints Hutton.

We plan to use these banners for the first time in our forthcoming exhibition at the Crypt Gallery in St Martin-in-the-Fields (4th - 17th July).

Congratulations: Helen Gheorghiu Gould

2011-06-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Our congratulations to Rev. Helen Gheorghiu Gould, who was ordained as a priest yesterday by the Bishop of Barking at St John the Baptist Epping.

Over the past year, in addition to her responsibilities in the Epping District Team Ministry, Helen has been revising commission4mission's constitution prior to our application for charitable status. Helen's proposed new c4m constitution will be discussed at our AGM on Wednesday 20th July at Holy Trinity and St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone.

We wish Helen every blessing and pray for her in this new stage of her ordained ministry and as she continues to integrate the visual arts into that ministry:

God our Father, Lord of all the world,
through your Son you have called us into the fellowship
of your universal Church:
hear our prayer for your faithful people
that in their vocation and ministry
each may be an instrument of your love,
and give to your servants now to be ordained
the needful gifts of grace;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Clorinda Goodman

2011-06-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Clorinda Goodman has been stone carving with Matt Caines in the Community Art Room in the crypt at St John on Bethnal Green for the last four years. She has also been drawing, largely thanks to Sir John Soane’s Museum in Lincoln’s Inn and Revd Regan O’Callaghan.
She says:

"I have completed only three carvings in stone, as it is a lengthy and absorbing process, and it has had to fit round my full time work commitments and my first love - of singing – mostly liturgical music in a church setting.

As an academic child, art went by the wayside after O levels. I have had to make a real commitment which has turned out to be immensely rewarding. I am beginning to explore shortcuts – like firing my latest terracotta maquette of the Queen from the Lewis chess set, which I am also carving in Clipsham stone. Few people work in traditional materials like Portland stone. Given the huge amount of art destroyed at the Reformation, it seems a crime to lose these traditional skills that have enhanced our sense of the divine, worship and place so hugely."

Clorinda is a regular worshipper and choir member at St Mary’s Woodford, and has recently written an article for their Parish Magazine prompted by her second piece – ‘Eden’ – now re-named ‘Ancilla Domini’ (see above).

Artist's update

2011-06-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Robert Enoch's latest work has been a Pentecost Installation at St Mary's Hemel Hempstead (see first photo above). He and Jonathan Evens will lead services at St Paul's Harlow (where Robert created an Easter installation) on Sunday 3rd July as part of ongoing work which commission4mission is undertaking with the church and which is intended to lead to a Study Day on Saturday 17th September exploring the value of public art.

Elizabeth Duncan Meyer is showing in Take Five, a mixed show at the Piers Feetham Gallery of work by Duncan Meyer, Maurice Moeri, Suzanne Osborne, Minna Fry and Maureen Sweeny until this coming Saturday. The show includes paintings, prints, sculpture and glasswork.

Jonathan Evens has a solo show in the commission4mission space at All Saints West Ham until 21st July (church opening times, see church website for details). He is showing a selection of photographs from his Windows on the world series plus his Broken journey, fragmented story installation (see photos 2 - 5 above). His show will be at All Saint's throughout their West Ham Festival, which includes concerts, a gala dinner, exhibitions and a range of other events and services. Other work due to be shown during the West Ham Festival can be seen in photos 6-8 above, including paintings by Chandrakumar Sukumaran.

Tokarska Gallery news

2011-06-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

The current exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery is Guest & Volunteers: Photographs by Mark Burton until 18 June.
These new, large-scale portraits by Mark Burton provide a rare glimps inside the Crisis Rough Sleepers Centre in London, which operates during Christmas each year. Cameras are usually banned from the Centre, but as a long-term volunteer Mark was given permission to capture a series of portraits depicting guests and volunteers.

The images portray the dignified and respectful relationships that develop at the Centre. This series of work also challenges perceptions of homelessness: the subjects removed identifying name badges or wristbands, often making it unclear who is the guest and who is the volunteer.

The Gallery is also organising a juried open exhibition of children's drawings in two categories: JUNIOR LEAGUE - 6-9 years old, and APPRENTICE LEAGUE - 10-15 years old. The 12 finalists selected in each League will have an exhibition of their work at Tokarska Gallery and a monetary prize of £50.00, £25.00 and £10.00 for first, second and third place respectively. A Private View and Award Ceremony will be held on 14 September (6-8pm) and the exhibition will run from 15-22 September.

The deadline for applications is 5 August 2011 and the competition is open to any child resident in Waltham Forest. To apply, send a selection of (3-6) drawings by your child by post to Tokarska Gallery: Drawing the Culture Competition, 163 Forest Rd, Walthamstow, London E17 6HE with a £5.00 cheque made to UKUA Express Limited. More information is available from web: http://www.tokarskagallery.co.uk/, tel: 0208 531 5419 / 07800545550; and email: info@tokarskagallery.co.uk.

commission4mission will exhibit at the Tokarska Gallery in December.

c4m @ the Pentecost Festival (2)

2011-06-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

This was our stand at the Pentecost Festival today where we advertised Run With The Fire and our forthcoming exhibitions. Several useful conversations were had while listening to Brian Martin & Worship 4 Life, Sounds of Salvation, and others in the Biblefresh Performance Zone. Among those we met was the artist Ken James.

c4m @ the Pentecost Festival

2011-06-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we will be in the Market Place at the Pentecost Festival promoting our work generally and the Run With The Fire project, in particular.

The Pentecost Festival is a celebration of the birth of the church through creatively showcasing the diversity of the church and giving an opportunity for people to discover more about Jesus through arts, music, drama, comedy, film, debates and discussions. It takes place in cafes, exhibition spaces, parks and bars across central London and is open to everyone.

The Market Place is Pentecost Festival’s only exhibition space. The idea behind the Market Place is to have a space for charities and Christian organizations to have an opportunity to share resources, information and events with Pentecost Festival goers. The Market Place will have over 20 different charities, Christian organisations and companies bringing stalls/stands. As time of writing the confirmed exhibitors that will be there are: SJI (with FRESH); Christian Aid; Traidcraft; Toybox; The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion; SPEAK; Mission Year Project; Festive; Feed The Minds; Cards From Africa; Recreation; CSW; Global Day of Prayer; Lynda Bean; YWAM; Christian Clothing Alliance; Creation Resources Trust; Wycliffe; Open The Book; Living Stones; 10 Week Worship Leader.

The Market Place will be located in the Aldergate Room and Westminster Foyer at Methodist Central Hall Westminster. The address is: Methodist Central Hall Westminster, Storey's Gate, London SW1H 9NH.

Upcoming exhibitions

2011-05-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

commission4mission has two exhibitions planned for July. The first will be at the Crypt Gallery, St Martin-the-Fields, from 4th - 17th July, 10.00am - 8.00pm and will include a wide range of artists showing work in a variety of media including concept drawings, fused glass, paintings and reliefs. The exhibition will also include information about completed commissions and the commissioning process. Exhibiting artists currently include: Adam Boulter, Harvey Bradley, Ally Clarke, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Viki Isherwood-Metzler, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Caroline Richardson, Janet Roberts, Henry Shelton, Sergiy Shkanov, and Peter Webb. A Private View will be held on Monday 4th July from 6.00 - 8.00pm. RSVP to jonathan.evens@btinternet.com, if you would like to attend.

Our second exhibition will be held at Holy Trinity and St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone from 14th - 20th July (10.00am - 1.00pm and 4.00 – 7.00pm) as part of the Leytonstone Festival and the Barking Episcopal Area Art Festival. This exhibition will include work by Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Henry Shelton and Joy Rousell Stone. On Wednesday 20th July at 7.30pm, Dr Graham Gould will speak on Scenes from the life of St Augustine, a concrete frieze by the sculptor Stephen Sykes at Holy Trinity and St Augustine, Mark Lewis will speak on the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area and commission4mission's AGM will be held.

Run With The Fire

2011-05-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

‘Run With The Fire’ is an arts project for the London 2012 Olympics, organised by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse, based on the image of fire which links the Church’s Pentecost celebration with that of the Olympic runner. 24 international artists were selected by a jury which included 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).

The project began with each artist writing a statement to describe their vision of ’Running With The Fire’ for the other artists involved. Each artist is creating an artwork, using the idea of another artist as a starting point. This aspect of the project simulates the idea of a relay, with ideas being passed from one artist to the next. The final product will be a virtual exhibition on DVD/CD-Rom for display on large scale HD TV or monitor, or for projection using a digital projector. This virtual exhibition of international artwork can then be presented alongside arts events, exhibitions or other Olympics-themed events organized by local churches during 2012.

Barking Episcopal Area Arts Festival

2011-05-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Barking Episcopal Area Arts Festival is a new initiative beginning in 2011. The Festival will involve a series of quality events from a variety of Arts genre as a way of embracing and celebrating both performing and visual arts from the Barking Episcopal area and engaging with the local communities, their people and arts culture. It is iintended that the Festival will be an annual event but held in a different part of the Episcopal Area each year and will run in parallel with one of the already established community arts festivals or trails within the Area.

The first Barking Episcopal Area Arts Festival is taking place from Thursday 14th – Saturday 24th July and will run parallel to the Leytonstone Festival. For more information contact: The Revd. Kathryn Robinson, Performing Arts Adviser for the Barking Area - Tel: 020 8520 3771 / Email: KthrynRbnsn@aol.com - or The Revd. Jonathan Evens, Visual Arts Adviser for the Barking Area - Tel: 020 8599 2170 / Email: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

commission4mission will be exhibiting as part of the Festival from Thursday 14^th – Monday 18^th July at Holy Trinity with St Augustine Leytonstone (4 Holloway Road E11 4LD). For times and details - tel: 020 8539 6067 or see http://www.trinityleytonstone.org/indexnext.htm.

on Monday 18th July, 6.00 – 8.00pm, at St Johns Leytonstone:

Other exhibitions during the Festival will be by Peter S. Smith and the St Johns Photographic Group from Thursday 14^th – Sunday 24^th July at St Johns Leytonstone (High Road, Leytonstone, London E11).

Peter Smith is a Painter/Printmaker working out of a studio in Clink Street on the Southbank in London. He studied Fine Art at Birmingham Polytechnic (BA (Hons) Fine Art, 1969) and Art Education at Manchester (Post Graduate Certificate in Education,1970). In 1992 he gained an MA (Printmaking) at Wimbledon School of Art. From 1971 he taught, full and part-time, in Secondary and Further Education. Between 1979 and 1981 he was West Midlands Fine Art Fellow working as Artist in Residence with Dudley Education Services. He was Head of the School of Art and Design at Kingston College from 1983 until 2010.

He exhibits his paintings and prints in the UK and overseas with work in public and private collections as well as teaching workshops in the visual arts. In 2002 to 2005 he was Further Education Sector representative on the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) Council and from 2005 to 2007, 2nd Vice President of NSEAD. He is currently UK member of the Board of Christian Artists Seminar. Chairman of the Athene Trust. Member of the Society of Wood Engravers.

In September 2006, Piquant Editions published a book about his printmaking called “The way I see it….” With an Introductory essay by Calvin Seerveld. He is currently working on a print commissioned by St John the Baptist Church Leytonstone to celebrate the the new church roof. A small exhibition will take place in
the church during the Festival where Peter will give a talk about his work

The St Johns Photographic Group will exhibit photographs taken during the recent building restoration work at the church.

Art for Easter Sunday and beyond

2011-05-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

The panoramas above show the colour columns that Robert Enoch installed at St Paul's Harlow from Easter Sunday onwards. Robert's installation is the first initiative in what we hope will be a developing relationship with the church from which a range of arts initiatives may develop. In the next development Robert and Jonathan Evens will contribute to an arts-related service at St Paul's on 3rd July.

Also on display from Easter Sunday has been Adam Boulter's The Resurrection at St Mary Aldermary. Adam's modern reinterpretation of the Stations of the Cross enabled reflection and prayer prior to Easter Sunday but without the 14th resurrection station, which has been on display from Easter Sunday onwards. A podcast of Adam talking with Ian Mobsby about the display can be downloaded from here. In this podcast, Ian and Adam explore the importance of art in spirituality, and the tradition of stations of the cross.

Update: Member's exhibitions

2011-05-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Harvey Bradley will be showing work in the selected members exhibition organised by Anglian Potters at the Dolby Gallery (Oundle, nr Peterborough) from 6th - 21st May. This exhibition of pottery and ceramics includes work by: Jane Barker, Deborah Baynes, Robert Bibby, Harvey Bradley, Susan Cupitt, Margaret Gardiner,Helen Humphreys, Lorraine Izon, Victor Knibbs, Frank Logan, Sonia Lewis, Helen Martino, Stephen Murfitt, John Masterton, Colin Saunders, Ursula Stroeh-Rubens, Lola Swain and Katherine Winfrey.

Adam Boulter will be showing Paintings and Watercolours at Chez Manny, Battersea High St. SW11 3JS from Thursday 12th May till mid June. His show is viewable during the restaurant's opening hours.

Peter Webb is currently showing in the exhibition organised by the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers, Monday 25 April – Sunday 8 May, at the Crypt Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields. Displaying a delight in the visual world and a fascination with its depiction, this exhibition by members of the society shows the typically wide variety of approach, technique and content fostered by its members.

Lost and Found an exhibition of cityscapes by Ukrainian-born artist and gallery founder Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska exploring existential and psychological states in painting between abstraction and representation continues at the Tokarska Gallery.

Update: Members' exhibitions and events

2011-04-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Adam Boulter will be showing Paintings and Watercolours at Chez Manny, Battersea High St. SW11 3JS from Thursday 12th May till mid June. His show is viewable during the restaurant's opening hours.

Peter Webb will be showing in the next exhibition organised by the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers, Monday 25 April – Sunday 8 May, at the Crypt Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields. Displaying a delight in the visual world and a fascination with its depiction, this exhibition by members of the society shows the typically wide variety of approach, technique and content fostered by its members.

Lost and Found an exhibition of cityscapes by Ukrainian-born artist and gallery founder Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska exploring existential and psychological states in painting between abstraction and representation continues at the Tokarska Gallery.

Robert Enoch will be displaying his For God so loved the world ... Matisse paintings on the pillars of St Paul's Harlow for Easter Sunday.

Sarah Ollerenshaw is showing work in art, pray, love, an exhibition which is part of Hillside Church Wimbledon’s inaugural art festival.

Jonathan Evens is reading new meditations on the Seven Last Words from the Cross during the Good Friday Devotional Service beginning 2.00pm at St John's Seven Kings.

Colours and Stations of the Cross is the current commission4mission exhibition which is being held at All Saints Maldon from Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd April, 10.00am – 4.00pm, and features Stations of the Cross by Rosalind Hore combined with pottery by Harvey Bradley.

Colours and Stations of the Cross (3)

2011-04-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Colours & Stations of the Cross is the current commission4mission exhibition which is being held at All Saints Maldon from Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd April, 10.00am – 4.00pm, and features Stations of the Cross by Rosalind Hore combined with pottery by Harvey Bradley.