Creative Spirit

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

Guide on Commissioning New Art for Churches

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/.

Launch of the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area (3)

A new Art Trail created for the Barking Episcopal Area by commission4mission with funding from London-over-the-Border was jointly launched by the Bishops of Chelmsford and Barking at St Paul’s Goodmayes on Thursday 17th February 2011.

The aim of the Art Trail is to raise awareness of the rich and diverse range of modern and contemporary arts and crafts from the last 100 years which can be found within the 36 featured churches. The significant works of art in these churches, taken collectively, represent a major contribution to the legacy of the church as an important commissioner of art.

The Rt. Revd. David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, has said: “For centuries the Arts have been an important medium through which public communication of the faith has taken place and the Church has had a lengthy and happy marriage with the Arts.” The Art Trail demonstrates that this long relationship between the Church and the Arts continues today, as the Trail includes work by significant twentieth century artists such as Eric Gill, Hans Feibusch, John Hutton and John Piper together with contemporary work by the like of Mark Cazalet, Jane Quail and Henry Shelton.

At the launch of the Art Trail, The Rt. Revd. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford, described and interpreted a painting by Stanley Spencer, from his Christ in the Wilderness series, entitled The Scorpion, before concluding:

“I do not know what other art form could convey and hold the possibility of converging in so many layers. Not just do the visual arts comment on biblical narrative, but they illuminate it in a way that written or spoken forms cannot, being linear forms. Art opens windows on a set of concepts and ideas and brings them together. These windows offer a fresh perspective onto the faith we share, that other forms simply cannot.”

The Bishop of Barking stated that:

“Our inspiration for understanding Christianity comes from the visual arts ... The visual arts continue to be an important way of communicating our faith. Words are not enough to express the breadth, depth and height of what we want to communicate. It’s then that the visual arts express what we want to communicate.

God knew that: for centuries he relied on the words of the prophets and then he realized that he needed to send his Son to communicate in ways that words could not, the breadth, depth and height of his love. The word became flesh: the most beautiful living sculpture ever created – Jesus Christ.”

The Art Trail is being publicised through a leaflet which provides information about the featured artists and churches and includes a map showing the churches featured on the Trail together with contact details, so that visits to one or more churches can be planned in advance. Fine Arts lecturer, artist and commission4mission member, Mark Lewis, researched and developed the leaflet documenting the Art Trail and introduced those present at the launch to some of the highlights of the Trail and the rationale behind it.

Mark Lewis said that his brief had been to research commissioned art and craft in the Episcopal Area from the past 100 years. While stained glass is the dominant Ecclesiastical art form, he had been concerned show a diversity and variety of media and styles within the selections made. He highlighted works such as the significant mosaic by John Piper at St Paul’s Harlow and the striking ‘Spencer-esque’ mural by Fyffe Christie at St Margaret’s Standford Rivers. Churches with particularly fine collections of artworks included: St Albans, Romford; St Andrew’s Leytonstone; St Barnabas Walthamstow; St Margaret’s Barking; St Mary’s South Woodford; and, the church chosen as the location for the launch event, St Paul’s Goodmayes.

Launch of the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area

The Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area is to be launched at St Paul Goodmayes on Thursday 17th February at 12.00 noon.

This Art Trail, which will publicise the extent to which churches in the Barking Episcopal Area of the Diocese of Chelmsford contain significant art and craft works, will be launched jointly by the Bishops of Chelmsford and Barking. You are invited to join them for the launch reception.

The Bishop of Barking says, “for centuries the Arts have been an important medium through which public communication of the faith has taken place and the Church has had a lengthy and happy marriage with the Arts.” Created by commission4mission with funding from London-over-the-Border, this Art Trail demonstrates that the long relationship between the Church and the Arts continues today as it includes work by significant twentieth century artists such as Eric Gill, Hans Feibusch, John Hutton and John Piper, together with contemporary work by the like of Mark Cazalet, Jane Quail and Henry Shelton.

The visual arts can contribute to the mission of the Church by speaking eloquently of the Christian faith; providing a reason for people to visit a church; making a link between churches and local arts organisations/initiatives and providing a focus around which local people can come together for a shared activity. For these, and other, reasons there are more than 30 churches in the Barking Episcopal Area which have significant artworks on show and which are included on the Art Trail.

A leaflet documenting the Art Trail , which has been researched and developed by commission4mission member, artist and Fine Arts lecturer, Mark Lewis, will publicise the Trail and provide information about the featured artists and churches.

commission4mission exists, in the words of its Chairperson, Henry Shelton, to offer "quality work and craftsmanship, rather than mass-produced work, to continue the legacy of the Church as a great commissioner of art." Through this new Art Trail , we hope that the eyes of visitors to churches and church members alike will be opened to the continuing legacy of the Church as a significant commissioner of art.

We look forward to seeing you on 17th February. Please RSVP to jonathan.evens@btinternet.com or 020 8599 2170.

Barking Area Art Trail

commission4mission has been awarded funding from London-over-the-Border to publicise the extent to which churches in the Barking Episcopal Area of the Diocese of Chelmsford contain significant art and craft works by creating an Art Trail for the Episcopal Area and documenting this Trail in an Art Trail leaflet.

Examples of art within the Barking Area's churches include work by significant twentieth century artists such as Eric Gill, Hans Feibusch, John Hutton and John Piper, together with contemporary work by the like of Mark Cazalet, Jane Quail and Henry Shelton.

We also intend to apply for the Art Trail to become an Inspire Project, part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Perspectives on commissioning Christian Art (2)

Peter Judd, with fellow panellists, Peter Webb, James Bettley, Henry Shelton and Harvey Bradley

Cartoons of works commissioned by Peter Judd

The Very Revd. Peter Judd, Dean of Chelmsford Cathedral, spoke at commission4mission's recent Study Day from the perspective of those commissioning contemporary art for churches:

While at Iffley Church Oxford, we were undertaking some modest reordering when the Chair of the Diocesan Advisory Committee asked whether we would like a John Piper Nativity window at the church. The already completed window was a Tree of Life with animals and the key question was how to fit it into the church.

This situation is described in a recent biography of John and Myfanwy Piper, although my recollection of events differs in some details. The family were insistent that Piper's Nativity went into the East window of the church where there was already an existing window by C. Webb. The C. Webb Society wished to retain the East Window and the issue became so divisive that I decided to refuse the offer.

However, Myfanwy Piper was then persuaded that a better position for the window would be on the south side of the baptistry. In this setting the window needed an extension and none of those proposed were acceptable to Myfanwy. Eventually I sat down with my daughter and worked on an alternative which was acceptable.

Eventually, although the parish had had a petition to stop the window, it all went through and everyone loved it. There was no cost for the window as it had been a gift.

At Chelmsford I thought that the Cathedral needed a symbol that would welcome visitors to the Cathedral and had admired Peter Eugene Ball's Christus at Southwell Minster. A congregation member liked Ball's work and became the benefactor for the project. I visited Ball initially and he then visited the Cathedral. We looked at the space and I then suggested leaving him to spend longer looking on his own but he said, "I know what I'm going to do. I'm not a prima donna."

Ball produced a small model which people grew to like but the final piece caused consternation when it was delivered as it appeared huge. People were saying that it was grotesquely out of scale but Ball simply said, "Trust me," and once in place it isn't out of scale at all.

A Mother and Child by Ball followed and most recently a set of candlesticks, as I thought it important to have some continuity in commissions. We also have a Nativity set by Ball which was paid for by the Friends of the Cathedral. Not everyone liked the humourous nature of the set but were won over when they saw the way in which children responded to the set.

The next project was a blank window revealed after the transfer of the organ. I had been impressed by the doors to the organ by Patrick Caulfield in Portsmouth Cathedral but was cautioned that, while a nice man, I would be lucky to find him sober. I went to see him and was immediately asked if I would like a glass of wine. Caulfield didn't want to get involved so I asked Tom Devonshire Jones for advice. He suggested Mark Cazalet and we met in the Cathedral. Cazalet had been looking at the space before we met and I quickly discovered that we were both thinking along the same lines (a Tree of Life); a scary but thrilling meeting of minds.

Cazalet produced a cartoon for our consideration and the finished work was almost exactly the same. The work was funding through a Millennium Grant for the local council. It was painted on panels in a disused church. Halfway through the painting was almost entirely covered in gold leaf and the green of the tree was then painted on top of the gold leaf. Children visiting the Cathedral regularly explain to their parents that the painting is all about the environment.

I had received a gift of £2,000 to replace the original altar frontal in the Mildmay Chapel and had been sent a catalogue from the tapestry department of West Dean College Chichester. There was a particular design that I liked so I got in touch and visited. I once taken aback by the estimated costs because of the large number of hours involved in weaving. However, it got done to budget and the original vibrant design that I liked, following research at Bradwell, became a very serene design.

The last project to speak about involves a series of icons for four blank windows in the Cathedral chancel. Initially, I was thinking of paintings linked to the Tree of Life but decided not to pursue this idea and instead thought of four icons related to the Cathedral - St Mary the Virgin, Christ, St Peter and St Cedd.

I met with a leading iconographer but for reasons of cost was unable to pursue this option. Then three nuns from the Community of St John the Baptist at Tolleshunt Knights attended Evensong at the Cathedral and showed interest when they were told about the project. Their designs were produced very quickly and cartoons put in place by Sister Maria using a cherrypicker brought in for the Cathedral Mystery Play. The only real change has been that I have asked them to roughen up St Cedd abit in order that he has a wildness like that of John the Baptist. They will be installed in January with the final paint then taking two further weeks. The significant difference in costs between the original quote and that of the nuns which has made this an affordable project.

Some commissions have been so easy and some so difficult. Once an artist has been engaged those commissioning the work should either sack the artist or go with it. Essentially, comissioners need to trust the artist.