Run With The Fire

‘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.

Newsletter No. 7

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

Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area

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 Art 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 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.

The Art Trail now has its own page on the Diocesan website which enables viewers to see the Art Trail leaflet online.

Run With The Fire

24 international artists are participating in Run with the Fire. These artists were selected, from a pool of 45 artists who applied to be part of the project, by an international jury of Dr. Dianne B. Collard (Director of Ministries – Europe, Artists in Christian Testimony International), Martin Crampin (Artist, Researcher and Designer) and Marleen Henglaar– Rookmaaker (Editor-in-Chief, ArtWay).

The selected artists began the project by writing a statement to describe their vision of ’running with the fire’ for the other artists involved. Each artist will be 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. Each artist will make their work available electronically for use in the project, so that the mapping of ideas as they travel from one artist to another can become part of the final product.

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.

Member profile: Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska
 

 
Nadiya is a recent graduate of Middlesex University who has opened the Tokarska Gallery in Walthamstow. Her work combines realist painting techniques (use of perspective, micro-detail and layered glazes) with a partial breakdown of the visual field that is both perceptual and metaphoric. In her work she tries to communicate “the idea of vulnerability, the fragility of human existence.”

2011 exhibitions

• Colours and Stations of the Cross is a c4m exhibition for Holy Week taking place at All Saints Maldon from Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd April (10.00am – 4.00pm) featuring pottery by Harvey Bradley and paintings by Rosalind Hore.
• commission4mission will be a group show at the Crypt Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields from Monday 4th – Sunday 17th July. A private view will be held from 6.00pm on Monday 4th July.

2011 commissions

Completed commissions have been dedicated at:

• St Edmund’s Tyseley – The Baptism of Jesus by Rosalind Hore;
• St Peter’s Harold Wood – Two fused glass windows by Caroline Richardson;
• All Saints Hutton – Etched glass windows by Henry Shelton and Richard Paton.

Run with the Fire (3)

45 artists have asked to be considered to take part in the Run With The Fire project, which is a collaboration between CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse. Their submissions are now with the jury members who are finalising the list of artists they wish to see included. We are very privileged to have Martin Crampin, Marleen Henglaar– Rookmaaker and Dr Dianne Collard as our jurors.


We hope to be notifying artists of the jury’s decision by mid– February.

Run with the Fire will run alongside the London Olympics in 2012. This summer, we will be publicising the project to churches and encouraging them to sign up for a Run with the Fire arts event in their area, with the digital art exhibition acting as a catalyst for art workshops, exhibitions and community events.

If your church would like to receive more information about this, please e-mail Sue Newham on membership@veritasse.co.uk and express an interest.

Update: commissions and projects

'The Baptism of Jesus' by Rosalind Hore has been installed at St Edmund Tyseley and a date is being sought for the dedication of the painting which has been donated to the church by Jonathan Evens in memory of his father, Rev. Phil Evens, a former Vicar of the Parish.

Caroline Richardson has begun work on the windows which she has designed for St Peter Harold Wood. Her two windows show complementary images containing John 10.10 (I have come that they may have life and have it to the full) and in the other, John 8.12 (I am the light of the world).

The faculty has been obtained for the etched glass windows designed by Henry Shelton for All Saints Hutton. Each window will celebrate a different saint using Shelton's trademark minimal but flowing lines to form symbols of each saint.

A faculty is being sought for a sculpture in the new community garden at St John Seven Kings. This sculpture which has been designed in discussion with the community garden planning group incorporates a mosaic which will be created by Viki Isherwood-Metzler.

Mark Lewis has had an initial design for a holy water stoup approved by St Margaret Great Ilford and is also undertaking research for the Art Trail which commission4mission is creating for the Barking Episcopal Area. Mark has identified 40 churches in the Episcopal Area with artworks which may feature in the Trail. These include work by artists such as Hans Feibusch, Eric Gill, John Hutton and John Piper.

Submissions are being sought for Run with the fire, an Olympics-themed art project instigated by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse. The project will create a virtual exhibition of international artwork for presention alongside Olympics-themed arts events or exhibitions organized by local churches in 2012. The closing date for submissions is 19th November and each submission will be considered by a jury/selection committee invited by the steering group which includes Dianne B. Collard (Director of Ministries - Europe for Artists in Christian Testimony International), Martin Crampin (Artist, researcher and designer), and Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker (Editor-in-Chief of ArtWay).

RUN WITH THE FIRE: Call for Submissions

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

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

PROJECT

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

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

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

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

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

INVITATION

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

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

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

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

STEERING COMMITTEE

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