“A Heart for Others” Interactive Exhibit

Local Memphis artist Chris Reed was very inspired by his mission trips with Hope Church to Quito, Ecuador. He developed such a passion for mission work that he has even gone on trips on his own. On one such journey, he stayed a night – against his better judgment – in a shack. To bring that life-changing experience to Cordova, Chris Reed is building a full-scale model of a third world country shack in the middle of the lobby at Hope Church. This 8 ft. x 8 ft. shack will be constructed of building materials such as tin roofing, plywood, and other found supplies. Blue masking tape will be used to mark off on the floor surrounding the shack to the average square footage footprint of a typical Cordova home. Reed hopes that his interactive piece will touch viewers as deeply as his actual experiences in missions have changed him.

“I want the my representation to be as faithful to a real shack as possible so that living conditions really hit home to the viewer,” stated Reed.

In addition to the shack, Reed has also constructed two large photography displays. One measuring 15 ft. wide by 9 ft. tall and the other is 12 ft. wide by 9 ft. tall. Each display is a collage of imagery, statistics, information, and actual photographs from Hope Church’s outreach and missions groups: Global Outreach, Urban Missions, Oasis of Hope, and Tapestry. Church volunteers and staff will also be on hand to answer viewers’ questions, give out education materials, and take sign-ups. The exhibit will be open for one weekend.

When:
Saturday February 28th at 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
and Sunday March 1st 8:00 am to 12:30 pm
The exhibit is open Saturday at 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm and again on Sunday 8:00 am to 12:30 pm. Viewers are invited to attend worship services available during those times.

Where:
Hope Church
8500 Walnut Grove Rd, Cordova, TN 38018
www.hopepres.com

Random thoughts on blogging

Isn't blogging really just random thoughts anyway? Well, I've been playing around with this site meter/tracker thingie. It's interesting to see how many visits my blog gets and from where. But the really neat thing is the "average time spent on the site" part. Like whom in Shawnee, Kansas visited 8 times at an average of 1 hour 25 minutes. That's a lot of reading or they just left the page up over night. And why would someone in Melbourne, Australia visit once for 27 minutes. Another person in Pahrump, Idaho was on the blog for 6 minutes and visited 11 pages. Okay, so that's all. I was just pondering that. Leave a comment some time folks.

In the Grove - Artist statement revised

Not Your Typical Yard Work

I have an enormous backyard. It’s nearly one acre but located in an average Memphis neighborhood. Most days I feel blessed. Other days I remember that I have to mow all that. A prominent feature in the yard is the grove of seven large pine trees. As the trees have matured, branches have reached and twisted for light. Finding the lines and forms of the pines to be elegant, I began painting a new series called In the Grove.

Although there are not explicit religious or spiritual themes in the works, the process of creating the paintings has become a time of prayer and meditation for me. It is very peaceful to be outside in God's creation and create. The act becomes the prayer. "Dear God, thank you so much for this wonderful day and these mighty trees. Thank you for the blessings in my life like this little plot of land that I call my own."

So this summer when I'm not out there behind a mower, I'll be behind an easel flinging some paint around. This is the kind of yard work I could do every day.

Art and worship blend at The Stirring makes the news

I have to say that my new favorite reporter is Lindsay Melvin at the Commercial Appeal. She just did a wonderful article about The Stirring and how we use live art during the worship service. Mike Brown is also my new favorite photographer. His image of Cara painting during the service is outstanding. I'm incredibly excited. I couldn't sleep last night and when I'd wake up I would go check the CA web site to see if the article had posted. I checked at 12:30am, 3:30am, and 5:30am.

I'm excited to see Andy Savage's statement that Highpoint Church is looking to incorporate more art in the future. I hope other local churches read the article and it encourages them to move forward with connecting with the arts community and using the gifts of their artists.

Interesting lecture on the role of the artist

I'm totally diggin' this lecture on the artist stereotype and artist's responsibility by Sam Andreades at the 2007 IAM Conference. He also makes a strong argument about where artistic genius comes from. It's worth listening to.

http://internationalartsmovement.org/podcasts/2007conference/episodes/224-faith-lecture-the-artist-stereotype

"The artist queries the last privacies of our existence and tells us to change our life"
— George Steiner

Cool bits from lecture:
The artist is made to influence others. Artists desire increased exposure and increased influence. The greater the influence, the greater the responsibility. Speaking for those who cannot speak, is taking responsibility for them. Art as a gift of influence, a responsibility to speak truth and change lives.

Including Art in Our Worship

"In the beginning, God created..." – Genesis 1:1
Art is an integral part of the Stirring. It’s presence in the service draws people in to one of the many ways others use their talents to worship God. Why add live art to the service? Art and creativity points back to The Creator. Creating was the very first thing God does in the Bible. He created everything from nothing. He created us in his own image and so there is a measure of creativity in us all. Almost all artistic expression begins from inspiration found in God's creation. At the very least, the pigment in the paints came from God's creation. We use live worship painting because it adds a completely new dimension to the experience.

From my experience as an artist, painting on stage in front of a live audience is like nothing you have ever encountered before.It adds a complete new dimension to your work, your worship, and your personal walk with God. At The Stirring, we don’t have a live painting once in a while. We do this every Sunday. Come join us.
— Richard Fudge, Senior Artist and Gallery Manager





What other artists have said to describe what they love about live painting at church:

• “Painting with God really gives me clarity, focus, and peace.”
• “It’s one of the most life giving, joyful experiences of my life.”
• “The opportunity to visually impact people through the gift God has given me is a feeling that exceeds description.”
• “When I paint as worship to God, I feel as though I am purely connected to Him in the embrace of creativity.”
• “Painting let’s me express my relationship with God and my spiritual struggles.”

Volunteering to be a guest artist:
A guest artist commitments to attend and create art during one month (4-5 Sunday nights) of Sunday night services. The Stirring will provide the artist with the following: chair, table, small drop cloth and an easel. Inappropriate subject matter is not allowed. The artist can work on one piece for the entire month or a new one every week. It's up to you. We'd recommend working on a piece at least 18"x24" in size and not much larger than 40"x40". Larger works may require that the artist provide their own easel.

Artist participation during the service:
It is important that you arrive at or before 4:50 PM each Sunday in order to set up and begin your artwork before the congregation enters the worship center at 5:25 PM.

The artist is positioned to the right side of the stage. The artist will remain on the stage until one of the worship leaders prays the prayer before the sermon. During that prayer, the artist comes down from the stage and is seated in the congregation. After the pastor has finished his sermon, he will pray again. During this prayer, the artist will make his/her way back up to the stage to create until the end of the service. The artist will usually be featured on video at the time of the offering and special music.

The Stirring ends at about 6:30 pm. After the service, people may come up to ask the guest artist about the piece. If they are artists as well, please encourage them to volunteer to paint at the Stirring. It's also not unusual for someone to offer to buy the piece. There is a certain connection and attachment created when you watch a piece develop during a worship service. After the service is over, please put away the chair, table and easels in the storage closet behind the large screen at the right of the stage.

If you’re interested in purchasing a piece of art, displaying your art, or painting during The Stirring, contact me by leaving a comment.