Alberto Cabrera: August guest artist at The Stirring

Alberto Cabrera has been volunteering to paint at the Stirring for many years. Maybe longer than I have. He's also painted at other churches. He's definitely one of our favorites and we hope that you'll plan to attend this month to see the piece he's creating.

Alberto painting live at The Stirring. 

Photo credit: unknown from The Stirring's facebook page.

Katy Tucker: Guest Artist at the Stirring for May

 
Our guest artist at The Stirring during May is Katy Tucker. Katy has been creating some really great artwork live on stage this month. If you've never been to The Stirring, I strongly encourage you to come check it out. The Stirring meets every Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Hope Church at 8500 Walnut Grove Rd. in Cordova, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.thestirring.net. 

 

Have yourself a Merry Stirring Chirstmas

First of all, these are not my photos. I borrowed them from a few friends on Facebook.

I hope they dont mind.

For the first time, the Stirring was held in the main HUGE sanctuary in Hope. I think it can seat like over 5,000.  To give you some scale, The Stirring has been averaging about 450 in attendance and our normal meeting space maxes out at around 1,000. Look how massive the stage is! We had to have 2 artists and both of us had to paint on XXL canvases. Chris Reed worked on a 6ft x 5 1/2 ft one and I worked on a 3 1/2 ft x 5 ft canvas. Chris did a fair amount of prep before hand, but I just started from a blank canvas. 

Last year, we held two services in the South Hall and had to turn people away from the first service. Since we didnt want that to happen again, we moved to the big sanctuary. It felt like moving from the kids' table to the grown-ups' table. And it was a good thing too because we had over 2,200 in total attendance. 

Okay, so they put me on a riser nearly center stage. Take a look at the depth of the platform. It was maybe 4 ft deep and the easel took up 2 ft. I was every concerned that I'd take a step too far back and... I dont even want to think about it. Thankfully neither i nor the easel fell off. In addition to this being the largest service that I've ever painted during, it was also the largest canvas I've ever attempted to paint from blank to finished (mostly). If you were wondering what i was thinking during the service it was probably one of these concerns: "Don't fall. Don't bend over too much and flash the audience. I hope I brought enough this color paint. I hope i can finish this." etc. repeat.

Here's a shot of both Chris and I painting. I'll have to post a photo of each of our "finished" paintings. I dont think either of us actually finished our pieces but they looked finished enough. 

All and all, it was huge. Huge amount of work, volunteers, staff, art, music, venue, attendance, etc. I can't believe we pulled it off.

And here's a photo of my finished painting "Silent Night"

 

Live painting at The Stirring's 9th Anniversary Service

So this past Sunday this little thing we call The Stirring celebrated 9 years. Here are some photos of me painting live during the service. 

Rudy Howard and Ephie Johnson joined The Stirring Band to bring us some Memphis soul music. When those two are singing, I would really like to be doing some big painting where i can get into the groove and start slinging paint some paint. But alas, I think that would be too much of a mess. As it was, I still somehow managed to get paint on my hat (thankfully it washed out).

Adding Chester to the painting. 

Like Eli said, The Stirring has been on quite the journey, but it's been a privilege to walk it with all those who love and support The Stirring.

Not exactly sure what the title will be for this one. It's based on this doodle that I called "Ready to Go" and at the time the image was about wanting to get back to the mountains, a place i love and feel at peace. But recently, the image came back to mind and I saw it differently. Now, I see Chester picking up the pieces of his broken heart and moving on. He's determined to get out of this dark valley and back to mountain tops.  

"Ready to Move On." 2010 © Richard Fudge

30"x40" canvas. acrylic medium. 

The Stirring’s 9th Anniversary, Sunday, September 26, 5:30 PM, in the South Hall

Enjoy some hometown music as Rudy Howard and Ephie Johnson join The Stirring Band. Experience the journey of prayerful art from around the country during a message from Eli Morris.  Eat with friends following the service while checking out The Gallery and special music.

See below for more information about the journey of the current art series displayed in The Stirring Art Gallery.

“To Send a Prayer: a Collaborative Journal Project”
at The Stirring Art Gallery

Exhibit description:

Last year, Richard Fudge was planning “To Send a Prayer,” an exhibit that explored the visual metaphor of a prayer being akin to a letter. During the planning, Fudge shared the concept and some of his sketches with a fellow artist in Texas. Inspired by the concept of mailing letters to heaven, Fudge began a collaborative journal project. Artists across the country were invited to participate by signing up to receive a journal and add their own visual expressions of prayer through painting, drawing, and photography. The journals began traveling across the country with artists participating from coast to coast.

Over the past year, the four journals have traveled over 25,000 miles, visited 23 cities and over 40 artists have contributed to the project. For the exhibit, 20 selected pages were enlarged and printed for display.

Featured Artists:

Richard Fudge – Memphis, TN

Deeann C. Rieves – Atlanta, GA

Alberto Cabrera – Memphis, TN

Jennifer Harvey – Germantown, TN

Suzan R. Wallace – Cape Carteret, NC

Mike Carter – Fort Mill, SC

Mary DeCroce – Southington, CT

Chad Michael Irwin – Memphis, TN

Arian Armstrong – Newport, KY

Gail Wilkins – Memphis, TN

Amelia Whaley – Mt. Pleasant, SC

Anneli Anderson – Portland, OR

Charlie Forrester – Memphis, TN

Kathy MacDonald – Memphis, TN

Graeme Parsons – Bartlett, TN

Opening Reception:

Sunday, September 26

5:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Viewers are invited to attend The Stirring worship experience which begins at 5:30 pm. During this special service, Richard Fudge will create original artwork live on stage. Following the service at 6:30 pm, guests can view the exhibit, enjoy refreshments, and enjoy live music.

“To Send a Prayer: a Collaborative Journal Project” will be on display from September 26th to November 7th. The gallery is open 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. The Stirring Art Gallery also can be viewed during Hope Church’s regular office hours.

Where:

The Stirring Art Gallery in Hope Church

(located upstairs inside Entrance 1)

8500 Walnut Grove Rd., Cordova, Tennessee 38018

www.hopepres.com • www.thestirring.net • 901-755-7721

Background on The Stirring Art Gallery:

Various works by local artists are currently on display at The Stirring Art Gallery, located inside Hope Church. Many of the paintings were created live on stage during The Stirring service. Each month, a different local artist volunteers to paint during the service. The completed painting(s) and several other selected works by the artist are then displayed in the gallery and available for purchase by contacting the artist.

The Stirring meets every Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Hope Church at 8500 Walnut Grove Rd. in Cordova, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.thestirring.net.

Come see me paint at The Stirring

Every Sunday night in September from 5:30-6:30p, you can watch me paint something live on-stage at the Stirring. Last Sunday, I started this painting. It's two 24"x18" canvases clamped together that I'll separate once it's complete. I've also got quite a few paintings on display up stairs in the Stirring art gallery.

This past weekend was so nice that I finally got started on three To Send a Prayer paintings. It took forever for the canvas and supplies that i ordered to arrive. I hope to make more headway this weekend and complete them in time for a special art show at the end of the month (more on that later). Yep. At the Fudge art studio, we're shifting into high gear.

2009 Lessons Learned in The Stirring Art Ministry - #1

We tried somethings out this year at the Stirring that really worked and somethings that didnt work as well. I thought'd share the insights with you.

1.) Which works better having an art opening on a weekend that is guaranteed to have a very large crowd (Easter and Christmas) or have just create a special night for the opening?

My expectation was that the larger the crowd the more likely we'd have a good number in the gallery viewing and purchasing the work. The reality.... nope. If anything, the huge crowd works against you. Here's how i see it.

On Easter and Christmas this year, I planned special art shows that tied into the theme of the service - a cross exhibit for Easter and an exhibit about Mary for Christmas. We had about 1200 in attendance for Easter and nearly 2000 for Christmas. That's 3-4 times the number of people we normally have, but the number of viewers in the gallery was no greater than the typical Sunday. This can be very frustrating for your artists. They've worked very hard to create paintings, hang a show, promote it, etc and all you see are people streaming in and then streaming back out.

This is not to say that i think the art show should be as important than the holiday service experience. It was my intension that the art add to the worship and reflection of the evening. It seemed logical that if there was a higher percentage of people in attendance than an equally higher percentage would view the art. but as it turns out, people are more concerned about getting in and out of the service than stopping to check out the art that we made to go with the service. Which is understandable, Easter and Christmas are full of holiday traditions (Christmas MORE so) and families are probably off to the next thing - a special dinner, a family gathering, etc.

Also, during a holiday service, there is a LARGE need for volunteers doing many things to help with the production and smooth running of the evening. If you're trying to do an art show at the same time, you are taking needed volunteers away from some other important job or you have to bring in new volunteers for just the art. Either you have enough support and feel like you should be lending the art volunteers to some short staffed area, or you're under supported and you feel bad about taking volunteers from some other job.

Last, it is our goal at the Stirring to do something very impactful at the close of a special service - some awe inspiring moment, a lasting impression or thought. This prevents our pastor from breaking the feel of the moment by making another announcement to encourage people to view the art. But without that reminder at the end of the service, most folks just go straight out the doors. There are probably a number of other factors that contribute to the lack of interest in the shows on a holiday night.

Now, on the 2 occasions that we did an art focused service followed by a reception, we had a much better turnout in the gallery. At those 2 events, the attendance was only 340 and 460 but there was 2-3 times as many people that checked out the gallery. We also had ample volunteer support for greeting, mingling, set-up and take down, and folks doing refreshments. We even had live music in the foyer. It had a much more professional art opening feel. I think next year I'm going to stick to more of this format and not try to add to the clutter and craziness of holiday services.

*Side note: Joey at LifeLink commented to me that he had a different results at his gallery. So I should probably point out that the location of your gallery space is probably a big factor. At the Stirring, the gallery space is upstairs on the second floor balcony over looking the foyer of the sanctuary. It's not really a part of the natural flow of traffic. LifeLink's gallery space on the other hand is located right next to the sanctuary and their info/coffee tables. As a result, they have more people check it out when the attendance is high.

Artsy Advent Calendar - slide show

slide shows showing the progression:



Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 25

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 24

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 23

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 22

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 21

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 20

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 19

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 18

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 17

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 16

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Artsy Advent Calendar - Day 15

Our artsy Advent Calendar which is on display in the Stirring Art Gallery. Each day is an original piece by featured artists Brittney Owens and Deeann Carson Rieves. It is a part of our current exhibit – Atonement.

Atonement: Closing Reception

Closing Reception:
December 20th
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Viewers are invited to attend one of The Stirring's two Christmas services which are at 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. During these special services, Brittney Owens and Joy Deeann Carson will create original artwork live on stage. Guests can view the exhibit, purchase work, speak to the artists, and enjoy refreshments before or after the services.

Where:
The Stirring Art Gallery in Hope Church
(located upstairs inside Entrance 1)
8500 Walnut Grove Rd., Cordova, Tennessee 38018
www.hopepres.com • www.thestirring.net • 901-755-7721

Exhibit description:
The Stirring art gallery is proud to present Atonement, an exhibit in which draws inspiration from the life of Mary. The theme was chosen based the time on the two artists strengths and passions.

“I was really excited about how this exhibit came together,” says Richard Fudge, the Stirring Art Gallery manager. “I’ve been trying to get Brittney’s work in the gallery for some time, and I really wanted a chance to show Deeann’s work again.”

“It was interesting to focus primarily on little Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she is the most well known woman of the Bible. She embodies beauty in her surrender, courage, desperation, and vulnerability.” – Deeann Carson Rieves

Rieves focuses on women from the Bible in her paintings and how she can relate to part of their journey. The she selects which part of the figure can best express the desired characteristic they exemplify- a hand desperately reaching for something lost, and deceitful turn of the wrist, a seductive glance, or a reluctant tilt of the neck. The collaged ambiguous environments give the viewer hints to the story.

“Mary holds to be a selfless, giving individual whose life was dedicated to God. Her example as a mother is a powerful expression of love.” – Brittney Owens

Owens draws inspiration from the Baroque era's use of strong contrast of light and dark, usually portraying pieces with powerful symbolic images to express ideas of good and evil, life and death. Collage is used in her works to add a subtle presence from Christ. Each piece has hidden images that require closer examination in order to find.