ART
What do they do,
the singers, tale-writers, dancers, painters, shapers, makers?
They go there with empty hands,
Into the gap between.
They come back with things in their hands.
They go silent and come back with words, with tunes.
They go into confusion and come back with patterns.
They go limping and weeping, ugly and frightened,
and come back with the wings of the redwing hawk,
the eyes of the mountain lion.
With these words from Ursula Le Guin’s Always Coming Home, the Reverend Jeremy Clark-King, rector of St. Mary’s opened a three-day exhibition of art on Thursday evening, February 12. Over 120 artists and parishioners gathered in the St. Mary’s Sanctuary for a wine and cheese reception to celebrate the opening.
The artists, from among the sixty-seven whose work was on display, came from Vancouver, Port Moody, Ladner, Burnaby, and other towns in the Lower Mainland. Their work, 175 items in paint, paper, wood, ceramics and fabric filled three rooms at St. Mary’s.
SPIRIT
Celebration was the spirit that filled the sanctuary and spilled over into the exhibition rooms: the celebration of artists, delighted to have a well-lit and welcoming venue in which to show their work; the celebration of parishioners, including some parishioner artists, at being able to welcome to 2490 West 37th Avenue the creators of such beautiful work; the delight of all at seeing the Parish Hall, Gym and Lounge transformed by the art on display; and celebration by those who gathered in 2011, under the guidance of the Venerable John Stephens of St Philips, and the Reverend’s Richard Leggatt of St. Faith’s and Scott Rowe of St.Helen’s., to plan for the first Art Spirit Community celebration in the then-Deanery of Granville-Point Grey – an illustrated lecture by Vancouver artist Tiko Kerr:
COMMUNITY
Overheard at the opening by one guest to another:
“I know you. I’m your letter carrier, you live at etc.etc. Are you an artist?”
“Yes, I paint and have a couple of paintings on show. Are you an artist?”
“Yes, and so glad for this opportunity to show my work. What a coincidence. Where can I see your work?”
“Just behind you, in the Gym”.
Art is a celebratory way of bringing together parishioners at St.Mary’s with those from the far wider community of the Diocese and beyond.
Through the sale of the pieces displayed, St. Mary’s ART SPIRIT COMMUNITY organizers collected $7,463. Twenty percent will be retained by St. Mary’s, and directed towards the maintenance of neighbouring St. Mary’s Mews, the only subsidized housing complex for seniors in Kerrisdale. The rest of course goes to the artists whose work was sold. The show attracted more than 350 people during its run Thursday, February 12th at 7pm until Saturday, February 14th at 6pm.