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CLASSIS TORONTO |
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Classis In The News
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Classis In The News |
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MISSISSAUGA GROUP GATHERS TO WORSHIP THROUGH ART By Sophie Vandenberg
Twice a month the sanctuary of Community Christian Reformed Church of Meadowvale in Mississauga, Ontario, turns into an art studio. Five artists, along with interested others, gather there to work on an assortment of projects. "We invited artists to come out and 'work alone together,"' said potter Cynthia Stevens, explaining how the group got started.
Inspired by Isaiah 11, Stevens is currently working
on a sculpture of a tree stump. But she feels that
creating a bowl or a vase is just as important, and
just as religious an activity, as depicting Scripture.
Because, as she says, "All of life speaks of the glory of God. This is a form of worship. It's about expressing our
faith."
Peter Reitsma, a graphic artist, explained that over the past eight
years the church has been fostering creativity
through art and learning about how God speaks. "God
speaks to people in different ways, and one way is through visual
metaphors," he said.
The congregation recently hung a series of silk banners around the
perimeter of the sanctuary. On the front wall, a black
background gives way to the scene of a city bathed in
light. The piece changes from week to week as its creator, Anita Van Zeumeren, and
numerous others work on it, demonstrating, as Van Zeumeren
says, "the Light taking over the darkness." "In our churches we've gotten stuck with the visual arts. We are so afraid. Catholic churches work at beauty. We don't have that as much, but we want it back," said Stevens. For more information contact avzpaint@allstream.net.
From left, Henrietta Verban, Anita Van Zeumeren, and Sherise Helder work on a mural in the sanctuary of Community Christian Reformed Church of Meadowvale, Mississauga, Ontario. From The Banner, June 2004. Used by permission. |
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