Liturgical Arts

FROM OUR STUDIO:

We wanted to share some of our design and liturgical art. We have worked with congregations to give words to their vision and purpose in ministry. We then work with them to transform the words into images and symbols that are used in altar cloths and banners to help create sacred spaces for worship and prayer. Embracing the sacred ensures that symbols, sacrament, sacramental art and space lead people to encounter God. Shown here is a 20' triptych permanent installation at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Port Charlotte, Florida and an altar clothe created for the Earth Day Celebration at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information about our workshops and portfolio go to our web site.

Meet Rudy

FROM OUR STUDIO:

Meet our dog Rudy. He's full of energy, very intuitive, curious and a mix that even the vet puzzles over. Our best guess is that Rudy is a mix of Norwich, Bull, Cairn Terrior with legs of a Corgi. He has a vertical leap five times his height and loves coming to the studio with us for hours on end with little complaint or criticism of our work. Rudy was a great addition to our family two years ago. The boy will be 6 on July 1.

Image courtesy of Heidi Hoffman Photography

Art Opening August 6, 2010

FROM OUR STUDIO:

We've been busy in the studio preparing for our upcoming show at 19 Below Gallery in Kansas City's Crossroad District on 6th August. Along with a show at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis and our work in the Bigelow Chapel at United Theological Seminary, our work will be at Gloria Dei Lutheran in St.Paul. Work continues on Luther Seminary's commission for their Prodigal Son Collection. Hope to see you on the 6th.

Forged

FROM OUR JOURNAL PAGES:

Peg: When we first went to Northen Ireland, tension in the neighborhood where we worked was high. People were constantly on edge and suspicious of those around them. The hostel where we stayed was locked and gated at dusk and teh IRA and paramilitary were acting as vigilanties. People were divided, yet in the midst of the troubles there ran thin golden strands of hope holding everything together.

Chuck: I don't think that I can put words around this image. It took a long time for it to emerge and continues to immerse me in contemplation.

Borderless World

FROM OUR JOURNAL PAGES:

This painting had a unique significance for us because we knew for whom it was being birthed before we started. Most often we create paintings together without knowing who will bring it home to their own space.The fact that it was created for Pam Kelley’s birthday has even more meaning. Birthing has been a reoccurring theme for us. We refer to our art as birthing images, so honoring the birth of Pam into the world in a painting, takes on the mystical wonder of creation.

Peg: My vision for the painting centered around the dawn of creation. Symbols, language and possibiity emerge into the darkness, bringing light, carrying the potential for communication and creativity. The cerulean blues cannot contain the energy and strength of the written word and the symbolic languages burst forth with a spirit of their own. Creation truly imagines a borderless world of peace and inclusion.

Chuck: The work brought me to the place of wonder and mystery of ongoing creation. Pam uses language to express and birth her ideas into the world, and all of these thoughts and prayers went into this piece. My thoughts and reflections centered about creation coming out of darkness. This became the birthing of something new. The new being hope for a borderless world, a new world that emerges in God’s continuing creation. Letter forms stream from the light with the hope for new dialogues that bridge differences and change to a healthy, mutual world, celebrating diversity and the harmony that can be created together.

The painting for us has become a contemplation of creation in space and time, visually depicted for all to contemplate the ongoing formation of the universe, our hearts, minds and spirits.

Tension

FROM OUR JOURNAL PAGES:

PEG: This is the first painting Chuck and I created after he moved to Minneapolis to go to seminary. Somehow I expected us to paint like we had for the last two years, but it was a struggle. We spent weeks trying to get back to our normal painting process, and each other. We didn’t get comfortable until our subject matter matched our emotional state. Finally with the help of the painting we dealt with the reality of the changes we’d experienced. It reminded me that reconciliation is a process and requires tending. Relationships between people, communities or countries need attention.

CHUCK: Tension when managed can lead to new discoveries. When left unattended can spin out of control and can lead to divide. This painting has been a dialogue of working through our tensions of creating together. Our process and each other needed tending and nurturing. Working through our process of listening, responding and creating again confirmed for us that holding in the tension can lead to something new. The risk being that tension left unbalanced can lead to destruction.

Global Missions prayers offered on World Canvas

The World Canvas Project was part of the Global Missions Institute gathering at Luther Seminary. Students from around the world, faculty and friends of the seminary gathered in community and to hear a presentation from Dr. Guillermo Hansen.

World Canvas Project begins at Luther Seminary

The World Canvas Project is a prayer canvas where your prayer is first penciled onto the canvas, then select a color to paint your prayer into the canvas. The canvas has been part of the Minnesota Without Poverty gathering, Luther Seminary, Global Missions, United Theological Seminary and the Summer Institute in Spirituality & Art. A second canvas is currently in Iraq. Photo's by Holm Photo.

Exploring light from darkness

These were a few of the pieces of art created after a lectio divina of the creation story in Genesis. Relecting on the meaning of the word light, brought forth these images using black and white construction paper.

Creative Leadership: Claiming the Artist Within

22 artists gathered at United Theological Seminary for our workshop in Creative Leadership. Our tribe formed around art and prayer, sharing and inspiring one another. We worked with sacred questions that explored the connection between our spirituality, creativity and living it out in our vocations.