#126 The Photographer's Eye

Why do we, The Visual Arts Ministry, work so hard to hang art shows at our church (three campuses)? Our vision statement. Everything at UALC has a link to evangelism, and that includes bringing the unchurched into the buildings. However, our members also enjoy the shows and one young mother stopped me yesterday and told me how important they think the shows are for their children (the largest hanging area is the main traffic corridor for Sunday School classes.)

Saturday Bob, Ken, Steve, Bev and myself became a lean, mean hanging machine, and hung a show with about 120 pieces on our Arakawa Hanging System. Then on Sunday we provided a reception, with the assistance of the Hospitality Ministry, for the artist to meet the congregation and visitors. You can see what we hung here at the artist's web page.

Also during Advent, we are sponsoring an exhibit of reproductions of the Italian presepio, which used small carved nativity scene figures in the eighteenth century, made by the Fontanini company in Italy and collected by two of our members, Margie and Dick. Each week the scene changes as the time of Christ's birth approaches. Yesterday more than 200 people stopped by the exhibit to talk to Dick about the display. Next Sunday members are invited to bring their own nativity scenes for display, and Dick will lecture on the meaning and significance of the collection.

In January we will be hanging a quilt show, and then in February another one-artist photography show. From memory I'm thinking we'll then display the art of children of Highland Elementary School on Columbus' west side, and in May, the Upper Arlington Art League will again hang its Spring Show.