Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sacred Spaces

My friend Gerrie has just had two of her wonderful art quilts accepted into the Sacred Spaces exhibit! WooHoo! Go Gerrie!!! Garland Reynolds, the architect of our new nave is giving a lecture series each Wednesday night at our church entitled Sacred Spaces. All of this got me to thinking about the sacred spaces in my life.......and of course, my church, ranks right up there. I am working on an art piece for the church youth group's annual auction and have been snapping pictures around the church lately. I thought I would share just a few with you today.

Here is the new nave, dedicated December 6, 1992:


This is the old nave, which was wonderfully transformed into the chapel. You can see the exterior of the altar area of the new nave to the right:

I was confirmed in the 'old nave' and our daughter was baptised there.....indeed, a sacred space. I remember oh so well the cold day in December when we processed out of the old nave after the last service held there, and into the parish hall, where services were held during construction.

The cornerstone of the old nave:
if you look very carefully, you will read that the first church was destroyed by the tornado of '36, which took many lives in Gainesville, including that of the church sexton, who was trying to save the church silver

This is the altar area in the old nave, new chapel:

We have kept the original altar, which is a comfort to those of us who worshiped there for many years.

And this is the rood screen, carved by parishoner Winston Garth, back in the 40s, I think:

be ye doers of the word, not hearers only


the baptismal font where our daughter and so many others have been baptised


the door knob and old lock on the chapel door.........I can't help but think of all of the people whose hands have turned that knob!

and from the sublime to what you might think is the ridiculous: a part of my sacred space in my studio:
the box is a new addition on one of my two sacred walls. Jeannie told me how her husband had given her a box in which she places her inner art critic. I thought that was such a great idea...and what a nice and supportive gesture on the part of her husband!! That whole concept ran around in my head over the past couple of days, and I finally hung the silk fusion box (that I made in a class taught by Sue Bleiweiss) there by the door. When I enter, I remove the top, toss in my inner critic, replace the top, and get down to playtime! Oh, and above it you will notice several art related quotes.......the last one from Pam Rubert, who is always so encouraging!


Diamonds are only chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs, you see.
Minnie Richard Smith, poet

7 comments:

Gerrie said...

What an historic place. You are a rare Episcopalian - attending church where you were baptised!!

Michele/TextileTraveler said...

Lovely sacred spaces. I adore the box for the art critic; do you have a "real" one you stuff in there, or is it symbolic? I'm already imagining an ugly little doll to make . . . it would give me great joy to shove him into a box and close him up every day :-)

connie said...

Thank you for sharing today. I love the pictures of the "old Nave" I am sure it is a great comfort that they kept it. It is charming! It must feel wonderful. Truly a sacred place.

I also love the idea of the box for the inner art critic. I may have to work on this for myself. Have a great day!

Jeannie said...

What a beautiful church. I love that the old was included in the new. I like the ritual of placing a "critic doll" in the box before the creative day begins. Hope you had a sunny day. Cheers.

Elizabeth said...

It is so wonderful to see the honoring of the old and integrating of the new!! The doorknob and the heart lock are my favorite parts!!! I like Textile Traveler's Idea of making a little VooDoo type Inner Critic doll to stuff into the box!!!
Hugs!
Elizabeth

Carol said...

What a beautiful church and full of such memories for you. Love the 'inner critic' idea, we should all have one of those boxes - and yours is a particularly beautiful one for the critic to spend time in. Hardly an incarceration but more a luxury lifestyle for your critic. OOXX

Karoda said...

Judy, this is so wonderful of you to give us a peak into the images and your thoughts on something so important to you. You are giving me cause to pause this morning in my own thoughts.