Arts 4U is the name we give to our arts ministry at St John's. Dee Rollinson is our in–house artist and Arts Coordinator. As a Christian, Dee is keen to reach out through art in Christ’s name. Her work is on permanent display in St John's Church Centre.
Dee says: “There is no doubt for me that the Bible is the sole means of revelation. Art can be a powerful Christian witness that is capable of portraying indefinable yet undeniable truths".
As arts coordinator, Dee's aspiration is to encourage people to get involved with art at all levels - from the thought provoking and visually pleasing to practical, hands on creative expression. To-date there have been various art events which are recorded in the articles below. To quote Dee again: "I have been humbled and amazed at the depth of thoughts and feelings that have been creatively expressed".
If you are interested in anything to do with Arts 4U please do not hesitate to contact Dee. Her email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or alternatively you can contact her via the church office.
Our Easter Photography Exhibition is now open. Some pictures taken at the opening ceremony are shown below. Please scroll further down the page for opening times and more information.
This Easter, we are running a photography exhibition entitled “From the Sun’s Rising...”.
The exhibition features photographs taken by Paul Bundle, and shows the glory and drama of light through the day and seasons.
Over 40 images of international, British and local scenes. Sunrise and sunset sequences show how changing light and conditions create different moods and reveal subtle detail in the landscape.
Originally trained as a chemical engineer, Paul Bundle worked for 33 years in the chemical industry.
Over recent years he has pursued his love of landscape photography, particularly of remote places reached in his campervan.
This is his first exhibition and the images are as captured on film and digital cameras with minimal post processing.
Paul comments:
"To see the sun appearing and lighting the landscape when you may be the only person around makes for very special moments. These give me a greater appreciation of God’s creation and love and it is fitting to share these images when we celebrate God’s Son rising".
Paul is aiming to be present on most days to talk about his work and approach.
The exhibition opens at 8pm on Tuesday 3rd April and runs until Sunday 15th April. Opening times are as follows:
| 9th April | Monday | 10am to 4pm | |
| 10th April | Tuesday | 10am to 4pm | 8pm to 9.30pm Special Evening with Talk |
| 11th April | Wednesday | 12pm to 10pm | |
| 12th April | Thursday | 12pm to 7.15pm | |
| 13th April | Friday | 10am to 4pm | |
| 14th April | Saturday | 10am to 4pm | |
| 15th April | Sunday | 12pm to 4pm |
Entrance to the exhibition in St John's Church Centre is free and all the photographs are for sale. Light refreshments will be available.
For more information, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact the Church Office.
"Thanks Be..." was a community-based installation of clay objects, made by different people, and brought together to form one huge cross of thanks in August 2011.
Some of the people who made clay objects also wrote down their thoughts expressing thanks to God for what He has done in their lives.
Some observations from one of the helpers at a children's workshop are also available to read.
An on-line book has been compiled with photographs of the clay objects and the associated writings. Click on this link to browse the on-line book. You can click to display the book full-screen or zoom to see more detail.
For background on the Summer Arts Events that happened in 2011, please read the event flyer - the inside pages and outside pages are separate files.
Singer, songwriter, and Church pastor John Nuttall performed a superb concert during the Summer Arts events, whilst Dee’s paintings were projected on the walls.
CDs are available for purchase from Cross Rythms or contact Dee.
Click to access a slideshow of images backed by John's music.
Please note: This is a large file that may take a few moments to download. Depending on your computer's settings, you may have to allow Adobe Acrobat to enter full screen mode and/or allow it to access Windows Media Player - both of these are safe to do.
The first fruits of St John's Arts Ministry were to photograph the demolition of the old hall, the construction of the new one and the completion of the cross that now hangs outside our new centre. This was shortly followed by an exhibition of paintings, by Dee, entitled Angels, Wings and Other Things. The event was a great success and formally launched the new arts ministry.
Dee says: “The art exhibition made all the hard work worthwhile. I spoke to so many people about so many things, but specifically issues relating to art, faith and life. The prospect of future art events was greeted with genuine enthusiasm. This was a great encouragement. Over the years of art making and exhibiting I have experienced the power of art as a Christian witness. I continue to marvel at the way God uses this to gently reach down and take hold of someone's hand".
This section gathers together a small collection of lecture notes, talks and other links, related to Christianity and Art:
Recording of a Real Issues service entitled Christianity and Art, preached by George Crowder - click here to go to the downloads page
Notes from Sophie Rigby's talk on Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son
Link to the Google Arts Project page for the Return of the Prodigal Son
Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 01606 872255
Address: School Lane, Hartford, CW8 1NP
