London: Springtime for Catholic artists

Dr Gabriele Finaldi

It's only February - but already 2019 is already proving to be a special year for new Catholic art and artists in London - with exhibitions and events taking place across the capital.

This Thursday, 21st February, Dr Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery and a committed Catholic, will be giving a talk on art and faith at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, in central London, for the launch of Catholic Creators UK. Led by artists for artists, the initiative has emerged out of a desire from Catholic artists to receive spiritual formation, share their work and connect. Creatives from all spheres, along with those who support and appreciate the arts, are most welcome.

Tickets for Dr Finaldi's talk are £5. To book see: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dr-gabriele-finaldi-on-art-faith-tickets-53922854710

Just last month The Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Edward Adams, blessed Timothy Schmalz's life-size bronze statue Homeless Jesus at Farm Street church. See: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/36390

There is also an important contemporary painting on display in the St Aloysius chapel at the church - the epic work In Memoriam, of the Last Supper, on long-term loan from Farm Street's artist in residence, Andrew White. See: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/34378

In west London, the church of Our Lady of Dolours RC Church, 264 Fulham Road, SW10 9EL is hosting an exhibition of contemporary religious painting. The show includes work by artists from St Patrick's Studios in Wapping, east London and others: Francis Hoyland, Alice Robertson, Alice Farmer, Clare Fitzgerald, Daphne Kilner, Diana Durantel, Giuseppe Marasco, Mike Quirke, John Bateson, Keith Ware, Victoria Brenninkmeijer, Eva Jedut, Liz Asher, Lucy Skinner and Paul Cyr.

This Saturday, 23 February, Poet Sarah de Nordwall will lead 'When Words become Light' - a time to be inspired by beautiful paintings and poems - and your own contemplative writing in response to them - in the Servite House, Fulham, next to Our Lady of Dolours church. For more information see: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/36511 Booking essential. Email Sarah at: bardschool@gmail.com

Sarah commented: "The wonderful thing is that after many years of sowing into the lives of individual artists, through catechism, encouragement, healing, community building and teaching, studio creation and library compiling, learning from other denominations and bringing that knowledge to bear on the Catholic environment, we are starting to see some results - in other words initiatives such as St Patricks Wapping, and the Bard school have provided an environment in which other small communities have also had the courage to experiment and take wing - The Assembly, The Artist's Retreat, Catholic Creators UK and now individual parishes are beginning to realise that you can't have a cultural renewal that will make way for the new evangelisation if you don't nurture and encourage the makers of that cultural renewal, the artists themselves."

In his Prayer Intention for Artists, August 2017 Pope Francis said: "The arts give expression to the beauty of the faith and proclaim the Gospel message of the grandeur of God's creation. When we admire a work of art or a marvel of nature, we discover how everything speaks to us of Him and of His love: That artists of our time, though their creativity, may help us discover the beauty of creation."

LINKS

St Patrick's Studios: https://stpatricksstudios.com

Catholic Creators UK: www.facebook.com/CatholicCreators/