St John's Church, Newbury, is embarking on an artistic collaboration with local artists to present a new exhibition for Holy week, With Passion - Sixteen Artistic Meditations on Holy Week and Human Experience.
The 16-piece black and white print collection showcases the work of eight artists during Holy Week, beginning on 2 April. It follows the story of Jesus and the disciples as they encounter the extremes of human experience and is inspired by meditations on the experiences of friendship, rage, questions, betrayal, love, silence, suffering – and the unexpected appearance of hope.
The Revd Gary Collins, Associate Vicar of St John the Evangelist Church, Newbury, shares his hopes for the project:
“Art is one of the many lenses through which we can explore Christian faith and life experiences through the creativity of others. The exhibition draws on the familiar story of Jesus in Holy Week but in an unexpected way through the bewildering emotions of the disciples and Jesus.
“The human experiences captured in each piece mirror many of our own life experiences and are a reminder of the frailty and beauty of humanity. I hope that the exhibition will be an opportunity for people to reflect on the experiences which draw us together, as people and as communities within the story of God.”
The exhibition is free and opens on Sunday 2 April with a launch event at St John's Church at 6pm. The launch will include a guided meditation through the Holy Week artworks led by Revd Gary Collins and the opportunity to meet with the artists. It will be open each day during Holy Week and the show will remain in the church to form part of Open Studios during May.
Artists presenting at the exhibition are Charlotte Adcock, Amanda Bates, Isabel Carmona, Pam Hardman, Sally Haynes, Wendy Lloyd, Arty Pumpkin and Kate Steele.