Divine inspiration

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This article was published 27/08/2024 (775 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For years, Winnipeg artists and married couple Angeline and Tony Schellenberg wanted to work together on something that combined their talents — she’s a poet and he’s a photographer.

They received that chance this month when they were approved for an artist’s residency through their congregation, Saint Benedict’s Table Anglican Church.

“We wanted to do something collaborative for a long time,” said Angeline, 51, a spiritual director and author of two poetry collections, with a third on the way. “This seemed like a good opportunity.”

Through the residency, which the church has offered for 20 years, the couple will work together on a poetry-photography project for Easter. Angeline will write poems based on the lectionary, while Tony will create abstract blur motion photos to accompany them.

“Through poetry, you have the words in front of you,” said Tony, 53, a wedding photographer. “But it’s not just the words, but the stuff between the lines that spurs your imagination. I want to do something similar with my photos.”

Through the combination of poetry, photos and scripture, Angeline hopes the messages will “sit with people” in a new and different way.

For both, the residency is a way for them to celebrate how God is a maker, she says, adding they see themselves as being “co-makers” with God through their art.

“It’s a way for us to offer our art to the church,” she says.

Sarah Hodges-Kolisnyk is the communication and administration co-ordinator for Saint Bens, as it is popularly known, and a member of the arts fund committee that oversees the artist’s residency program.

For her, the residency — which offers financial support to artists associated with the congregation — is a way for the church to engage with the arts in a variety of ways.

“We have always wanted to support and bless artists, and think about ways to incorporate art in creative ways into our worship services,” she says, noting that in the past the residency has supported artistic endeavours such as music and songwriting, photography, painting, textiles, pottery and writing.

“I’ve been blown away by the creativity of the community,” she says. “It reminds me of the sacredness of creating.”

For rector Andrew Colman, the residency is a way for the church to tap into “the embarrassment of riches” in the congregation.

“Like it says in Psalms 23, our cup is overflowing with artists and makers in the community who want to share their gifts with us,” he said.

The residency is a way for the church to say to artists, “We see you, we love you and we wouldn’t be who we are without you.”

In addition to the Schellenbergs, two others are receiving support through the residency this year: Christen Rachul will do a pottery project aimed at enhancing the church’s engagement with the stations of the cross; and Rachel Sutton will use embroidery, darning and Sashiko, the art of Japanese mending, to turn disused items of clothing into functional art pieces.

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