The “Celebration of Hope” art exhibition at St. Richard’s Lockleys has brought together more than 40 diverse entries, revealing unexpected talents and profound personal expressions from artists of all backgrounds from the parish and beyond.
The exhibition, which opened last weekend, was designed with inclusivity at its core, and as part of the national Anglican Church Hope 25 initiative.
Sue Harris, the curator, has also created a “graffiti wall” with Post-it notes to ensure everyone could participate, even those who might hesitate to call themselves artists.
“It’s cool for people who say, ‘I don’t do art’,” Sue explained, saying this interactive element has encouraged broader community engagement.
The exhibition has inspired individuals to discover connections between their spirituality and artistic expression and had become a catalyst for artistic exploration among people who might not have previously considered such an avenue.
The exhibition features pieces created by congregation members, including those now residing in West Beach residential care, as well as wider community members.
Among the works is a touching tribute featuring Ukrainian-inspired sunflowers, created by the late Jill Best, who passed away late last year.
“Jill still has a presence here,” Sue said.
Many participants inspired others, such as Jen Humby, who was initially reluctant but eventually contributed artwork featuring butterflies (which she worried “looked like moths”). Her participation inspired St Richard’s historian John Gray to contribute a piece looking at the parish past, present and future, centred around the theme “the door is always open”.
There were other contributors heard about the exhibition fortuitously. Garry Haines, for example, met Sue while they were both standing in line to vote. Garry mentioned he had been painting regularly, and when told about the exhibition, he enthusiastically offered to bring two pieces about hope. His oil paintings, which the organiser helped frame, depict themes of “freedom and forgiveness” and “light”, accompanied by the artist statement “Jesus is the living hope”.
The exhibition also features work from Mark Tanner of the local community, who “uses art to speak”. His contribution addresses the theme of boat people having hope for their future, demonstrating how the exhibition has become a platform for expressing complex social concerns.
Another contributor, Betty-Ann Moller, created a piece called “Mittens of hope” designed to inspire people dealing with arthritis and other challenges, expanding on the exhibition’s focus on art as a vehicle for healing and encouragement.
The exhibition was officially opened by the Venerable Andrea McDougall, Archdeacon of Sturt who reflected on the timeliness of the theme.
“The Anglican Church decided last year that we needed to really focus on hope and in particular, sharing the hope that we have as Christians with others,” she said.
“I think one thing over the past 12 months since we’ve been thinking about hope is the world has got more uncertain. So we got that bit right,” Andrea said.
She encouraged visitors to interact with the exhibition by posting their own messages of hope on the graffiti wall.
“Take your time and ponder, and as you really absorb the artwork, think about your source of hope and maybe who in your life might need a little piece of that,” Andrea said.
The exhibition will be open Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Visitors are invited to attend both the parish’s regular Trading Post on 30 and 31 May, offering good quality second hand goods, homemade cakes, biscuits, jams, relishes, chutney, and plants. The exhibition will close at 12 noon, Sunday 8 June.
