Art gallery enhances worship at The Chapel Hill Community Church

ARTS & CULTURE; COMMUNITY NEWS

Many places of worship are adorned with liturgical art that references sacred stories. The stained glass windows in a medieval cathedral colorfully capture images of Biblical disciples. A Jewish Reform synagogue may feature a contemporary fiber art quilt of a menorah. Elaborate geometric patterns adorn some Mosque domes. While religious beliefs and traditions vary, the art in these spaces tends to reflect and reinforce longstanding iconography, ritual objects, and even placement that is essentially liturgical.

The Art Need Not be Religious

This is not so at The Community Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation with an art gallery along all four walls lining its sanctuary. The Church hosts five exhibits each year by selected community artists, regardless of their subjects (as long as they are not disturbing), genre, or media. Marni Goldshlag, a member of the Church’s Art Team, explained that the changing exhibitions are aligned with the vision statement the Church adopted in 1996: “We will be a congregation centered in Sunday worship, which takes in a beautiful bright, accessible sanctuary enhanced by all the arts.” Goldshlag explained, “One of the members of the Art Team is assigned to be the shepherd for each exhibit.” While art was formerly hung on its original cinderblock walls, a renovation in 2002 allowed them to upgrade to more art-friendly walls and lighting for the mostly two-dimensional works shown there year-round.

Ippis Halme Thinks Aloud—In Color

The current exhibit, Thinking Aloud (which runs through August 25th). spotlights twenty-two colorful and fantastical artworks drawn by Ippis Halme. Born in Finland, Halme later attended the Hornsley College of Art in London. Although she and her husband have now lived in Chapel Hill for almost fifty years, imagery from Finland still permeates much of Halme’s work: rug weavings, the lakes of her childhood, reindeer, Nordic forests, fairies. Her world travels also make regular appearances, as seen in pieces named “Travel Diaries” and “Postcards.” She also acknowledges that patterns and textile designs of the past—from Celtic to Native American to Art Nouveau—influence her work.

Large baskets of colorful permanent markers provide a vivid palette for Ippis Halme’s artwork. Photo courtesy of Ippis Halme.

For a long time, Halme completed drawings using pen, ink, and colored pencil. But with the Covid pandemic and its attendant darkness and isolation, her work burst into vivid color as she began creating pieces using permanent markers on watercolor paper. Huge baskets of markers some in bright neon colors, beckon her hand to capture her inner vision. She finds that even dried-out markers leave swaths of faded color that add visual interest. Halme says that her work may begin with a dream of an image or a doodle she jotted down and then start growing almost of its own accord. Certain natural motifs, such as birds, leaves, fruits, and mushrooms, recur. Halme has developed a technique of creating a pattern template to assist in the repetition. She has even used a halved pineapple as the basis for a pattern that interested her.

Halme’s drawing, “A Landscape in Moonlight,” showcases intricate line work in cool tones. Photo courtesy of Ben Alper.

The works are intricate and often include visual elements filled with hundreds of tiny black lines and circles that seem to become like textiles. Halme finds working on these black-and-white portions much more visually tiring than the vivid colors. In fact, each piece takes approximately one month to complete. Interestingly, as many artists traditionally do, Halme does not sign her name in the lower corner. “I don’t like to see it there,” she explains simply.

Ippis Halme’s Thinking Aloud exhibit demonstrates that the spiritual darkening experience of the pandemic turned on a bright switch of generativity in the artist and provides an unusually colorful opportunity for contemplation during worship.

Those interested in seeing the changing art exhibits at The Chapel Hill Community Church can readily visit before or after the Sunday service held at 10:30 AM during the summer. In the other seasons, there are two services—at 9:30 AM and 11:15 AM—which allow for viewing before, between, or after. Another option is to call the Church and arrange for a specific, hosted time to visit the gallery.

Diana Newton is a coach, facilitator, filmmaker, writer, artist, yoga teacher and general Renaissance woman. Her documentary film, The Ties That Bind, is available for streaming on UNC-TV. She lives in Carrboro and is a UNC alum. This reporter can be reached at Info@TheLocalReporter.press

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