Intersection Art Project - Catalyst

Michelle Wiebe Catalyst 36" x 36" Acrylic on Canvas 2016

The original meeting for this painting was quite unique. Typically, I will meet with the leadership team of an organization and hear what the primary focus is of their work. We cover the history of the organization, the vision, the people they work with and how they measure success in reaching their mission. I find it endlessly fascinating the different ways these groups reach out and try to make a difference. In the Intersection Art Project, I’ve met with groups that help newcomers to Canada, people who work with at risk individuals, and others who help youth (to name a few).

This month I had the pleasure of working with Praise International Fellowship. This is the third Calgary Church that is tied to Encompass Partnership (all of them wildly different from each other). Instead of the typical leadership style meeting, their pastor invited quite a few of their congregation to come and share. It was pretty cool. Every single person who sat at the table was there because someone else had taken the time to invite them personally to some PIF event. I heard many, many stories about their awesome camping trips (seriously, I may start referring to them as “The Camping Church”) They are very connected to each other and the neighbourhoods they live in. I thought that was pretty neat.

Another thing we did was stop everything we were doing and we took some time to close our eyes and pray (I told you this meeting was unique). This was not a scheduled thing, but it seemed very fitting to the moment. I asked everyone to see if any colours, visions or verses came to mind. It was really cool to hear about this afterwards. This painting is a culmination of what everyone shared. A tree, where every leaf symbolizes a believer is held in the hands of Christ reaching down from the sky. The colours fuchsia, yellow and indigo played a prominent role. These paintings tend to take on a life of their own – this one especially because there were so many people to collaborate with!  

This has been quite a year. After this painting, I have one more piece left in the Intersection Art Project. It has been amazing working with all these Calgary Non-Profit groups that are connected with Encompass Partnerships. Starting to wonder what my next big project will be!

In the meantime, here is a reminder of some upcoming events:

Nov. 12th -& 13th - Christmas in the Country, Leighton Art Centre –A selection of my paintings and hand pulled prints are still available for sale.

Nov. 19th - Card Making Workshop, Leighton Art Centre – Using basic printmaking techniques, students will explore the versatility of using linocut to create cards and other gift items. Everyone will leave with a selection of handmade cards and their own stamps. Sign up for it here.

Nov. 25th/26th - AKCS Christmas Market, Airdrie – A full selection of my paintings, hand pulled prints, cards and textiles will be available for sale at this amazing little Christmas Market. I will be on site for the entire event demonstrating with my tabletop letterpress. More market information can be found here.