Intersection Art Project - Neighbourhood

Neighbourhood 36" x 36" Acrylic on Canvas 2016

I've been finding my paintings for Encompass Partnerships to be very interesting to paint. For my personal body of work, I tend to make myself follow all sorts of rules, trying to reach some ideal in my head that can only be obtained a certain way. Conditioning from childhood, I suspect. With the Intersection Art Project however, I am forced out of those confines to visually explain the work of each of the non profits I've been teamed up with. My paintings are a true collaboration in the sense that I am translating to canvas words and ideas of other people - this has been very good for me as an artist. 

The organization that I painted this for, SIM (Serving in Mission) has been around since 1893. However, they are relatively new to the city of Calgary. The work they do here revolves around helping local churches (usually in urban settings) find ways to offer tangible, practical services to the people who live in within the area. This requires congregations to consult with residents and see what the community needs truly are. This could range from having public garden plots to ESL classes. Their aim is to get churches to open their doors to their neighbourhood and offer assistance and resources (like their building space) in relevant ways, regardless of whether or not locals attend that church.