C.U.P. – Creating Unique Paintings
In the past, we had a C.U.P. program of Cleaning Up our Problems. All the members were given plastic cups to collect change and then deposit that change in a water jug in the Friendship Room. Over the years, we have received thousands of dollars for debt reduction – just from loose change!
Now we are repurposing and renaming the CUPs. Because you have responded so generously with the Debt Reduction Drive in January and February, the loose change will be used for a new purpose – beautifying our worship experience in the church.
The biggest compliment that we received with the redecorating of the church was when someone commented with tears in his eyes: “This is the way the church should have always looked!” We took down the wallpaper, repaired the cracks, repainted the walls, added vinyl wall covering, created a chair rail and reused one of the original hymn boards. The biggest change is seen with the two arches that Pastor Pope from Avignon Studios created behind the lectern and pulpit. But another comment I’m beginning to hear more often is: “When are the paintings going in the arches?”
Soon.
Right now, we are not going to be asking for large donations for the paintings. (Although, if you’d like to make a donation to help fund the paintings, that will certainly help and be appreciated.) The paintings will primarily be funded through memorials, special gifts and the new C.U.P. fund. Every communicant family will be given a C.U.P. to collect coins, cash or even checks. Then you can deposit the money in the new C.U.P. container that will be created out of Plexiglas and wood and placed in the Friendship Room.
Melanie Schuette, of Avignon Studios and also Pastor Pope’s daughter, will be creating these unique paintings for Epiphany. She’s very excited to do this project. I encourage you to go to Avignon Art Studios to see some of her beautiful paintings that are in churches like Faith, Antioch and Our Savior’s, Grafton and even in the new Chapel of the Christ at Martin Luther College. You can also see her artwork on the wall of the entryway to the Middle School with the WLS Lancer or Gulliver’s dog and Alice’s cat in the Racine Library.
When you see Melanie’s work, you will notice how amazingly lifelike her paintings are. But now she is excited to do something she’s never done before - create unique paintings that look like stained glass windows. Stained glass windows that have the appearance of lead lines, reflections and light shining through.
Pastor Pope will be making a frame to fit inside of the arches. Each arch will contain one painting. The size of the painting will be about 6 ½ feet tall and 3 ½ feet wide – about the size of Jesus the Good Shepherd in our window above the altar. Each set of paintings will cost approximately $5,000 - $6,000. The paintings will serve as a Triptych. A triptych is a set of three panels or paintings. The center of the triptych will always be the Good Shepherd window above the altar.
Lord willing, the first set of paintings will be completed by Advent of this year and be ready for our Epiphany Festival. We are still in the discussion and planning stages, but these are ideas of the 5 sets we are asking Melanie to create for the seasons of the Church Year.
Christmas & Epiphany: A Wise Man sitting on the camel following the Bethlehem Star. Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist.
Lent: The serpent tempting Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Jesus crucified upon the tree of the cross crushing the serpent’s head.
Easter: The angel sitting upon the stone to the entrance of the open tomb. Jesus showing His hands to Thomas.
Pentecost: The flames upon the heads of the disciples. The conversion of St. Paul on the Road to Damascus.
End Times & Advent: Martin Luther translating the Bible. Jesus in His glory as described in Revelation 1.
With a little money and a little time, we are going to have something truly beautiful and unique in our church!
Now we are repurposing and renaming the CUPs. Because you have responded so generously with the Debt Reduction Drive in January and February, the loose change will be used for a new purpose – beautifying our worship experience in the church.
The biggest compliment that we received with the redecorating of the church was when someone commented with tears in his eyes: “This is the way the church should have always looked!” We took down the wallpaper, repaired the cracks, repainted the walls, added vinyl wall covering, created a chair rail and reused one of the original hymn boards. The biggest change is seen with the two arches that Pastor Pope from Avignon Studios created behind the lectern and pulpit. But another comment I’m beginning to hear more often is: “When are the paintings going in the arches?”
Soon.
Right now, we are not going to be asking for large donations for the paintings. (Although, if you’d like to make a donation to help fund the paintings, that will certainly help and be appreciated.) The paintings will primarily be funded through memorials, special gifts and the new C.U.P. fund. Every communicant family will be given a C.U.P. to collect coins, cash or even checks. Then you can deposit the money in the new C.U.P. container that will be created out of Plexiglas and wood and placed in the Friendship Room.
Melanie Schuette, of Avignon Studios and also Pastor Pope’s daughter, will be creating these unique paintings for Epiphany. She’s very excited to do this project. I encourage you to go to Avignon Art Studios to see some of her beautiful paintings that are in churches like Faith, Antioch and Our Savior’s, Grafton and even in the new Chapel of the Christ at Martin Luther College. You can also see her artwork on the wall of the entryway to the Middle School with the WLS Lancer or Gulliver’s dog and Alice’s cat in the Racine Library.
When you see Melanie’s work, you will notice how amazingly lifelike her paintings are. But now she is excited to do something she’s never done before - create unique paintings that look like stained glass windows. Stained glass windows that have the appearance of lead lines, reflections and light shining through.
Pastor Pope will be making a frame to fit inside of the arches. Each arch will contain one painting. The size of the painting will be about 6 ½ feet tall and 3 ½ feet wide – about the size of Jesus the Good Shepherd in our window above the altar. Each set of paintings will cost approximately $5,000 - $6,000. The paintings will serve as a Triptych. A triptych is a set of three panels or paintings. The center of the triptych will always be the Good Shepherd window above the altar.
Lord willing, the first set of paintings will be completed by Advent of this year and be ready for our Epiphany Festival. We are still in the discussion and planning stages, but these are ideas of the 5 sets we are asking Melanie to create for the seasons of the Church Year.
Christmas & Epiphany: A Wise Man sitting on the camel following the Bethlehem Star. Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist.
Lent: The serpent tempting Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Jesus crucified upon the tree of the cross crushing the serpent’s head.
Easter: The angel sitting upon the stone to the entrance of the open tomb. Jesus showing His hands to Thomas.
Pentecost: The flames upon the heads of the disciples. The conversion of St. Paul on the Road to Damascus.
End Times & Advent: Martin Luther translating the Bible. Jesus in His glory as described in Revelation 1.
With a little money and a little time, we are going to have something truly beautiful and unique in our church!
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