Arts at FLC

From the beginning of the congregation, talented members have contributed visual elements to the worship environment. During the Christmas and Easter seasons, hand-crafted candle holders are attached to the ends of each pew. We recently restored a pair of wooden floor candelabra (shown at right) made by an unknown member from the past. Several small pieces of furniture, still used and valued, were built as Scout projects in the 1950s and 1960s.

More recently, several stitchers have designed and fabricated seven sets of altar paraments in the five colors of the liturgical seasons. We use hand-sewn communion linens. Our brass and enameled processional cross was designed by member Mary Gundelach, and one Sunday a month we honor our sister parish, Rios de Agua Viva in El Salvador, with their gift of a painted wooden cross (shown at left).

We often create special environments for a particular season in the liturgical year: hangings, banners, paintings, hand-made bulletin covers. Our Christmas tree is hung with snowflakes crocheted by Irene Gronwall, shown at bottom. A few years ago, member Marguerite Fletcher graced the sanctuary with a series of paintings illustrating the Mysteries of the Rosary.

The Fellowship Hall is another venue for visual displays relating to a current activity or season. There we have seen art work by our children and adult members, calligraphy, photography, and historic Sunday School posters. Jill Knuth has illustrated the story of Jonah in cut paper. Recently we were inspired by a very large painting of the Oaks of Mamre by Marguerite Fletcher, shown at right (click to enlarge).

Below is shown The fire within by artist Sukey Bryan, displayed at FLC courtesy of the artist for Pentecost 2011, pictured at an earlier display in Stanford Memorial Chapel (click to enlarge). Sukey is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and her work is exhibited nationally.