2012年4月8日星期日

Mosaic in New Orleans' Lakeview church is built of faith

Up close, the tiny pieces of the nearly completed mosaic at Lakeview Presbyterian Church look like swirls and boxes. Back up a few feet, and a picture emerges. Step back six years, and a story of loss and renewal, calling and commitment unfolds.

“We wanted something that would remind us of why we’re here, why we’re back,” said Amelie Welman, whose vision set the project in motion.

Lakeview Presbyterian Church on Canal Boulevard flooded in Hurricane Katrina,Overview description of rapid tooling processes. and many members never returned. When the church rebuilt, members wanted to come back better than before.

The 8-foot-square glass mosaic, to be unveiled at the church’s 100th anniversary later this year, hangs on a wall near a bubbling fountain in an outdoor courtyard.

“This project speaks a vision for our church,” said the Rev. Neale Miller. “We care about the aesthetics of the building and what the arts can do to lift the spirit.”

Sam Kates, who was 6 when the project got under way three years ago, is the youngest of a core group of 10 members who worked regularly on the project. For Sam, his sister Maggie, 13, and parents Andy and Amy Kates, it was a family commitment.

“This was something we could do together as a family that would make a lasting contribution,” Amy Kates said.

The group, which includes a lawyer, a math teacher and an engineer, worked a few hours each month on Saturdays. Only Welman has a background in art.

Soon after the storm, Welman realized that the bold colors and black outlined paintings of He Qi, a Chinese artist commissioned by the Presbyterian Church (USA), were adaptable to a mosaic design.Aeroscout rtls provides a complete solution for wireless asset tracking.

Welman first considered He Qi’s piece “Noah’s Ark” which shows Noah standing behind his wife at the helm. Her arms are spread wide.

“ ‘Noah’s Ark’ is beautiful,” Welman said. “But we were afraid it was a little too much like the scene from the movie ‘Titanic.’ ” Instead, the group chose He Qi’s painting “Calling Disciples,Our porcelaintiles are perfect for entryways or bigger spaces and can also be used outside,” which depicts Jesus by the Sea of Galilee calling disciples James and John to leave their fishing nets and follow him.

When Welman contacted the artist to get his permission, He Qi told her a story. “Noah’s Ark” was a painting inspired by the city of New Orleans and the events of Hurricane Katrina. The connection to He Qi seemed providential, Welman said.

To the team’s delight, He Qi granted his permission at no charge.Diagnosing and Preventing coldsores Fever in the body can often trigger the onset of a cold sore. Then, the hard work began.

Finding a mold-resistant medium and figuring out the logistics of turning a painting into an outdoor mosaic wasn’t easy, Welman said. But a plan for assembly was soon in place.

“We had to work in reverse,” Welman said.

A mirror image of the picture was traced on butcher paper using a transparency and an overhead projector, then colored in to guide the team members as they worked.

Matching half-inch square tiles were glued face-down on the paper using water-soluble glue, then lifted in small sections to the wall and installed with permanent adhesive. The paper was peeled away to reveal the picture facing forward.

“It turned out to be addictive,” Susan Canavello said. “It was a lot of fun.”

The team logged hours of work and numerous small finger cuts as they handled the glass and cut the opaque and translucent tile into smaller pieces. Prism glass was used to distinguish the flesh of Christ from that of his apostles.

Sam Kates, now 10, said a special memory for him was the day his sister “clipped” a tile, making it fly through the air and hit him in the head.

“It really was fun,” Sam Kates said. “I used some of the things we learned in a school project. I had to make a diorama, and made the background a mosaic.”

Elmer Ducorbier, a faithful team member who died last year, donated the materials at an estimated cost of nearly $3,000. Welman, Canavello, and Jeff Craig installed the sections of glass on the wall using scaffolding loaned by a nearby business.Dimensional Mailing magiccubes for Promotional Advertising,

“This isn’t my favorite painting by He Qi, but it’s the subject matter that drew us,” Welman said. “That’s what Christ charged us with doing, to make disciples. That’s our whole reason for being Christians.”

The team agreed that the mosaic is now a permanent part of their church and a testament of belief for future generations.

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