he
Holy Apostles Episcopal Church at 28th Street and 9th
Avenue in Manhattan has a long and proud heritage of feeding the
hungry. Begun in 1982, its soup kitchen has grown to be the
largest emergency feeding program in New York City and in the
Episcopal Church nationally. Its mission is to end hunger, but in
the meantime, it feeds all those who come to its door between
10:30 am and 12:30 pm Monday through Friday including holidays, no
questions asked. The Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen feeds between
1,100 and 1,300 people daily.
Yet, as Elizabeth Maxwell, the Associate Rector of the church
and the Program Director of the soup kitchen states, "one of my
convictions is that along with feeding people's bodies, we need to
feed people’s souls. I really believe that art of all kinds is
part of what nourishes us deeply."
Putting this conviction into action, about eleven years ago the
soup kitchen began a writers’ workshop to open a creative forum
for its guests. The fruits of these labors can be enjoyed in the
anthology, Food for the Soul: Selections from the Holy Apostles
Soup Kitchen Writers’ Workshop, edited by Elizabeth Maxwell
and Susan Shapiro.
Just
recently, the soup kitchen expanded its creative outreach to
include a six-week program combining the arts of drumming and
drawing. The workshop was led by Marion Williams, founder of
ArtSpirit, which utilizes the power of the creative spirit to heal
the mind, body and soul. "There are many beneficial aspects of
rhythm and group interaction that can be accessed in a drumming
circle," Williams said.
She
went on to explain that in each workshop in their drumming circle
they focused on a theme. The theme might be something like, "What
would you like to let go of in your life?" or "What do you want to
add to your life?" To celebrate a holiday such as the Fourth of
July, the theme might be, "What does freedom mean to you?"
Since participants were at varying levels of proficiency on the
drum, they often began with the basic rhythm of the heartbeat,
something they all had in common, and branched out from there.
"It's about finding a rhythm that comes from within," stated
Williams.
After
drumming for an hour, they spent the next hour working on art that
directly reflected what came out of the drumming circle. Carrying
over the same theme they had focused on in their drumming,
participants worked with the art form known as the mandala, which
means "sacred circle" and is an ancient form of art used both
therapeutically and spiritually. As Steven wrote under his mandala,
"Ease my mind, relax my body and my emotions. I'm a new person and
say hello."
This innovative workshop series culminated in a festive
gathering at Holy Apostles Church at which people were invited to
express themselves in the drumming circle and then view the works
of art, each of which came from a very deep place in its creator.
Attendees also had a chance to meet and socialize with the artists
while partaking of some delicious refreshments.
One of the most exciting artworks was a mural of the church
that all the workshop participants had collaborated on over a
series of weeks. It started out being just paint, but they went on
to add small photos of the clergy and staff, as well as a round,
jeweled pin to represent the church’s beautiful stained glass rose
window – a mandala. "So it turned into a mixed-media work,"
Williams said. "It's wonderful because it shows the community with
such vibrancy."
To view the artworks, which are for sale with the total
proceeds going to the artists, visit
www.artspiritonline.org
. To learn more about the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, visit
www.holyapostlesnyc.org
.
he
Holy Apostles Episcopal Church at 28th Street and 9th
Avenue in Manhattan has a long and proud heritage of feeding the
hungry. Begun in 1982, its soup kitchen has grown to be the
largest emergency feeding program in New York City and in the
Episcopal Church nationally. Its mission is to end hunger, but in
the meantime, it feeds all those who come to its door between
10:30 am and 12:30 pm Monday through Friday including holidays, no
questions asked. The Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen feeds between
1,100 and 1,300 people daily.
Just
recently, the soup kitchen expanded its creative outreach to
include a six-week program combining the arts of drumming and
drawing. The workshop was led by Marion Williams, founder of
ArtSpirit, which utilizes the power of the creative spirit to heal
the mind, body and soul. "There are many beneficial aspects of
rhythm and group interaction that can be accessed in a drumming
circle," Williams said.
She
went on to explain that in each workshop in their drumming circle
they focused on a theme. The theme might be something like, "What
would you like to let go of in your life?" or "What do you want to
add to your life?" To celebrate a holiday such as the Fourth of
July, the theme might be, "What does freedom mean to you?"
After
drumming for an hour, they spent the next hour working on art that
directly reflected what came out of the drumming circle. Carrying
over the same theme they had focused on in their drumming,
participants worked with the art form known as the mandala, which
means "sacred circle" and is an ancient form of art used both
therapeutically and spiritually. As Steven wrote under his mandala,
"Ease my mind, relax my body and my emotions. I'm a new person and
say hello."
