FOR THE PRESS: THE ARTFUL MIND

The Spirit Moves in Color

The colors are vibrant. The rhythm moving through each work leaves a palpable energy. Symbolism, history, balance, design; hardly words one associates with an Episcopal priest. But the Rev. Hannah Anderson of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is an artist. An artist and a woman who is also teacher, counselor, wife, mother and leader, all in one... and she's good at all of them. Through these many roles she uses her gifts of creativity, compassion and community-building to create a life of art in Spirit.

Using both secular and religious topics and currently working in watercolor, Hannah began in clay, followed by fiber art. Self-taught, her focus is on bright, clean colors with a variety of styles used in their construction. Some are free-flowing shafts of blue, as in "Baptismal Waters", or moving rows of orange and yellow as in "Spirit", while "Rahamime: God's Womb of Compassion", is an intricate mandala filled with the symbolism of growth in congregation, earth and trees, light and flowers. Her use of light holds attention in "The Good Earth", a study of earth and sky that draws the eye in and makes for thought-provoking questions on force and presence. It appears as a storm of light and energy with no known source at one viewing, and a low-lying fog over the earth on another.

I asked Hannah what is her passion in her art work: "My passion is twofold. First and foremost, I honor a daily practice of making art as much as the discipline of daily prayer because it keeps clear the pathway to the divine. When I pick up a paintbrush and begin painting, I never know quite what will happen, especially with the fluidity of watercolors. This process calls upon the necessity for me to trust, to adapt, to engage my intuition, to slow down and become more aware of the details that are emerging. Painting leads me to mystery and awe. In a world where so much of our lives are scheduled at a hectic pace, it is a peaceful antidote to rest in this mindfulness to a power and presence beyond us and within us. Painting brings healing and expression that are often not accessible through words.

"Secondly, I am passionate about color, shape and movement in the art. I hope that my belief of God as a dynamic and relational presence with humanity, gets conveyed through my painting or creating. There is life and passion in the work itself, not because I think my way there, but because the energy moves itself. When I open a tube of paint or make a stroke on the paper, I feel like a child again, filled with delight at the sheer beauty of it all. I learned early on to receive what is created as a gift and not to judge it. That is the same for all people's creativity. What my art work wants to say is, "Life is to be honored and celebrated."

To help keep her focus on her artwork, Hannah now has a studio at 311 North Street in Pittsfield, which is a space shared with other artists who support one another's discipline of making art. She is also working on a Doctor of Ministry in the field of creativity and congregational development.

Born and raised in a Quaker home, Hannah learned early the tenants of giving and outreach. In a recent sermon, she related how her parents gave the family car to a woman in need, because they knew they could replace theirs, but she had no way to get one for herself.

"My parents taught the four of us from an early age that all people are equal in the eyes of God and that our actions or attitudes toward others really do matter. Our home was graced with the presence of friends from many different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds," Hannah said.

She discussed her parents' evident generosity toward others as "incredible". "Now in their eighties, they serve as mentors for children in the local public school where they live in Pennsylvania and also as spiritual advisors for death row inmates. They've done that for the past twenty-five years. As they grow into this season of their lives, their consciousness keeps expanding. I want to be like that, too."

She added, "My mother had her own artistic awakening in her 50's and still does outrageous and wonderful collage work!"

Formerly from New York City, Reverend Anderson founded "The Blessing Cup", a nonprofit organization in 2004, to help support local charities related to children and teens. The income for the fund is derived from the sale of her artwork as originals, and in the form of prints, greetings cards, bookmarks and postcards. Since moving to the Berkshires, she has identified four charities to receive the proceeds, three located in Pittsfield: The Redfield House, Boys & Girls Club, Kids' Place, while continuing with support of the After School Art Programs at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Chinatown in New York City.

To see Hannah with children is to know the magnetic appeal of the Pied Piper. She has a gift of communicating with children that lets them know she respects them. Never talking down to them, she includes children repeatedly in the church service. Whether showing them the gifts donated for distribution to the underprivileged within the area or around the world, or asking them to help with the elements necessary for a baptism, the children are willing helpers who surface like cream from the pews at a simple request, with little hesitation. A former teacher, Hannah's instructions are given with gentle guidance without a hint of admonishment.

The Rev. Anderson celebrated her first anniversary with St. Stephen's on November 14, making the strongest of impressions not only with her spiritual guidance but her ability to go beyond the stereotypical boundaries of a priest. Her insistence on outreach in the fabric of the church community supports its mission as a Jubilee Church, designated in June 1998 by the executive committee of the national church, as a church focused on helping the indigent and down-on-their-luck members of Berkshire County. Appropriately, St. Stephen is the patron saint of the indigent. Given the current economy, the mission is a large project. St. Stephen's sponsors two dinners through an outreach ministry called St. Stephen's Table, now in its 18th year, run by volunteers from across the community, from both within and outside of St. Stephen's. But more than food is provided when needed, as Hannah relates in this story:

"A single mother who is a guest at St. Stephen's Table approached me about baptizing her infant daughter, which I was delighted to do. We set a date and she invited about 15 friends or family members to join us in the main sanctuary for the baptism."

"I realized that the traditional service from the Prayer Book would be a stretch because it requires people to be able to read. Instead, I improvised and we had a dialogue about the questions and responses. What does it mean to renounce evil? How do we show respect and dignity for every human being? People were engaged in the short service. After the baby was baptized, I cradled her in my arms and went from person to person, asking that they place a hand on her head and pray silently or out loud for her. It was very moving to hear the prayers of the gathered community: 'God, keep her safe. Give her enough food to grow up healthy. Help her to believe in herself.' The event was deeply moving to me and it underscored the importance of practicing adaptability or improvisation in a church setting. My artwork keeps these skills sharpened so that in a situation like this I am able to move with fluidity into a different format demanded by the context."

During this holiday time, we tend to lose focus on the real meaning of the season. Whether religiously observed or not, it can be a time of stress and family squabbles, with too much money spent on things to make an impression in the material world. If by going outside of ourselves this season, and including someone else, maybe we can help create a place where art and community can build a family we would want to join. Hannah Anderson lives that philosophy and helps to make the Berkshires an artistically spiritual home. As she says, ‘When we live with grateful hearts, we have more than enough.'

NOTE: Hannah Anderson's work can be seen on the Blessing Cup's website at www.theblessingcup.org. Note cards, postcards and bookmarks from her designs are available for sale there to help support the chosen charities. Berkshire Fine Handcrafts in Pittsfield, MA also carries a selection of her cards and originals. A link to a listing of additional shops in the area that carry her line of artwork is in progress.