Dear North Shore Artist/Crafter/Maker: We write to invite you to participate in this year’s Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church Art Show! We will be holding our annual community art show at the Johnson Heritage Post, November 1 – December 8, 2024. For over a decade our congregation has been exploring the intersection between spirituality and creativity through this annual art show. This year we have chosen the theme “Love Your Neighbor.” Sacred scriptures from around the world, including Mr. Rogers, encourage us to love our neighbors. We are often drawn to the idea of being loving people, but hold tight to our own ideas and succumb too easily to our own prejudices. It’s easy to act compassionately towards people who think and act like us. A greater love compels us to listen, be curious about our human variety and to love the person who differs from us. Can we imagine a table large enough for all of us, pulling out the chair next to us and inviting another? How might artistic expression break down the memes, the news reports and our fears. Can it help us see others as beloved newborns, capable of anything? We invite you to consider--in clay, paint, fiber, words, glass, etc.--ways that art can inspire awe, care and, ultimately, love. How might your craft invite others to feel deserving of love, to know their limitless supply of love to be shared? This show is for all to participate, whether you consider yourself to be an artist or a crafter, or want to get back in touch with your creative self. Interested? Here’s the timeline: By October 1, please send us your name and the titles and dimensions of one or two pieces you wish to display at the show. We will then send you more information about the Johnson Heritage Post Artists’ Agreement, an (optional) artist’s statement you can submit, and installation details. On October 29 and 30, we will receive you piece(s) at JHP for installation. On November 1, the show will open with a reception from 5:00-7:00 pm, which we hope you will attend. A moderated Artists’ Panel will be held at 6:00 pm, where we will invite local artists/crafters/makers to explore the intersection of creativity and spirituality in their work. Art work can be picked up following the show, on Dec. 2, Monday between 10 am - 1 pm, or by making alternative arrangements with JHP. We look forward to your participation! RSVP:  [email protected]