Spirituality

Counterpoint: Reflections on Anger by Esther Mürer

Mürer, Esther (1997) “ Reflections on Anger”. Types and Shadows, The Journal of The Fellowship of Quakers in the Arts ( Issue #8, Winter 1997-8). Originally written for Central Philadelphia MM newsletter, Murer shares with a unique candidness her feelings of anger at not being understood by her Meeting and offers quotations and thoughts on how she attempts to bear that pain in “God’s way”.

Counterpoint: The Spoilsport by Esther Mürer

Mürer, Esther (2001)  “   The Spoilsport”.   Types and Shadows,  The Journal of The Fellowship of Quakers in the Arts ( Issue #22,  Summer 2001 ).  “It is advised that a watchful care be exercised over our youth, to prevent their going to stage- plays, horse-races, music, dancing, or any such vain sports and pastimes.” (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1806).   Murer combines  history with philosophy as she asks some hard questions about “obedience to the Muse”  and encourages us  to “ break through the boundaries, push the limits of the medium so as to reconcile the irreconcilable, speak the unspeakable, eff the ineffable, juxtapose pieces of the truth one has been given in unique ways, uplifting or not.”  A nice reminder of the edge and risk of  powerful art.

Extracts on the Arts from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice (1997)

Janet Mustin, 1992  and John Ormerod Greenwood, 1978 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice (1997):  Extracts on the Arts # 169 and #282.   Mustin recalls her earlier dismissal of art in the forties and shares that  “ whatI missed at that stage of my life was that the artist and the Quaker are on the same internal journey. Each is seeking a relationship with the Divine, and each is seeking a way to express that relationship. There are just many different ways of expressing it.”  Greenwood’s short quote on Quaker art and perfection is worth reflection.

“Too Much Simplicity” by George Sanders :

In this short article,  George  muses on a comment that he read regarding his paintings – “  Too much simplicity “  noting  that he   regards this as a compliment rather than a criticism.    He shares that while he tries to approach his art with honesty  and simplicity,  he is often surprised at how others can see things into it that he has not himself realized,  concluding that it is difficult at times for an artist to understand his own work.

“What Stops Me?”  by  Skip Schiel:

In a letter to a friend,   Skip notes that love, passion and great need are the motivators behind what he creates and what he decides to show.  He  notes six specific reasons that help him to come to those decisions and compares deciding what to make and show to deciding what and when to speak in Meeting for Worship.

“ What is Quaker Art ?” (Western Sisters as transcribed by Marybeth Webster):

In this transcription of a worship sharing session by Western Sisters to answer the question  “ What is Quaker Art?”,  we hear various perspectives from   Quaker artists including an art therapist,  dancer ,  illustrator , actor ,  songwriter and more.  One very interesting quote notes that the artist in question feels that her art would not be “  acceptable  to  Quakers”.   A thought –provoking quick read.