Category Archives: C.cada: Arts and Stuff

C.cadaOur Current Projects

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff

C.cada is an artist’s collaborative based out of Cornerstone Church in Winchendon MA. Our mission is to help people discover, develop and deploy their artistic gifts to build the church and their communities.

Every month we meet together for one whole Saturday to practice our art. The church becomes an art center for a day and we spend it practicing music, learning to paint, crafting, writing and even clowning around (one of our newest artist’s is a Christian clown). We also spend time every month trying out different group art projects to expand our artistic horizons. To see a list of our monthly group projects go to our website

http://www.artistdayapart.com

Beyond that C.cada  is constantly encouraging each artist to find a God project on which to use their God given abilities. Currently we have:

five artists working on a design they created for our local hospital’s pediatric playroom (pictures above).

The Prayer Shawl Ministry is getting ready to  host prayer and distribution booths for their healing shawls at both the Relay For Life and our town’s annual Solstice Festival.

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Two of our artist’s are creating monthly newletters the first for distribution in church and the second via mail to supporters of Special Needs programs.025

Two of our bloggers have just finished reviews for a new Christian book just hitting the market. You can find those reviews

Here

And Here

And finally our choirs, poets and artists are preparing for an outdoor art expo in town to promote God in the arts and for three services to be held at local dayhabs throughout our region.

What I have found is that there is no shortage of work in the Kingdom of God. If we desire it we can always find something to put our hands and our talents to that will reap an eternal rerward.

What’s A Maker-Space?

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff

C.cada is the artist’s wing of Cornerstone Church. It is a place people gather to discover their talents, develop their talents and deploy their talents in community. That is a simple definition of a makerspace. C.cada was birthed almost five years ago and since then our artists have met one Saturday a month at our church to practice using their talents in community and to figure out how do we use those talents to enhance our region.

Every month I am amazed at how much work can be accomplished by these dedicated folks in just one day: This month a group of ten artists met via Skype with  Kidzark, a drama ministry in the Netherlands. Our team participated in a read through and editing workshop of Kidzark’s newest play (scheduled to go up fall 2015). The prayer shawl  ministry met and put the finishing touches on 48 new shawls slated to go out sometime this month to sick and hurting individuals around the world. While that was happening two of us met to edit next month’s newsletter. Our circulation of this letter has recently found an open door in a prison church about 40 minutes East of here and some of their members have begun writing devotional articles for publication. I met and interviewed with another young artist who is looking for ways he can collaborate with us for community monthly even though his work is not transportable and while I was meeting with him one of our  members was giving music lessons to a group of elementary students. All the while individual artists were working throughout the building on instruments or easels. Finally in the afternoon twenty of us met for  a choir practice in preparation for Holy Week.

This is makerspace, people coming together to be creative in community and to better their community…and the world. We are not a group of geniuses or prodigies. We are just regular people who don’t want to neglect the gifts God has put in us any longer and so we have decided to be intentional and set aside time to use those gifts. We know that most of us will never make a living off of our art. That doesn’t mean our art can’t produce a better life for us or those around us.

If you would like more information about C.cada you can view our website at artistdayapart.com or you can contact me directly at 978-297-3125 xt. 105

Pastor J

C.cada & Granny Applegate

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff

Our artist’s group met a few weeks ago. This month our group project was to create works of flash fiction based around photo prompts. I have already published Deb Maciorowski’s offering here…

http://debbestillandlisten.com/2015/01/23/c-cada-flash-fiction-exercise/

Here is Charlotte Dorais’ offering based on the photo prompt below

Granny Applegate

By Charlotte Dorais

The smile belies my true feelings. My character choice, spider-man was not an option so I became Granny Applegate’s baby. Being the butt of the joke was not new to me. I’ve never met a nerd who wasn’t thick skinned. This dream of a children’s theater was coming to fruition at last and Monica was great at seeing your true character.

Dress rehearsal was chaotic; the mixture of adult and child actors tends to be that way. Most of us were experienced and had practiced our lines and music, remembered our blocking and felt we were ready for the show. Jimmy and Sally were 7 year-old talented, yet inexperienced actors who were my partners in these skits. Tripping me seemed to be their goal in life. I wondered why Monica hadn’t stopped the rehearsal, and quickly realized she found humor in their antics and encouraged them to continue.

I had a choice, I could rebel and refuse to be the klutz they were making me, or grow and allow my character to become the laughable old lady who had no balance.

Granny Applegate stole the show.

If you would like to stop by one of our artist’s gatherings just shoot me a response here on Lillie-Put or you can check out our artists website at

artistdayapart.com

And Cloverton Too!

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff

I know it ia past  midnight here in my little part of the globe but I just wanted to get this post done on my last big event of the autumn season. This has been a BIG fall and I am so grateful to God for all he has done. Saturday we had my daughter Melanie’s wedding and tonight our church played host to the band Cloverton all the set up tear down set up tear down set up tear down again has been a little tiring but soooooooo worth it.

The night was opened by Ben Schaffer and then Cloverton took the stage. I think by the time Lance sang his third encore his voice was truly spent. But it was a great night.

Lance, Lane and Ben with Pastor Risto our lead pastor, Michelle King our concert promoter and Janet Girouard Michelle’s mom.
Lance at the piano
This concert happened because of a group of very dedicated volunteers
The band Cloverton played to a nearly sold out house in our church last week.
Photo ops at the signing table

One of my favorite songs of the night was Great Plans

Skywatch Friday

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff, Photography

Hey this week Friday actually comes on Friday! For those of you who have been following me you know this has been something aof a problem for me this summer.

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This is the parking lot of our church. The photo was taken at sunrise just before our last artist’s gathering in August. Below are some photos of our group art project from that day. The splatter paintings will be displayed at the Toy Town Fall Fest, the C.cada fall art show and at the Cloverton concert in November for which they were made.

#100happydays &C.cada Days 51-60

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff, Photography, Uncategorized

 

I have been trailing a week behind my happiness  for about two weeks now.  That isn’t  a bad thing. Breathing in happiness fumes is good for the soul! Still I thought I would catch up today by sharing some of the really good news coming out of C.cada (our artist’s collaborative).

“Wonders happen either way. With you or without you.”
― Sergey Vedenyo

Because that is true I have chosen to be part of the wonder that God is creatingthrough this incredible group of people called C.cada

 

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Our artists recently lent their aid to Special Touch REACH New England’s disability awareness day. A number of our prayer shawlers and crafters came together to help our guests create a “paper quilt”

 

Clayton Phelps lent his guitar to the Special Touch cause as well!

Clayton Phelps lent his guitar to the Special Touch cause as well!

“Happy is what I feel; Joy is what I experience.”
― Todd Stocker, Refined: Turning Pain Into Purpose

 

This is Lisa Johnson, one of our artists. At our most recent gathering she got a little stuck. It happens. Joy comes in working through the sticking points however big or small they might be. Some call this suffering for your art. I call it creative discipline.

This is Lisa Johnson, one of our artists. At our most recent gathering she got a little stuck. It happens.
Joy comes in working through the sticking points however big or small they might be. Some call this suffering for your art. I call it creative discipline.

One of the reasons C.cada exists is so that we can encourage one another in our giftings and spur one another on to love and good works. To that end we all work on projects together throughout the year. Our monthly gatherings are about pushing each other through the dry spots so that we actually get artwork done and then together we get that artwork out into the community.

C.cada in conjunction with Winchendon's 250th Anniversary Committee recently held its first annual summer art show.

C.cada in conjunction with Winchendon’s 250th Anniversary Committee recently held its first annual summer art show.

“Joy is a gift given not an emotion earned.”
― Todd Stocker, Refined: Turning Pain Into Purpose

One of God's gifts to me is having children who use their gifts for the Lord. Here is my daughter Melanie at our recent C,cada gathering.

One of God’s gifts to me is having children who use their gifts for the Lord. Here is my daughter Melanie at our recent C,cada gathering.

 

And here is my other daughter, Amanda, helping Melanie with her current art project.

And here is my other daughter, Amanda, helping Melanie with her current art project.

“Don’t look to others to give you happiness. Grow it within yourself and share it with the world around you. Bets are, if you give a bit of your happiness to the world, it will begin a ripple effect, and who knows how many other people you can help. It’s never too late to decide that your happiness (or whatever it is that you want) is yours to create and not the other way around.”
― Leigh Hershkovich

C.cada is about sharing the joy God has to given us with the world!

To that end we have started a testimonial newsletter of how God is working in people's lives

To that end we have started a testimonial newsletter of how God is working in people’s lives

 

One Desire has cut its first album of all opriginal worship music and is preparing to share that in a night of worship at a local auditorium.

One Desire has cut its first album of all original worship music and is preparing to share that in a night of worship at a local auditorium.

Our artists just began their splatter painting which will be used to promote the Cloverton concert coming to our church this fall.

Our artists just began their splatter painting which will be used to promote the Cloverton concert coming to our church this fall.

 

For all these kingdom advances coming through our artist’s collaborative I am extremely grateful and happy!

The prayer shawl ministry has created over forty new shawls to be given as gifts to those in need of healing.

The prayer shawl ministry has created over forty new shawls to be given as gifts to those in need of healing.

 

C.cada Bop Pt. 2

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff
C.cada Artists

C.cada Artists

 

C.cada (Cornerstone Christian artist’s day apart) was begun in an effort to give artists from every genre an opportunity to come together to discover, develop, and deploy their talents in ways that will better the church and the community.

Last month you will remember our group project was a writing challenge using the Bop form of poetry. A few months before we were challenged to write a piece of flash fiction from a prompt. Here are some of the results.

Deb Maciorowski 

C.cada writing exercise in Poetry

The Bop

 

 

That Light

 

The end of the month is coming

If time could stand still

All could be accomplished.

I could earn more money

Maybe an oil change

Would smooth things out

 

Focus, focus, distracted by the light!

 

Hopeful that the light goes out

Call Bob to schedule

Next Wednesday at 6pm

Drive in, light still on

How long will it take?

Where will the money come from?

Keep on praying!

 

Focus, focus, distracted by the light!

 

Disconnected the wire

Light finally out!

Picked up, turn lights on and off

Left turn signal now the right

Failed inspection again- Drive out

Turn corner at stop sign—Nooooo! Not again!

 

Focus, focus, distracted by the light!

Sandy Freeman

CCADA writing prompt

“Ben’s Crossing”

 

“Poppy, just one more story, PLEASE!!!”  Eliza pleaded.

“Alright, then it’s off to bed, agreed?”  Poppy sternly stated masking his grin.

“Tell me the one about Christoff,” Eliza burst out, barely controlling her excitement.

“Let see, how does it go?  Oh, yes,” Poppy closed his eyes as he stroked his goatee.  “School was out promptly at 2p.m., Christoff sauntered off towards “Big-Ben”.  It was October; the leaves were explosive with color as if splattered across a woody canvas.  Christoff loved autumn; the air was breathable, not sticky with humidity but soothing scarcely requiring a sweatshirt.  He adorned one about his waist; it helped hold up his weary jeans, frayed by the treading of his red canvas sneakers, one inevitably needing to be tied.  This day particularly stood out for Christoff as he grew older, his heart would be perpetually changed; though he would not acquaint the transformation till years later at a once close friend’s funeral, Pastor Quinn.

Christoff and Sean became immediate friends upon their first meeting at church.  They typically met at “Ben’s Crossing” after school.  Now “Ben’s Crossing” was situated deep in the woods, a place where the explosive painting became somewhat smudged due to the obvious lack of sunrays.  Here is where “Big-Ben” stood.

“Do you remember “Big-Ben” Eliza?”  Poppy inquired.

“It’s only the biggest, gigantic old oak tree ever made by God!”  Eliza exclaimed.

“Well I guess you have been listening to your old Pops after all,” Poppy grinned with a twinkle in his eyes.  “Now where was I?  Oh yes, “the race”.”

Usually they would spy each other from a distance; and then “the race” was on to see who could reach “Big-Ben” first.  For some reason Christoff reached “Big-Ben” ahead of Sean.

Sean usually edged Christoff out by one-hundredth of a second.  But this day Christoff had victory, he outran Sean for the first time ever.  Christoff pranced around Sean like a proud peacock, unable to see the lack of expression on Sean’s face.

“CHRISTOFF, PLEASE STOP!” Sean squeaked.

Christoff immediately halted, “WHAT!  Can’t a guy enjoy such a historic event?”

“My parents are getting a divorce!”  Sean snapped out fighting back the tears welling up in his eyes.

Christoff stood dumbfounded not really knowing what to say or how to comfort his friend.  Then Christoff remembered the theme at VBS last year, “Pray for a friend in need”.

“Let me pray for you?”  Christoff said softly placing his hand delicately on Sean’s shoulder.

Sean nodded with an unspoken yes, as a tear streamed down his cheek.

Christoff spoke softly with his hand still upon Sean’s shoulder, “Dear Jesus, please help my friend and his parents, let them see you in each other and in their son, Sean.  Oh, Jesus they need you!  Amen!”  Christoff raised his head, his jaw dropped.

“What?”  Sean said puzzled by his friend’s expression.  He heard the crunch of autumn leaves behind him.  He turned…there stood Mr. Quinn, Sean’s father tears streaming from his eyes with outstretched arms.

Our next C.cada meeting is coming up on May 24th. If you would like more information about our organization check us out at

artistdayapart.com