The commissioning process is an invitation to be; to be together & to be together with Godde. It is a spiritual care process that integrates conversation, imaging prayer & design. It is an experience of spirituality & safety.
The amount for a commissioned piece is determined solely by you; the one commissioning the piece of art. Your generosity in the payment for a commissioned piece allows me to share my work with those who are not able to afford art.
Commission Testimonials
Julia made a weaving for me this past fall. Part of her conversation with me was about a journey I was on with my Mom and family.
Mom and I have always been very close and at 87 she was in her final days on earth.
Mom had a form of dementia called Frontal Temporal Dementia which did not allow her to speak, write or read. As you can imagine communication was difficult.
Through it all there was her wonderful smile, hugs and a wave when she saw me. Her eyes would just light up, it was such a welcome. Her greeting truly lifted my spirits in many ways.
January 25, 2015, a beautiful cold Sunday, Mom ended her time on earth and joined Dad in Heaven. She had told me earlier, when she could still speak, that she was not afraid to die, she knew where she was going and that she would see us again sometime soon. It was truly a gift.
Now I am not an artistic person at all. My pictures are usually of the stick figure variety. When Julia handed me paper, pencils and crayons I kind of panicked.
After taking a quick deep breath and closing my eyes the words to Louis Armstrong’s song “What a wonderful world” came. This has always been a favorite of mine, the words are just so strong. It is all about family, love, friendships and just taking care of the people around us.
We picked out colors (rainbow) and I had a few buttons to add to the weaving. In the end it came out just perfect.
Julia helped me to really start the grieving process, have conversations with my siblings about hospice and taking care of Mom in her final days.
I also was able to have real quality time with my girls, husband and son in law as we were saying goodbye to Mom during the fall and Christmas season.
Julia’s calm sense of being came through to me and helped me to care and love Mom to the very end. While it is sad, there is also a sense of joy knowing I did everything for Mom that I possibly could. As I said to Mom on the 25th “it is the Sabbath, what a wonderful day to enter the kingdom of God”.
Thank you Julia for being you and using your gifts to help so many of us as we make that journey through life.
God Bless You,
Anne Staniforth
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom, for me and you and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.I see skies of blue and clouds of white, the bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky and also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands saying “How do you do?”
They’re really saying I love you.I hear babies cry. I watch them grow. They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know.
And I think to myself, What a wonderful World.Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world, oh yeah.
When I did the exercise/meditation with you I was tapping into a recent experience that was grounding, beautiful, awe-inspiring and cleansing—our trip to the Maritimes. The particular imagery that came to me was based on one of the most beautiful magical places that I have ever been to. I assumed that this was why the imagery came to me so strongly. But what’s come to me since then, as I look at and contemplate the weaving, is that it’s about beginnings. This past year has been filled with endings, which also leads to beginnings. It’s hopeful and inspiring. Also, there’s a path that leads to a rooted tree embracing something quite solid. I see that path — my path — journeying toward a new adventure, which embraces my roots, taps into my creativity and expresses my heart and inner being, which is that solid rock…
I want you to know that I am truly grateful for the work and time you put into that piece. I also want to acknowledge your generosity. Know that I love the weaving and feel honored to have it in my space.
Stacy Levin
Nativity Scene
We first met Julia Weaver on the day of her ordination. Newcomers to the area, we were visiting the Madison Christian Community that morning and were totally captivated by her fiber art display—spectacular weavings based on an interweaving of the Beatitudes and Fruit of the Spirit and interpreted from a striking artistic and feminist perspective. When we discovered that Julia was to be ordained that afternoon, we scrapped our previous plans and joined in the celebration. And also decided to join the Madison Christian Community (both Advent Lutheran and Community of Hope UCC), wholeheartedly supporting Julia’s jail ministry and her continuing evolution as an artist ever since.
A couple of years ago we commissioned this fabric art Nativity piece from Julia, encouraging her to interpret the image however she might choose. During the fifty years of our marriage, we have collected over a hundred crèche sets in intriguing styles and unusual materials from all over the world. Julia’s simple homespun offering was instantly one of our very favorites. We like it so well that we refrain from packing it away after Christmas, and instead have installed it as a year-round treasured sculpture on our mantelpiece.
Thanks, Julia. Continued blessings on your innovative ministry and artistry.
Don and Nancy Loving Tubesing
Middleton, Wisconsin
Collaboration
Chaplain John, my former colleague in jail ministry, gave me a lovely image of fall trees for my birthday, simply because I had admired it in one of his shows. I, in turn created an image of a woven figure holding out their hands in prayer.
Not quite collaboration in the truest sense but nevertheless a really great example of the kind of working team we have had here at the jail.
Textures & Possibilities
