Trinity's Community Gallery and Parkside Cafe
March Gallery Exhibit featuring Sacred Ally Quilts
The Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry was born during the long pandemic summer of 2020. Called to respond to the injustice and horror of George Floyd's murder, members of nine New Hampshire United Church of Christ congregations collaborated to make eleven quilts, which together memorialize the last words of George Floyd.
These quilts are prayers in thread. They are a distillation of four hundred years of oppession. They express the devastating pain of America's racial wounds.?
In churches, schools, and other institutions, these quilts have proven to be an effective tool for provoking transformative conversations about race in the United States.”
Gallery Hours for this Exhibition:
Sunday, March 9: 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 11: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 13: 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 14: 6:00 -7:00 p.m.
Friday March 14 7-8:00 p.m Film "Stitch, Breathe, Speak" followed by discussion on racism led by Rev. Mark Koyama
Sunday, March 16: 9am-2pm
Gallery Information
The gallery is open Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Artists for the 2024 - 2025 season:
October – Joyce Belliveau
November – Noreen Acconcio
December – Artists at the Crossroads
January 2025 – Linda Lastoff/Beverlee Corriveau
February 2025 – Ann Bagge
March 2025 – Arm in Arm
April 2025 – Carol Adamsik-Maggi
May 2025 – Sumner Avenue School students
History of the Community Gallery and Parkside Cafe
In June 2021, Trinity Church was awarded a grant from the United Methodist Foundation of New England for the Trinity Community Gallery and Cafe. The foundation awards grants "to help fund strategic, vital, and creative ministries of organizations and faith communities of the New England Annual Conference."
Former Trinity pastor Rev. Perez, Andrea Rust and Vera Baker developed a proposal to re-purpose two under-utilized and accessible spaces to better serve the community. In the proposal, they reflected on the church's founders' vision to design a "Community Cathedral where everyone could come to learn, to grow, to be enriched, and to draw closer to God." The gallery was seen as a place for showcasing the talents of local artists, and the cafe was presented as an open space for the community and congregation to gather and build connections. Together the two spaces are designed to engage the surrounding Forest Park community through art and other programming.
Although Springfield boasts a number of cultural and educational organizations, there are few in this section of the city. Springfield residents spent far too much time in isolation during the pandemic and we see this "third space" serving as an anchor for community life. Our community needs a safe place of deep personal connections, community building, and creative sharing.
Trinity Community Gallery supports the art of local artists and Springfield Public School students.
The cafe is currently a meeting place for fellowship hour on Sunday mornings with a vision of opening more days/hours to the public in the future. Locally roasted coffee by Monsoon Roasters in Springfield is freshly ground in the Trinity kitchen. Tea is also available.
Expansion plans are contingent on congregation and community support and involvement. Anyone interested in helping the gallery and cafe to grow and serve the wider community is asked to speak with Andrea or Vera or e-mail gallery-cafe@trinityspringfield.org.
Images of the December exhibit by Artists at the Crossroads.
