St Mary’s, St Margarets Comes Alive with Art and Community

This summer, St Mary’s Church, St Margarets opened its doors to the community in a rather different way, as the church was transformed into a gallery for our first Summer Miniature Art Exhibition and Silent Auction.

The idea was simple: invite artists to create miniature artworks inspired by the theme of Stanstead Abbotts and St Margarets, and then bring those pieces together in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church. What followed was a wonderful celebration of creativity, our local area and, most importantly, community.

The exhibition featured 41 artworks by 13 artists, with a wonderful variety of styles and subjects. Familiar buildings, landscapes and local scenes appeared alongside more imaginative interpretations of the villages, giving visitors plenty to look at and enjoy.

Over the weekend, St Mary’s welcomed over 130 visitors through its doors. People came to admire the artwork, chat with friends and neighbours, enjoy refreshments and take part in the silent auction. It was lovely to see the church being used in a different way and to welcome many people who may not otherwise have visited.

The exhibition also gave visitors the chance to choose their favourite artwork in our People’s Choice Award. Congratulations to Indigo, whose beautiful artwork, ‘Reflections on Lea’, received the most votes. At just 16, and a student of artist Dawn Coulter, Indigo showed great talent and confidence in her chosen medium. The painting’s beautiful setting and masterful use of light on the water clearly captured the imagination of our visitors.

The generosity of everyone involved has also made a real difference to St Mary’s Church. So far to date we have raised a NET figure of £894.76, which will go towards supporting the work and ministry of the church. We hope to have a final total soon. We are hugely grateful to every artist who donated their creativity, to everyone who came along and supported the auction, and to our volunteers who gave their time to welcome visitors and provide refreshments.

Events like this remind us that our churches are not only places for worship, but places where people can meet, share their gifts, enjoy one another’s company and be part of the life of the local community.

We are so thankful to everyone who helped make our first Summer Miniature Art Exhibition such a success, and we hope it will be the first of many opportunities to open St Mary’s doors and bring people together.