The Flickr Parkchurch Image Generatr

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This page simply reformats the Flickr public Atom feed for purposes of finding inspiration through random exploration. These images are not being copied or stored in any way by this website, nor are any links to them or any metadata about them. All images are © their owners unless otherwise specified.

This site is a busybee project and is supported by the generosity of viewers like you.

Intoxicating color in the days of few synthetic dyes by anthroview

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Intoxicating color in the days of few synthetic dyes

When this church opened in the late 1800s the range of artificial fabrics and dyes was much more limited than today. So most people seeing the vivid stained glass colors and themes portrayed on walls and at the front and rear of the church would be much more impressed than modern viewers who carry millions of pixels on pocket-size screens or see full color on oversized TVs at home or work.

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Strong color for strong themes in stained glass by anthroview

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Strong color for strong themes in stained glass

One of the windows bears the "Tiffany Studio" signature, attesting to work from the famous maker of glasswork.

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More vivid than ordinary lived experience by anthroview

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More vivid than ordinary lived experience

The expression comes to mind of visual delight, especially gratuitous pleasure that need not accomplish anything more than viewing fun, "eye candy."

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So many strong colors in a single window frame by anthroview

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So many strong colors in a single window frame

This is just a section of one wall window of perhaps 18 or 20 in the worship hall at Park Congregational Church in downtown Grand Rapids, dating to the late 1800s and designed, fashioned, and installed by Tiffany Studios.

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Juxtaposing harp and (stained glass) winged angel by anthroview

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Juxtaposing harp and (stained glass) winged angel

Descriptions of heaven in Bible scripture include a few named instruments. When it says 'harp', though the image is something hand-held, not this massive Concert Harp strung with 6 or more octaves. This photo near the front of the worship hall at the First Congregational Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan juxtaposes the 3-D instrument with the 2-D stained-glass angel in the background.

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Music at Midday in downtown Grand Rapids (Tuesdays) by anthroview

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Music at Midday in downtown Grand Rapids (Tuesdays)

Apart from Covid disruptions in 2020 and 2021, this annual series of weekly musical performances has been going since around 2001. This photo comes just before the pianist and solo soprano began their program for the 50 in attendance, some of whom joined in the lunch service provided.

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Opening song for "Music at Midday" for April 8 by anthroview

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Opening song for "Music at Midday" for April 8

Since around 2001 the concerts have been hosted at the First Congregational Church in downtown Grand Rapids for a variety of musicians. Today it is pianist and soprano vocalist. This video clip of the opening notes of the first piece they performed gives a glimpse of the scene.

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So many strokes of the various chisels, all very sharp by anthroview

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So many strokes of the various chisels, all very sharp

The ability to start with a mass of wood (or stone) and sculpt a figure or scene is something like magic. Unlike the digital working space with "undo" and "redo," the masterwork made in the analog world of physicality must be executed artfully with no possibility of redoing a cut or a shape.

This large wooden sculpture above the altar at the First Congregational Church is filled with detail that can only be appreciated up close. Since the face of the Jesus figure is perhaps 10 or 12 feet higher than the viewer's eyes, it could be that the sculptor modified the design so the visual experience from below would not distort the proportions by giving the impression of a too small head.

If the maker's name is present, it is very discreet indeed. Viewers see the composition and witness the marks of each chisel stroke made by the artist or artists' hands. But any thought of the artist is secondary or may even be overlooked entirely.

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Pay to pray - no, not so by anthroview

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Pay to pray - no, not so

The Bible story of "the widow's mite" makes the point that the quantity of coin put into the offering plate (or envelope, or electronically transferred) matters very little, compared to one's intention or qualitative spirit in which it is given: not a burden but a pleasure, not an obligation but an opportunity to dwell on the work of the Lord.

This envelope from the pews at the First Congregational Church includes a QR code to give online. Even 5 or 10 years ago, far fewer QR codes could be seen in daily life (unlike in South Korea, where the technology has been pervasive for much longer). In 2025, though, the QR codes appear on billboards, posters, packages, or in this case on the church offering envelopes for use by people without a box of their own at home, and for those wishing the privacy of putting their monetary details outside the view of fellow worshipers who pass the plate.

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Defining social justice in order to advance & defend it by anthroview

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Defining social justice in order to advance & defend it

This part of the church bulletin board spells out in large print the elements going into the idea and values of Social Justice, as it relates to the church members inside the building and outside in the wider world.

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Duck for dinner at this table - ArtPrize 2024 by anthroview

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Duck for dinner at this table - ArtPrize 2024

So many layers joined to form this table that it boggles the mind, something like the Grand Canyon in reverse; not eroding through eons but instead additive processes that result in the finished table.

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Unexpectedly LEGO brick for play and for serious play by anthroview

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Unexpectedly LEGO brick for play and for serious play

The artist biography describes the bodily limitations that led to work in this medium; click on Sharon Vance's name in the entry link, below.

The artist statement describes the balancing of human and non-human lives, www.artprize.org/entries#45208

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Eye of the beholder turns coffee grounds into landscapes by anthroview

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Eye of the beholder turns coffee grounds into landscapes

It would be interesting to see a video or timelapse to show "the making of..." these patterns and the careful capture of them for this collage.

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Table by William Stevenson, "duck ala gator" by anthroview

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Table by William Stevenson, "duck ala gator"

The artist statement gives a capsule description of the project, www.artprize.org/entries#73284

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Poway 3-13-24 (46) by Photo Nut 2011

© Photo Nut 2011, all rights reserved.

Poway 3-13-24 (46)

Look West by Bricheno

© Bricheno, all rights reserved.

Look West

A cityscape type shot from Garnethill in Glasgow.

Glasgow skyline by Bulldozia

Glasgow skyline

From Garnethill.

Glasgow skyline by Bulldozia

Glasgow skyline

From Garnethill.

Swimming under the skyscrapers by Revted94

© Revted94, all rights reserved.

Swimming under the skyscrapers

Glasgow

Recommended indoor face masks on September 30 by anthroview

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Recommended indoor face masks on September 30

The city library door signs declares that face masks are required; all their staff demonstrate this. And most patrons mask up with their own, or using one of the paper ones supplied at the door. A few go without mask, but nobody seems to confront the offenders. Here the sign for entering the ArtPrize exhibit space at the Park (Street Congregational) Church states that face masks are recommended. So now as the outdoor living of summer gives way to gradual shift in activity to indoor living, the presence or absence of face covering is in flux. Is it right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable, civic duty or personal taste, scientifically effective or simply a superficial charade. Past performance proves the value in masking and maintaining physical distance between people.

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