St Paul's Arts & Media (SPAM) is a collective of individuals exploring arts and media and how it relates to contemporary expressions of spirituality and faith.
SPAM was started in 2005 by Advertising Art Director James Bowman and Film Director Kevin Denholm, a few months after we started our 'new services' at St Paul's. Out of SPAM came SPANK (St Paul's Arts 'n' Kids), key contributions to GLOW (Christmas carols by glowstick at what is now Spark Arena), and the creative culture of St Paul's.
After being an active SPAMmer, Creative Director Eleanor Calder became SPAM co-leader with James in 2021, starting with our STAINED exhibition.
In 2017, we thought it was time to reconnect with SPAMmers old and new by creating a Facebook page. We share the projects we've done in the past, what we're doing now, and discoveries we make of God intercepting arts and media.
Come and join us, tell us your thoughts, send us what you discover, and share ideas of what we could do next.
After being an active SPAMmer, Creative Director Eleanor Calder became SPAM co-leader with James in 2021, starting with our STAINED exhibition.
In 2017, we thought it was time to reconnect with SPAMmers old and new by creating a Facebook page. We share the projects we've done in the past, what we're doing now, and discoveries we make of God intercepting arts and media.
Come and join us, tell us your thoughts, send us what you discover, and share ideas of what we could do next.
Clerestory Stained Glass Proposal
SPAM’s 2023 CREATION brief specified designing 11 stained glass windows on the north and south sides of the St Paul’s clerestory, based on the flora and fauna of Aoteoroa, celebrating God’s unique creation in our country.
James Bowman’s 2024 Clerestory Stained Glass Proposal was exhibited in our CREATION Exhibition and was approved by Pete Watson to proceed through the various stages of funding, approvals, creation, and production.
These new windows will tell stories of ‘Creation Relations’ connecting us to God’s unique relational creation in our motu, designed by artist Shane Hansen (Tainui, Ngāti Mahanga, Ngāti Hine). In 2025, St Paul’s vestry approved commissioning Shane to create the first design using funds raised from our CREATION Exhibition and a generous patron.
Shane started with our ‘Tūī & Pikirangi’ window. We’re now using this artwork to cost fabrication and installation, gain approvals and fundraise.
Past SPAM Projects
