prayerbookproject

art in service of the sacred

I wrote a book recommendation last month for StoneWorks' MOSAIC newsletter. The book is Art In Service of the Sacred by Catherine Kapikian, and I've included the first paragraph of the review here. To read the whole article go to the last page of the September 2009 newsletter.

"Art in service of anything is a tough sell these days. If it is the sacred being served, then it is a particularly hard sell. If the art being endorsed for sacred service is visual then, well, why bother? And yet there has been a quiet push towards a renaissance of the visual arts in liturgical settings. Evidence of this new renaissance can be found in the work of Catherine Kapikian and her book, Art in Service of the Sacred..."

new york and seattle

This past weekend I had the joy of speaking, playing music, and leading worship as a part of the Art Show on Main at Union Center Christian Church in Endicott, NY. Tamara Murphy and the crew put together a wonderful weekend of music, visual art, writing, worship and food. It was so good to see how God is working within the church to bring about new imaginative expressions of art in the life of worship.I also had the opportunity to work with Jason Harrod. His songs continue to inspire me to keep making music and I hope we have more opportunities to work together in the not too distant future. _____________________________

On this Saturday night I will be back in Seattle at John Knox Presbyterian Church to speak about The (first) Vancouver Project. This is the last stop for this exhibit before it disperses. It is an amazing collection of work by an amazing group of artists and I highly encourage you to check it out if you have not yet had a chance. Jeremy Mangan and Matt Whitney, two artists from the project, will also be sharing about their experience. I hope to see you there at 7:00 PM. (RSVP via facebook.)
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“What if you had to go to a church that had had no music since the early 1500s? It’s unimaginable. Yet the void you can’t imagine is there—a 500-year lack of visual arts in Protestant churches..."

Visual Art in the Church. It is really happening.

undercover pig at calvin college

Barn Interior (before restoration) by Egbert van der Poel

Conservation turned into excavation when Calvin College sent off a recently donated painting, Barn Interior, by Egbert van der Poel. A flayed pig was discovered under what turned out to be excess paint that was not original to the painting. The painting had obviously been doctored to cover up the pig and we can only guess at the reasons why. What we do know is that the pig in this painting is critical to its composition. It's exclusion damages both the integrity and quality of the work.

Barn Interior (after restoration) by Egbert van der Poel

This potentially "offensive" painting is tame to our post-postmodern eyes; especially when compared to any number of other "offending" paintings that have been made since the 17th century. But if you were to hang this painting in your home which version would you choose and why?

in the making

from L to R: Ginger Geyer, Shannon Newby, Roger Feldman, Nancy Rebal, Kathy Hastings, Matt Whitney

Artists making art for churches. Churches paying artists to make art. Art that could be at home in both the church and the gallery. A free flow of ideas, generosity, encouragement and creativity. Time and space to think. A gift.

The story of the past two weeks contains all of this and much more. It is safe to say that The Vancouver Project II was a success, but the work is really just getting underway. The finishing touches are being put on some of the pieces and all will come together again for an opening at Regent College's Lookout Gallery on November 4th. From there the work will travel to the other patron churches and organizations.

A project like this could not have happened without the willingness of the artists to come together and risk working in community; more unusual than you might think. A special thanks to Roger and Ginger for leading the charge and putting together the schedule and logistics. Also at the heart of this project are the patron churches and organizations that made this possible. A huge thanks to University Presbyterian Church (Seattle), John Knox Presbyterian Church (Seattle), First Baptist Church (Vancouver), Laity Lodge (Kerrville, TX), Regent College (Vancouver) and other individual contributors (you know who you are...THANKS)!

I also want to thank those who were behind the scenes in making this happen: Duffy Lott Gibb for arranging the studio space and other logistical details; Lance Mansfield for taking care of all of the financial transactions and all other things By/For; Michelle Sudduth (and Ahna, Steve, Theo and Andy) for housing the artists.

If you are interested in hosting the artwork and you happen to be near or around Seattle, Vancouver, or Texas please let me know.

For those of you who missed it before and would like to find out more about this project read this article, "The Lost Art of Patronage."

interview with ginger geyer

The Vancouver Project II is over. It has been an incredible two weeks and I'll be sharing more about it in future posts. For now, you can enjoy THIS interview with Ginger Geyer. (Read more about Fighting Fire with Fire which is referred to at the end of this interview.)

interview with matt whitney

Matt Whitney is an artist. HERE is an interview with him.

interview with kathy hastings

We are nearing the end of The Vancouver Project II. HERE is an interview with Kathy Hastings. (Find out more about Selah Services at www.selahservice.com.)

interview with nancy rebal

We are half way through The Vancouver Project II. It has been an amazing first week! We were able to spend some time at First Baptist Vancouver last night. They are a patron church and we are certainly glad to be working in partnership with them.

I interviewed Nancy Rebal in the studio this afternoon and you can listen along HERE.

interview with shannon newby

Here's an interview with Shannon Newby from TVP2. Listen HERE!

www.shannonanderik.com
www.newbyart.com (plus her blog)
www.etsy.com

interview with roger feldman

Roger Feldman is one of the co-facilitators of TVP2. I had a conversation with him this afternoon and you can listen in HERE.

(Also, Shannon Newby is blogging daily about TVP2 HERE.)