Frequently Asked
We'll be re-opening our Artists Application soon. For today, jot your name on our waiting list. Our team of curators will look at your work samples and we will reach out if we would like to commission something new for the project. All works in our Bible Illumination project are created new for the project. We are a small team and this is a giant project; please forgive any delay in response.
No. We focus on different books or themes each year and also follow the suggestions of our patrons as they “spark” verses. We want artists to choose topics and passages that are particularly interesting to them. When an artist creates work in response to a passage in the Bible, that passage has a special connection to them that can last through their life.
We started in 2010. Our vision is to have the Bible completely illuminated by 2030 – twenty years in total.
We commission new works of visual art, music, poetry, dance, theatre, film and literature. This includes but isn’t limited to paintings, drawings, sculptures, jazz and instrumental music, art songs, poetry, spoken word, rap, hip-hop, performance art, video art, film, classical and contemporary dance, scripts, short stories, theatre in any style, soundscapes, recipes, and more.
The Bible is the Spark that we Echo.
Yes, artists receive a small honorarium. Artists also retain full rights to their work.
All work created for Spark+Echo Arts is copyrighted by the artist and featured in our project by a contract between Spark+Echo Arts and the artist. If you are interested in using the work for your purposes, please contact us and we can connect you with the artist for possible permission.
Some works may be for sale directly from the artist. Contact us and we can connect you with the artist.
We only commission new works made specifically for Spark+Echo Arts. If you are interested in being considered by our team of curators please apply.
Artists started creating responses to some of these passages for our project in 2013. The world is full of all kinds of artists, many of whom would be excited by this special challenge. Every number in the Bible is important, is there for a reason, and is worthy of our thought and intrigue. Each name is a real person connected to God’s greater story. There is so much wrapped up in every word of the Bible that the potential for creative and theological response is limitless.
Yes and no.
This is a massive project that will grow to thousands of works of art. Each work is different. Artists come from a range of backgrounds and we give them the freedom to respond honestly. Think of exploring this online gallery like attending a contemporary art museum. Going to the museum is a wonderful family activity; many works may feel “family-friendly” while other works you might avoid with your children.
For parents, teachers, pastors and church leaders, as with any culture you consume, this means taking a discerning look at works from the project––and we do preface some works with a note about audience discretion.
Keep in mind that a work you may not like may be the spark another person needs to discover the Bible for the first time.
Spark+Echo Arts is committed to commissioning a diverse community of artists and giving them the freedom to respond to the Bible honestly. Out of respect for the artists, our policy is to not censor the work created for the project except in rare circumstances. We do at times, out of respect for our audience, preface works with a note regarding audience discretion.
Read more about this topic on our Curation Model page.
