Breadth2 Loading Video . . . Melissa Beck's work, Breadth, reflects on 1 Kings 17:7-16 and the theme of "meals." 1 Kings 17:7-16 Breadth By Melissa Beck Credits: Artist Location: Brooklyn, New York Curated by: Rebekah Kim 2014 Mixed media, sculpture Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link On the Art: A road is a journey The same surface over and over Given a small amount over and over Steadily and consistently Amounting to something significant Little bit for a long period of time Becoming part of the ground on which it falls Elements that meld Incomprehensible depths of comfort from consistent provision On the Passage: The story of the Widow at Zarephath is one of depletion, sacrifice, and miraculous provision. The Lord directed Elijah to this widow who was about to prepare her last meal for her and her son. She only had enough oil and flour for them to eat one last time. Yet when this stranger asked her, she obeyed and made bread for Elijah instead. For her obedience a miraculous thing happened. She was told her "jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry." From giving up of her last meal she was provided for indefinitely. Out of utter depletion came inexplicable provision for so much time beyond even when this passage ends. What I love about this story is the length of provision. She was given oil and flour everyday for the rest of her life. She was given unto abundance, but not all at once. Rather these elements of simplicity and basic need were provided for steadily and consistently. There was a little bit for a long period of time. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Melissa Beck ’s work explores elements of the everyday redefining the familiar in unexpected ways so as to reawaken our eyes to what is often overlooked. She is an emerging artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Melissa grew up in Los Angeles and San Diego. She achieved her MFA in sculpture at Pratt Institute and graduated in 2013. Her dream is to create large-scale public artwork and to become an art professor. When Melissa isn’t making art, life for her consists of freelance sewing and display work, nanny-ing, dancing, laughing with her friends, visiting the California sun and taking life one step at a time with her Creator. Website Melissa Beck About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 1 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 2 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 4 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Melissa Beck Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Dancer Elizabeth Dishman's rich performance reflects on the exchange between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon as recorded in 1 Kings 10:1-10. 1 Kings 10:1-10 Visitation By Elizabeth Dishman Credits: Directed, filmed and edited by Elizabeth Dishman Collaboratively choreographed by Elizabeth Dishman and the performers: Julie Seal, with Larissa Asebedo and Corinne Shearer Music by Giuseppe Sammartini, recorded by Camerata Köln Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Self-Submitted 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I’ve always been fascinated by this passage…a big time queen decides to play tourist and ends up getting the wind knocked out of her. She had heard rumors but was totally unprepared for the wisdom, beauty and richness she would experience in Jerusalem. She came to test Solomon with hard questions, but instead she can’t even breathe for wonder. I know the feeling. I was born with my arms crossed. I make up my mind about life’s hard edges, but I am more often than I’d like to admit humbled by its greatness, its kindness, the purity of delight that is available to me, but which I doubt or resist. In this work I meditated on that moment of confusion when a belief is tested and found to be shifty. When a deeper truth asks to sit down at the table. The conversation is awkward and glorious. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Elizabeth Dishman is the Artistic Director of Dishman + Co. Choreography, a Brooklyn-based experimental dance company founded in 2001. Originally from Colorado, she studied Voice Performance at Emory University, and Choreography at The Ohio State University. In pursuit of ineffable junctures between the abstract and theatrical, the universal and deeply personal, Elizabeth and her collaborators devote themselves to scrupulous exploration and ardent play, probing the elusiveness of live performance in search of lasting things. Over 15 years and 40+ original works, Dishman + Co.’s choreography has been described by critics as “complex skeins and cerebral dreams”, “bodies in rigorous concentration”, and “playful and provocative…raw humanity seeps in”. www.DishmanAndCo.org Website Elizabeth Dishman About the Artist Tide dance in the dances Terra Firma Stranger Name Elizabeth Dishman Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This post features the final update from Melissa Beck regarding her projects as a 2015 Artist in Resident. Exodus 28:1-5 Exodus 28:29-30 Proverbs 19:20-21 Isaiah 50:7 Hebrews 12:2 Romans 7:15 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck By Melissa Beck Credits: Titles: Shared Sustenance, Decision Threads Title: Decision Threads Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2015 Installation, Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Shared Sustenance Remember those plates?…The ones that were made to last a lifetime, but had been turned into something disposable. This piece highlighted how we often break our own commitments, causing damage to relationships and turning what was meant to last forever into something temporal. After I did that piece in response to Romans 7:15 , I realized how often we see the Bible in this way. It becomes this book focused on what our faults are, on what we should and shouldn’t do. While the Bible is a guide for morals, that is just a fraction of the picture. The real meat of the story is this relationship; a dynamic one that continues forever. At the crux of this faith is a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is a person we serve, worship, commune with, pray to, wrestle with, and were made by and for. Each person knows relationship. Even if all we know are broken ones, we know the desire for a whole one because we’ve experienced brokenness. Even if we are the ones who break our own commitments and become disloyal to the ones we intended to be loyal to, a fixing of this is still possible, but not by us. Over the past few months, I had meals with friends and family using these plates. We met at restaurants, homes, one on one, in groups…sometimes planned, sometimes spontaneous. Each time, we each ate from these plates. My friends were given the plate to keep after our time together. However, in the end, it’s not about the plates. At every meal we forgot about the plates because we were sharing life through stories, listening, laughing… which is how it’s supposed to be. The plates are merely a backdrop for life, for interaction, essentially an experience to take place and relationships to be built. Reflective of God’s redemption of us, these plates were rescued and elevated and restored to what they were originally intended for. Like any meal, they’re not meant to stand on their own. Other elements such as food, forks, tables, people, talking, listening and orchestration of time and place are what truly make the dishes the beautiful things they are meant for. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Just as these dishes cannot be what they’re fully meant to be without a communal gathering, we humans cannot be fully alive without each other and our God, who is the author of everything in our lives. Decision Threads "Pay attention to advice and accept correction, so you can live sensibly. We may make a lot of plans, but the LORD will do what he has decided." Proverbs 19:20-21 CEV Decision Threads is a video piece I worked on each season this year. Certain elements from Exodus 28 guided the aesthetics of the piece. Aaron was called to be a decision maker for the Israelites. The four colors of yarn used to make his garments were blue, scarlet, purple and gold. While these colors were made to be bold, in the video they are subtle, barely noticeable. Making decisions can be like that. While they can have a great impact on our lives, we are often making subtle decisions. Excerpt from Decision Threads preview post : “It’s a video that looks at the subtleness of decisions. In the making and breaking of our commitments, we are essentially making a million little decisions. Often those decisions are so subtle we don’t even realize them until we find ourselves somewhere we never thought we’d be in life. Those decisions weave a thread through our lives everywhere we go, in the people and places we interact with, the work we do, the attitudes we have… Sometimes it’s a lot of pressure to decide if we should do this or live here or take this job or…” However, I realized that we don't have to make decisions alone and ultimately it's not us who are creating the results. Even when we do have to make a final decision on our own, it's often better when informed by someone trustworthy. Decision-making is just as much a solo thing as it is communal. Like the meals we share, this life is far less about the individual or about perfection and so much more about community, relationships and life interactions between people and with our Maker to see things redeemed...even if all we see is brokenness, failure, a tangled mess, lint or dirty dishes. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Melissa Beck ’s work explores elements of the everyday redefining the familiar in unexpected ways so as to reawaken our eyes to what is often overlooked. She is an emerging artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Melissa grew up in Los Angeles and San Diego. She achieved her MFA in sculpture at Pratt Institute and graduated in 2013. Her dream is to create large-scale public artwork and to become an art professor. When Melissa isn’t making art, life for her consists of freelance sewing and display work, nanny-ing, dancing, laughing with her friends, visiting the California sun and taking life one step at a time with her Creator. Website Melissa Beck About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 1 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 2 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 4 Breadth Melissa Beck Other Works By View Melissa's first , second , third , and fourth posts to follow the development of her 2015 Artist in Residence project. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

! Loading Video . . . This week we present a work by Aaron Soldner in response to the theme of "Memory" and Luke 3:23-38. Luke 3:23-38 Luke 3:23-38 By Aaron Soldner Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2013 Film, Animation Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Biblical genealogies are often-ignored readings. They are not in the lectionary, they are rarely addressed in bible studies and are treated more like historical remnants than the more easily accessible scriptures that have become familiar. They are afterthoughts. When read straight-through, they are a mix of unfamiliar – and admittedly, sometimes difficult – names as well as the names of people whose stories are so widely-known that they have often made their way into the popular consciousness. The genealogy of Jesus Christ in Luke has it’s own narrative. A narrative that is brought out solely because of the reader’s knowledge/lack of knowledge of the people these names belonged to – after all, inside the context of the genealogy itself The reader is not told who did what (except for having parents); instead everyone is equal. When fifteen or twenty names go by that are otherwise not known there is a sense of alienation, confusion, frustration, and embarrassment for the reader, but when a name does appear that the reader recognizes there is a flurry of association in the reader’s mind with the memories they have of these stories. This recognition makes a feeling of ease, perhaps even a coy sense of having inside knowledge. The pattern of rising and falling in action in reading the genealogy repeats until the final name of God creates the feeling that the reader has “made it” successfully through. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aaron Soldner was born in Colorado and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder – as well as some time at the Film and Television School at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – earning a BFA in Film Production and a BA in Film History. An artist whose work attempts to focus on the ordinary in everyday life and whose pieces tend to deemphasize the unique and decentralize the climactic, Aaron is interested not in highlighting the mundane, but in appreciating it for being common. Website Aaron Oldner About the Artist Aaron Oldner Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

still-life-with-blood-orange_medium.jpg Loading Video . . . Spark+Echo Arts is delighted to feature a new painting, Two Bites: Still Life with Blood Orange, by Braden Williams. Mr. Williams created the work in response to Genesis 3:6, as part of our collection of artworks exploring the theme "Beginning". Genesis 3:6 Two Bites: Still Life with Blood Orange By Braden Williams Credits: Artist Location: Michigan Curated by: Charis J. Carmichael Braun 2012 20 x 16 inches Oil on linen Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This piece is intended to represent the moment of the beginning of sin. The forbidden fruit represented by a blood orange (In contrast to the popular thought that it was specifically an apple) spills its juices on barren earth, bringing to mind Jesus' blood that stained the ground in order to bring redemption to the earth. Pairs of feet pointing in opposite directions surrounded by failed attempts at covering show the broken relationships brought by selfishness, rebellion, and pride. My primary desire as an artist is to reflect the Christian idea of redemption (one I personally experience) through finding, revealing and expressing value in what has been otherwise considered trash, worthless, useless, or despised. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Braden Williams received his BFA from Western State College of Colorado, in Ceramics. He received his MFA from the New York Academy of Art. His sculptures and paintings can be found in various public and private collections. Braden has experience in a very wide range of media from marble to homemade walnut ink. He is most comfortable, however, working in oil. He currently lives and works in Grand Rapids with his wife Stacy. Website Braden Williams About the Artist Braden Williams Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . American clawhammer banjoist and songwriter Cameron DeWhitt takes a look at yeast in his new piece Leavener. The work is in response to the theme of "meals" and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Leavener By Cameron DeWhitt Credits: Written by Cameron DeWhitt; Mixed by Christian Guerrero Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch-as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Recently I made the switch from commercial yeast (like, from the packet) to wild Philadelphia yeast. And boy, it's sure made a big difference in my bread. I got my sourdough starter from my neighbors, who got theirs from a friend, so I like to think that all of our loaves and boules and baguettes are related. I had a conversation with my good friend Jon Roberts about baking sourdough and maintaining a starter. Apparently some starters are very fragile; the yeast inside will die if they have any competition for the available sugars. He used to work at Sullivan Street bakery in Hell's Kitchen, and when he'd try to bring home a lump of starter it would start producing acetic acid before he could use it. Once removed from its sheltered existence in one of America's finest bakeries, it couldn't handle the pressure of the real world, and allowed itself to be eaten up and turned to vinegar. So, I'm proud to eat bread with the hearty and worldly yeasts of Kensington, Philadelphia. It's yeast is like it's people: determined to survive, willing to fight, and not deterred by a little pollution or systematic oppression. This is how the Kingdom of Heaven is spread. It's a resilient culture, and it's all around us, waiting to be fed. If your culture is eating itself, and getting sour in all the wrong ways, throw it out, and start a new one. Maybe you need something a little less fragile, a little less pretentious. A culture that won't disintegrate at the first sign of stress. Chances are, you know someone who can help get you started. Special thanks to Christian Guerrero for mixing this song. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Cameron DeWhitt is an American clawhammer banjoist and songwriter born in Portland, Oregon. His live show is interactive, with sing-along sections, open discussions about song themes, and storytelling. He new self-titled record is available now on Bandcamp. Cameron’s songs explore themes of love, death, marriage, judgment and forgiveness. His lyrics display a quick, profound wit, enriched throughout with weighty metaphors and literary cross-references. Through personal and biblical stories, he prompts the listener to contemplate the definition of love, the character of God, and the human struggle towards hope and redemption. Cameron has developed a unique, melody-driven banjo style. While fluidly shifting modes and meters, he quotes popular melodies, improvises with other musicians, and makes musical jokes. His songs feature trumpet, string bass, drum set, complex vocal counterpoint and improvised solos. Cameron lives with his wife, Rebecca, in the East Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, where he is a part of the Circle of Hope Community. He plays an Ome Jubilee banjo with a Moon bridge and a John Balch goat skin head. Website Cameron DeWhitt About the Artist Fig Tree Cameron DeWhitt Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Brooklyn Composer Michael Hearst rounds up the local jam band for a hootenanny on injustice and the words of the prophet Habakkuk. Habakkuk 1:1-4 Habakkuk's Hootenanny By Michael Hearst Credits: Composer, guitar, vocals by Michael Hearst Band: The Huffbunnies Artist photo by Franck Bohbot Artist Location: Brooklyn Curated by: 2018 Cinematic Hootenanny Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link While trying to decide which direction to take this project, the minute I read the "Habakkuk's Complaint" verse, I knew! As it turns out, there's a "jam band" on my block in Park Slope, Brooklyn. For the past three years, every Wednesday night a handful of us get together (each week at a different house) and play old-timey music, drink wine, eat snacks, and vent about politics. The verse couldn't have been more fitting or timely. I recorded the band playing the song using two iPhones (to get stereo) and then brought the recording into my studio the next day, over-dubbing a few more instruments and vocal tracks. All along I knew I wanted to end-cap the piece with something more cinematic, turning it into an imaginary section from a movie or modern dance. And there you have it. P.S. I told the band I would use the proceeds to take us all out for dinner : ) Composed, Recorded, Mixed by Michael Hearst Performed by Michael Hearst and The Huffbunnies John Fabricant - vocals Stephen Gerard - banjo, vocals Robert Glasser - guitar, vocals Michael Hearst - guitar, vocals Steve Lewis - ukulele, vocals Nicki Pombier Berger - washboard, vocals Toby Snyder - mandolin, vocals Tom Swafford - fiddle Doyle Warren - vocals Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Michael Hearst is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and writer, whose vast output is marked by a fascination with extremely specific themes, and with wanting to learn as much as he can about almost everything. His most recent project is a three-part book series, each book geared toward a different large theme: Unusual Creatures , Extraordinary People , and Curious Constructions . The first book, Unusual Creatures, includes the companion album, Songs For Unusual Creatures , and sections of the book have been made into a PBS Digital series. His previous album, Songs For Ice Cream Trucks has been used by at least 50 ice cream trucks around the world. Hearst has also composed soundtracks for the movies To Be Takei , Magic Camp , The House Of Suh , and The Good Mother among others. Michael Hearst is a founding member of the band One Ring Zero , who have released nine albums, including the literary collaboration As Smart As We Are (The Author Project), featuring lyrics by Paul Auster, Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, and Neil Gaiman, among others; Planets , a collection of new compositions to represent the solar system and beyond; and their most recent, The Recipe Project , in which the band has taken recipes from today’s top chefs (Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, David Chang, etc.), set them to music, and sing them word for word. Hearst has performed and given lectures and workshops at universities, museums, and cultural centers around the world. He has toured with The Magnetic Fields, performed with The Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, and has appeared on such shows as NPR's Fresh Air, A+E's Breakfast With The Arts, and NBC's The Today Show Website Michael Hearst About the Artist Michael Hearst Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . So I have been thinking lately about the importance of two simple things: the notion of circles (in particular concentric circles), and the meticulous keeping of lists. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Revelation 11:3-7 Revelations 9:10-20 Isaiah 8:11 Proverbs 4:23 Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Part 1 By Lily Maase This album contains some strong language, references to violence, and allusions to drug use, and may not be suitable for all audiences. Discretion is advised. Credits: Composed, Written, and Performed By Lily Maase. 2017 Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link March 13, 2017 So I have been thinking lately about the importance of two simple things: the notion of circles (in particular concentric circles), and the meticulous keeping of lists. Because we experience our lives in a linear fashion we tend to take a very list-like approach to taking stock of our experiences. This is useful for us, for the most part, because it enables to get from point A to point B in our daily lives. But, if our lives really were as linear as we think they are, why does history have this pesky tendency to repeat itself? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that we would encounter a problem, learn from it, and then check it off our ‘list’ of life lessons and move on? If learning an instrument worked like this, my students would all learn their first song, master it, go on to the next song, and after doing this a dozen tunes or so have a relative mastery of the instrument. But anyone who has picked up a creative endeavor will most likely learn the hard way that this is not the case. It is only through learning six or seven (or sixty, or seventy!) pieces of music that we develop the skill and diligence to be able to go back an truly perfect the first. I spoke recently with a pastor who suggested to me two things: that the best way to interpret holy scripture is through the scripture itself, and that the things we experience within ourselves run in confluence with the things we experience outside ourselves. This runs in apparent conflict with the same pastor’s idea that no elements of the Bible should be taken figuratively. Attempting to conflate these two concepts into something applicable has been, to say the least, a fascinating prospect. There is a popular phrase in Eastern medicine that echoes this sentiment with a simplicity and elegance that so much of Eastern thinking brings to us Westerners, who like to deal in concrete details but who also like to make our understandings of even the most basic things unbelievably intellectually complex: “As within, so without. As above, so below.” This is actually a concept that I first encountered when being treated for my physical pain and, by extension, my PTSD. Interpreted literally, it means that if something is wrong with your right shoulder, you might see it reflected in the way you carry your left ankle. Or, if you have a disease of the gut, you might see evidence of this ailment present in places on your skin. But for me it has also meant that, as I learned to honor and work through my emotional pain, I have been slowly been relieved of my physical torments as well. Taken from a spiritual perspective, this becomes a fascinating way to interpret the Bible, and in particular, to interpret Revelation. Are we living in the end of times? Perhaps. But the human ego is, in the words of a popular public figure, ‘tremendous.’ And so every generation seems to have thought that it was perhaps destined to be the last to walk this earth. Nevertheless, in my own life I have experienced a myriad of personal crises that made me feel as if the world was coming to an end. And in each of these I had to dig into the darkness in my life, bear witness to the challenges before me, and decide which parts of my life will be asked to come to an end so the better parts may live. If this isn’t an apt metaphor for the concentricity of the apocalypse, I don’t know what is. There are some scriptural precedents for the idea of looking within for answers to the struggles that lie without. Proverbs 4:23 tells us “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Similarly, Isaiah 8:11 reads “The Lord hath said to me in the strongest terms: ‘Do not think like everyone else does.” To me this means that a Godly life is one of constant inventory of the self (the within) and a skepticism of majority thinking, even if this thinking happens to be the norm (the without). In other words, I am observing patterns in my life and in the world emerge in perfect circles, am taking stock of my interactions with these patterns, and as a result I am finding that I have quite a bit to write about. In some ways this process is one of concentricity—the evil within is echoed by the evil without, and the struggles and salvation within mirror the struggles and salvation in the world at large as suggested in the book of Revelation. In short terms, I am working on a song cycle from the perspective of the Devil and the angels who conspired together in the undoing of the earth. But the cycle is also about my mother, whom I am sad to say, is the purest representation of evil within my own limited worldview; and about the way this heritage has manifested in my own life and had to be held at bay. I am writing about bearing witness to these things and accepting the consequences of having open eyes, and about the fearlessness that this process—which is essentially a keeping of lists—requires. In the Bible these witnesses manifest as two pillars of light in the storm and I believe this has some pertinent political relevance—of all the protests signs I have seen since the turning of the political tide in this country, my favorite has been this, held by an elderly women in rural New Mexico: ‘I am the storm, I leave light in my wake.’ In mid-March I will begin recording some of this music and look forward to sharing the results with you before I continue onward in this process of self-discovery, creative development, and striving both internally and through my relationship with the outside world to continue to grow towards the light. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lily Maase is a rock, country, jazz and classical guitarist raised in New Mexico, educated at the University of North Texas, and living in Brooklyn, New York. She is contributing writer for Premier Guitar Magazine and has contributed to Guitar World and Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, who recently lauded her as a “master guitar teacher.” She is the founder and owner of Brooklyn GuitarWorks, a workshop-oriented center for guitar and bass guitar education located in Williamsburg. Lily is the lead guitarist, musical director and bandleader with the Rocket Queens all-female tribute to Guns N Roses and the Suite Unraveling (Tzadik). She is the lead guitarist with Gato Loco, and is endorsed by Godin Guitars. Her playing has been featured by Vans.com, Maxim.com, Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, Teen Vogue, and Elle Magazine. Website Lily Maase About the Artist Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Part 2 Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Part 3 Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Look Out Below Lily Maase Other Works By Follow Lily's project's development throughout the year by reading her previous second , third and final posts. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

don-nyugen-air4th_first-supper-seating-layouts.jpg Loading Video . . . Don Nguyen shares the development of his new theater piece in his fourth post. Luke 22:14-48 Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen By Don Nguyen Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2015 Theatre Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Hi, this is my fourth and final post (maybe) for my Spark and Echo artists residency. To recap, I chose Luke 22:14-48, which covers The Last Supper because it’s the ultimate dinner party. I was attempting to create a communal evening of theatre, food, improvisation, and game playing based on these selected passages. In my last post , I talked about the obstacles I was running into, my fear of finishing the project, and the direction I wanted to take it in. After exploring different avenues and giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided to pivot the theme of the project from The Last Supper to The First Supper. The idea of the First Supper really intrigues me because we know so much about the events of the Last Supper, but we don’t know much, if anything, about the First Supper. And in exploring the notion of the First Supper as a kind of origin story for the apostles, I started to dig deeper into each of their backgrounds. It was then I reached out to Jonathon Roberts, Founder and Co-Executive director of Spark and Echo to discuss this new theme. I wanted to know if there was anything mentioned in the new testament about this so called first supper. Jonathon reached out to his colleague Pastor Timothy Bourman of Sure Foundation Lutheran Church for information, and I was struck deeply by what Pastor Bourman had to say about the relation of the last supper and the first supper: "The last supper probably isn't the best name for the Lord's Supper. It is really a continuation and a deepening of a fellowship that began at the beginning of time and will culminate in the wedding feast of the Lamb. It is neither the first supper nor the last supper." “It is neither the first supper nor the last supper.” This really crystallized thematically what I wanted my project to be about. It was this comment that gave me “permission” to look beyond the apostles and into my own life and the people I know and allowed me to posit the notion of a “First Supper” moment for all of us. So what is a “First Supper” moment? To me, it is a moment in your life when you’ve experienced something life changing, memorable, thought provoking, challenging, or illuminating; all while breaking bread with someone. This someone could be your family, close friend, or a complete stranger. This idea of everyone having a “First Supper” moment also helped me to figure out the audience participation aspect of my immersive theater project. How was I going to engage with the audience in a way that would allow them to feel included? Of course! I’ll ask them to share their first supper moment with me. And those personal moments for the audience would become the necessary seed used to grow the show organically into an evening of theatre. I then reached out to some of my friends and asked them to share their first supper moments with me. I told them to not be literal in terms of a “supper.” It doesn’t have to be a feast or large gathering. It can be small and intimate. As long as that moment was important to them. I also wanted to keep it simple for them, so I asked of them only two things: 1. A short sentence or two describing the moment 2. List any food or drinks that you remember/stood out to you. I provided an example from my own first supper moment: “I was forced to go on a family trip to Oregon when I was 13 or 14. One night we grilled fresh oysters that came in on the boat that day. My dad cracked open a beer and shared it with me. It was a moment I’ll never forget.” Food: Fresh oysters and a can of Budweiser. – Don Nguyen Here are some "First Supper" moments that have been shared with me. Some even provided photos: “I was eight when my father’s union went on strike. His friend brought us a plate of cheese and meats. As my father thanked him, I peered into the otherwise empty fridge gazing on it with awe. It dawned on me what it felt like to not have quite enough.” Foods: Swiss and cheddar cheese. Cured meats. Probably Hickory farms or some such. – Stella Fawn Ragsdale “Having my first proper dinner with grandma. I obviously didn’t have the manners required so i pretended to fall asleep and my mom took the cue and removed me from the scrutiny.” Foods: disgusting beets and cooked carrots… and some other things that were fine. – Dusty Brown “My wedding reception dinner. That day was one of the happiest of my life. And the meal included green bean casserole. This is significant because green bean casserole is one of my absolute favorite things, but it’s not exactly "classy”. Yet, my husband let me include it as one of the side dishes for our reception. I think it represented us as a couple quite well – not very fancy, but comforting, enjoyable, and finding happiness in making each other happy.” Foods: Green Bean Casserole – Deborah Krambeck “In 1985 my Dad would pick me up early from Sunday school and we’d rush back to watch the Chicago Bears win 15 games and then ultimately the Super Bowl.” Foods: Microwaved Tyson chicken patty with mayonnaise on a bun. Still my favorite meal. – Aaron Levy “At the O’Neill Center, I had oysters and lobster for the first time at the clam bake we attended. And Dark and Stormys. And Don (co-writer) and I both declared that it was the fanciest meal either of us had ever had. And our cast was there, too, even though it was only supposed to be for the writers. And we all felt like we were in heaven.” Foods: Oysters, Lobster, Dark and Stormys – Chris Cragin Day “Eating without my family, but with my dog at the dining room table, while my parents were visiting my sister in the eating disorder ward of a hospital. it was a delicious frozen meal given to us by a friend.” Foods: a baked noodle dish, with cream sauce, chicken, peas and Parmesan cheese on top. Italian inspired. – Anonymous “First time meeting the Mother of my first long-term boyfriend. She was a widow, he was an only child and somewhat of a Mama’s boy so pressure was high to get approval. She was treating us to her favorite restaurant: Farmer Brown’s Steakhouse. I knew she had a limited budget so I was conservative with what I ordered. The food was awful. I tried to push the food around on my plate to make it look like I had eaten more but she noticed and commented to the boyfriend later. I think she thought I was too good for the food. I just thought not ingesting it was better than ingesting and then regurgitating it back on the table. I so wanted to make a good impression. It was a no win.” Foods: Side of canned green beans, side of cold spaghetti, meat with gristle that I had to do the napkin spit into, baked potato that sat in the warmer too long – butter, salt and pepper dousing helped a little. – Anonymous “Thanksgiving, 2014. My son, who hardly ever gets sick, ran a fever the night before Thanksgiving, so we had to cancel our plans to travel to see family. My husband and I ran out at seven a.m. Thanksgiving morning to shop for groceries, and we whipped up a quick feast.” Foods: Cornish game hens (as there were no turkeys left to buy), mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, squash, corn, bread, cheese & crackers. Served on our only-used-once-ever china! – Christina I love how just a handful of these “supper moments” captures an incredibly personal story with wide ranging themes of love, loss, and hope. Next Steps Now that I’ve identified the ever important “seed” for the evening, we need to water it a bit. I imagine the evening will go like this: RSVP and Prep 1. After a guest rsvp’s online, they are asked to share their “first supper” moment with the option of listing it with their name or “anonymous” and sharing any photos related to their moment. 2. Guests can read other “first supper” moments and photos for inspiration and personal curiosity. 3. Only twelve guests are allowed at each show. 4. A special menu will be created based off of the foods and drinks listed in everyone’s first supper moment. The menu doesn’t have to get literal with the items listed, it merely needs to recreate the essence of it. What will be interesting here is to find any connections between each guest’s list of food items. 5. A group of 4-5 performers made up of actors and musicians skilled in improvisation will conceptualize a skeleton show based on these first supper moments. The Garden Show 6. When guests arrive to the First Supper, they are greeted with a garden show which consists of light mingling and music, either live or a playlist made up especially for the guests. 7. During the garden show, three “first supper” moments will be performed and can consist of a monologue, scene, improvised scene, song, dance, call and response, visual art, etc. We should be open to trying any form. Each “first supper” moment performed should last no longer than two to three minutes, with a maximum of ten minutes for each performance “act.” Breaking Bread 8. Everyone in the room will literally break bread. The guests will then be seated. The dinner table can be different for each show and it doesn’t have to be one long table. It can be anything, as long as the performer’s playing space is immersed within the dining space. 9. Three more “first supper” moments are performed The First Course 10. Performers will serve the guests the first course, which is starter dish consisting of soup or salad. Performers can mingle and actively listen to the guests conversations at this time and mentally file anything that is said which can be used for later improv. The Second Course 11. Three more “first supper” moments are performed. 12. The second course is served, which is the main dish. 13. Again, performers can mingle and listen attentively to the conversations. The Third Course 14. Dessert and coffee is served. 15. The final three “first supper” moments are performed. 16. The chef comes out and talks to the audience about how their “first supper” moments inspired the evening’s menu. 17. The performers present a special song written for the evening, made up of all the stories shared that night. 18. We end the night with a spoken coda: 1. “Thank you for breaking bread with us tonight, and sharing your stories. They are gifts we will cherish forever and we hope each of you will cherish them as well. And as we part ways tonight, remember that we all began as strangers, but we will part as friends, and the stories we’ve shared with each other we hope will prove that tonight’s supper was neither the first nor the last. Goodnight. Here are some rough sketches of possible dining/performance seating layouts: Final Thoughts I really do feel like I’ve made a breakthrough with my process. Unfortunately it took me all this time to get to this point. But what’s great about being an artist in residence is that that’s exactly what I needed to crack open this idea: time. I want to continue exploring this idea and once the holidays are over, to really get it on it’s feet with an audience. This was something I had hoped to do before this post, but it was difficult inviting an audience and performers to something that didn’t have a clear foundation to build off of. But now I feel like I really have something interesting to work with. Look for an update in early 2016! Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Don Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam, grew up in Nebraska, and now currently resides in New York City. As a playwright, Don has written several full-length plays including: SOUND, a sign language play which was a finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and was previously developed at The Playwrights Realm. Don’s first full-length play RED FLAMBOYANT was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference and was both a finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival as well as the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. THE MAN FROM SAIGON has been developed at Naked Angels and was a NYSAF Founders Award recipient. THE COMMENCEMENT OF WILLIAM TAN was developed at New York Stage and Film and was a finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Don was also recently one of 48 playwrights commissioned for The Flea Theater’s 5 1/2 hour epic production of The Mysteries, directed by Ed Iskander, which was a stage adaptation of the Bible. Don is a proud member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, a member of the inaugural Emerging Writers Group at the Public Theater in New York and served five years as artistic director for The Shelterbelt Theatre. Don is also a frequent volunteer for the 52nd Street Project. Website: thenuge.com Website Don Nguyen About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen Part 1 Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen Part 2 Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen Part 3 My Million Spectacular Moments Don Nguyen Other Works By To follow the developmental process of Don's play read his first , second , and third posts as a 2015 Artist in Residence. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Eric Ekstrand brings us a poem in response to Philemon 1:22-25. Philemon 1:22-25 Polis By Eric Ekstrand Credits: Curated by: Kent Shaw 2015 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link “One thing more—prepare a guest room for me” (Phlm. 1:22a) Philemon makes for excellent rhetorical study in the genre of the Guilt Trip. One imagines this business letter read to Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus; but also publicly in front of the whole church at Colossae. The line, “but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced” in that setting winks deliciously with passive-aggression. Also, the final reference to Paul and Mark as “workers” (a common title Paul takes), and the economic language “charge that to my account” are biting in the context of an appeal on behalf of Onesimus, a slave. But, while a contemporary reader may be satisfied too quickly and for beat too long by Paul and Timothy’s between-the-lines, if not subtle, shaming of Philemon, eventually that reader will be unwantedly visited by the specter of this letter’s use as scriptural courage for advocates of the southern US slave economy. Paul never questions the moral ground of owning another person, only stressing the importance of treating owned people well; and who would know how that 15-year-old boy was treated after this letter was received, or whether or not he was returned to Paul, troublingly, as a human gift. (Ignatius of Antioch, some fifty years later, reports that the Bishop of Ephesus is a man named “Onesimus”—a common name for slaves, but the heart broadens at the possibility.) When we read the letter to Philemon, we will also hear the overtone of Paul’s admonition to the church at Galatia, “There is no longer Jew nor Greek, there is no longer slave nor free, there is no longer male nor female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus,” and consider whether Paul, here, is staying his hand to practical effect. And we would also want to know whether 1Timothy and Titus are authentic letters; because, in both, the command is for slaves to obey their masters. All this got me thinking about conflict: internal, external. Conflict is the mark of the Holy Spirit and therefore the early church as well as the fractious Body of Christ today. Conflict within the body and Body–the conscious body, a conflicted singularity– is where I started the poem. I remembered an account of split-brain patients that I read about first in David Eagleman’s Incognito for a writing class I teach on Evil. I am not an expert, by a long stretch, but here is what I learned: The two hemispheres of the brain have different and equally important roles in information processing, but left brain usually “wins” when it comes to decision-making (as its primary functions involve language and logic), and the right snivels in its subordination, conducting object recognition, empathy, humor etc. When the corpus callosum is sectioned–the band of white matter that coordinates between the two halves–we discover a battle between the left and right brain that is always rumbling, although most of us will never be able to be conscious of it. Split-brain patients can often learn to compensate quite successfully for their parallel processing and are often indistinguishable from adults whose corpus callosum still coordinates the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. Initially, though, these patients experience a nightmarish dissolving of the hierarchy of decision-making, where both hemispheric actors have equal “say,” resulting in confused, contradictory, and sometimes terrifying double-actions. I am hesitant to put what is a difficult reality for these patients and their loved ones to abstract philosophizing; but I do it anyway when I think, through the poem, “We do not know ourselves and we do not know each other: we should be most careful when we start to imagine that we do.” This is how Philemon might still prepare a guest room for Paul, and how Paul could request it, first. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Eric Ekstrand lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with his husband, Danny, and his father, Ken. He teaches writing at Wake Forest University. He is the recipient of a 2009 Ruth Lilly Fellowship awarded by The Poetry Foundation and graduated from the University of Houston with an MFA in Creative Writing in 2010. He is a former poetry editor of Gulf Coast:A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts. His work has appeared in Poetry, jubilat, Indiana Review, Black Warrior Review, Bat City Review, and elsewhere. His first collection, Laodicea , was selected by Donald Revell for the Omnidawn 1st/2nd book prize and will be published this spring. Website Eric Ekstrand About the Artist Eric Ekstrand Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art It takes it out of you the imagination it takes to normally agree with yourself laying a wreath for new reasons View Full Written Work Polis by Eric Ekstrand It takes it out of you the imagination it takes to normally agree with yourself laying a wreath for new reasons at a distance bowing away so not to startle fresh injustice from yourself. But these epileptic cases whose corpus callosum is medically severed: the left hand buttons the shirt the right un- buttons it, the left hand chooses the shirt the right returns it. Live by mistake plus consensus. Mistake we get, what is consensus, Creator. Close Loading Video . . . It takes it out of you the imagination it takes to normally agree with yourself laying a wreath for new reasons Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Remember Me by Jonathon Roberts is a setting of Ecclesiastes 12:2-7 in honor of the composer's 60th wedding anniversary. Ecclesiastes 12:2-7 Remember Me By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Piano/Vocals by Jonathon Roberts Clarinet/Vocals by Emily Clare Zempel Recorded/mixed by Alexander Foote Photography by Ilya Popenko Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2010 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This song was written as a tribute to my Grandparents Bob and Marie Mikels on their 60th wedding anniversary. They are very special to me. Their constant love and faith ceaselessly moves through our family as a river and will continue to flow for generations. I love the text of this piece taken from Ecclesiastes 12. At the end of the day our greatest wish is simply that God remembers us. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection J onathon Roberts is a composer and sound designer for games, film, theatre, and ensembles. His style grew out of classical and jazz training, and evolved through quality life adventures: touring the country in an RV with a one person theater piece on the Apostle Paul, living in Brooklyn with an improv music ensemble, performing in a downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, and a long stint writing music for the renowned slot machine company, High 5 Games. He has released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He created the popular podcast/web series ComposerDad Vs. Bible , in which ComposerDad accepts intense compositional challenges from a mysterious Bible while out with his kids. He frequently collaborates on music and theater projects with his wife, actor Emily Clare Zempel. They live in Beacon, NY, with their two boys and a tangled box of electrical cords. www.jonathonroberts.com Website Jonathon Roberts About the Artist Loving Arms I Make Tents The Sower Response There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner Weakness The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Babbler Prayer How Beautiful I Am a Fool The Constant Ecclesiastes Cows Blessing Fools for Christ More Than Rubies Only a Few Years Will Pass Dear Friend Jonathon Roberts Other Works By Remember Me Ecclesiastes 12:2-7 Before the sun and the light And the moon and the stars grow dark, The clouds return after the rain; When the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men stoop, When the grinders cease, And the windows grow dim, When the doors to the street are closed And all the sounds fade away; When men rise up to the sounds of birds, But all their songs grow faint; When men are afraid of heights And dangers in the street; When the almond tree blossoms And the grasshopper drags along Desire no longer stirred, Then man goes to his eternal home Mourners in the street. Before the silver cord is severed, Or the golden bowl broken Before the pitcher is shattered Or the wheel broken at the well, Dust returns to the ground, The spirit returns to the sky, Remember me. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Playwright Mashuq Mustaq Deen explores the difficulty of drawing lines between who is righteous and who are the sinners in this short play based on Psalm 107:33-38. Psalms 107:33-38 The Second Meeting of the Betterment Society By Mashuq Mushtaq Deen Credits: Curated by: Chris Cragin 2015 One Act Play Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The psalms that are the inspiration for The Second Meeting of the Betterment Society were about fields of plenty and the barrenness of the land, the former given to the faithful, and the latter to the sinners. This coupled well with my ongoing interest in the divide between the rural and urban parts of America, each of the opinion that the other are either idiots or heathens, and the lack of understanding that seems to flow between the two. Given our globalization, modernization, and sadly chemical-ization, I was drawn to write a story about the difficulty of drawing lines between who is the righteous and who are the sinners based on the simplicity of who has the fertility of land, and who is losing their fertility (or giving up their fertility). Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Mashuq Mushtaq Deen’s plays include The Shaking Earth, Draw the Circle, Tank & Horse, and Shut Up! Deen’s plays have been produced and/or developed by The Public Theater, NYTW, InterAct Theatre, Page73, Ma-Yi, Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, Georgetown University, BEAT Festival, PACE University, Hampshire College, Dixon Place, Passage Theatre, Queens Theatre in the Park, Tofte Lake Center, Berkshire Fringe. Awards and fellowships include: New Dramatists Company Member, MacDowell Fellow, Bogliasco Foundation Residency (2016), Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency (2016), NYFA, NYTW 2050 Fellow, Public Theater EWG, Page73 Interstate writing group, Jerome New York Fellowship finalist, O’Neill Conference semifinalist, Weissberger Award nomination, James Baldwin Award, Dennis Johnston Playwriting Prize honorable mention. He has been a teaching artist with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (SPARC Fellow), Community Voices Workshop with Second Generation Theatre, Mind the Gap (NYTW), and is currently on the Literary Committee of Queens Theatre. Member: NYTW Usual Suspect, Ma-Yi Writers Lab, Public Theater Alumni Writers Group, Dramatists Guild. Deen earned his MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School/New School for Drama. Website Mashuq Mushtaq Deen About the Artist Mashuq Mushtaq Deen Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art DOREEN Hey y’all, I have an idea for something we could do to better ourselves -- we could sing together. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . DOREEN Hey y’all, I have an idea for something we could do to better ourselves -- we could sing together. Download Full Written Work