collected-thoughts_chris-knight_featjpg.jpg Loading Video . . . I’ve always loved stories. As a kid, I carried books with me everywhere, reading in the car, disappearing under racks of clothes while my parents shopped. I lay on the floor in front of the TV for hours, re-watching my favorite movies on loop, soaking up mindless cartoons, watching another dumb sit-com with a book pressed close to my face. Stories were a way to meet new people, to break into their lives, to learn about the world I was still too young to experience. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Ecclesiastes 1:8-13 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 1 By Chris Knight Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2016 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link March 14, 2016 I’ve always loved stories. As a kid, I carried books with me everywhere, reading in the car, disappearing under racks of clothes while my parents shopped. I lay on the floor in front of the TV for hours, re-watching my favorite movies on loop, soaking up mindless cartoons, watching another dumb sit-com with a book pressed close to my face. Stories were a way to meet new people, to break into their lives, to learn about the world I was still too young to experience. As individuals, as a culture, stories are the tools we use to define ourselves. We remember our victories and our failures. The things we’ve done, the people we were with and the things that matter to us. They let us outsource our memories, preserving our experiences, our identities against our inevitable disappearance. Or at least, that’s what we hope. But the Preacher of Ecclesiastes reminds us not even our stories will last. They will all be forgotten. We will be forgotten. In the central line from the passage I’ve chosen, the Preacher writes, “There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.” So then, who will to do the work of downloading us? Where do we go once we’re copied? And what if we change our minds? I’m still not sure where the story I’m writing is going. But I know that’s where it will start. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Chris Knight is a director and writer based in New York City. His short films and feature scripts have been selected for a variety of film festivals across the country. Website Chris Knight About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 3 Carried from Jericho Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Chris Knight Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Chris' project by reading his second , third and final post as a 2016 Artist in Residence. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Nicora Gangi 2013 Air 2 Foolishness Loading Video . . . Nicora Gangi deals with the theme of "Fools" and responds to Ecclesiastes 5:7 in her second work created for a collection inspired by each of the six themes for the year as a 2013 Artist in Residence. Ecclesiastes 5:7 Fool By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, 2013 Artist in Residence 2013 14 x 20 inches Paper Collage on Strathmore paper & Adobe Photoshop Mixed Media Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Many of old pretended to know the mind of God by dreams and were so full of them that they almost made God's people forget his name by their dreams. Many now perplex themselves with their frightful or odd dreams or with other people's dreams heralding this or other disaster. Those that heed dreams shall have a multitude of them to fill their heads with, but in them there is nothing but foolishness - just as there is in many words. They are like the idle ill-mannered chat of children and fools, therefore don't pay any attention to them. Fear God and Him alone. Have an eye to His sovereign dominion. Set Him before you. Keep yourself in His love and be afraid of offending Him and you will not be disturbed by foolish dreams. The way not to be dismayed at the signs of heaven nor afraid of pagan idols is to fear God as King of Nations. (Jeremiah 10:2, 5, 7) Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL ). Website Nicora Gangi About the Artist The Mountain of the House of The Lord I See Him but Not Now So Shall Your Descendants Be This One The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 2 The Body without the Spirit | 3 The Sealed Ones Peace with God The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father When the Lord Gives Us The Land I See Him but Not Now The Mountain of the House of The Lord Paneled and Ruins Series The Harvest Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering Memories Lies Dance Your Truth from the Great Congregation Psalm 18 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE Nicora Gangi Other Works By Visual artist Nicora Gangi created a collection of mixed media works in response to scripture and the six themes of the year as a 2013 Artist in Residence. Explore her works created throughout the year: Spirit of God – The Spirit Hovering Light and Darkness (February 4, 2013) Fool (This piece) Fools (April 13, 2013) Dance Dancing (June 13, 2013) Lies Lies (August 22, 2013) The Harvest Harvest (October 17, 2013) Memories Memory (December 12, 2013) Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Trees of the Field" is an original song written and performed by Wendell Kimbrough in response to 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 and Isaiah 55. We are pleased to share this song along with an image of the painting "The Patient" by Lauren Shea Little, painted in reaction to Kimbrough's song. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Isaiah 55:1–6 Trees of the Field By Wendell Kimbrough Credits: Music by Wendell Kimbrough; Painting by Lauren Shea Little; Artist Location: Southern Alabama Curated by: 2011 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "Trees of the Field" is a reflection on the value of work in a broken world. Does our work matter? For all the time, toil, and frustration we put in, will our work ultimately be of any value? The song wrestles with these questions in light of 1 Corinthians 3 and Isaiah 55. It sees the Corinthians passage as posing a question to which Isaiah 55 suggests answers. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Wendell Kimbrough is a songwriter and worship leader in southern Alabama who believes church music should simply be good music that forms us as we sing it together. Drawing on the sounds of American folk and soul music, Wendell writes scripturally-rich songs with singable, memorable melodies. His music has been embraced by a growing number of churches, young and old, large groups and small, contemporary praise bands and traditional choirs. “There is nothing better than experiencing intimacy with God in the midst of a room where your friends and family are gathered together, experiencing a similar thing. This is why I lead worship; this is why I write songs.” —wk Website Wendell Kimbrough About the Artist Wendell Kimbrough Other Works By “The Patient” by Lauren Shea Little, painted in reaction to Kimbrough’s song. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This intimate poem by multi-disciplinary artist Adrienne Oliver invites the reader to explore love through patience and constancy in response to 2 Peter 3:8-10. 2 Peter 3:8-10 Child of Promise By Adrienne Oliver Credits: Curated by: Laura Eve Engel + Rebecca Testrake 2018 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link There is a patience in devotion; a giving not just of one’s self, but of one’s time. Devotion is enduring and unwavering, constant in its endless generosity, drawing strength not from the heart really, but from the subject of the heart’s attachment. Motherhood is faithful, and here the faithful are called to do as mothers do: devote one’s whole self, body and soul, with trust. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Adrienne Oliver is a performer, educator, and writer. Her work explores the intersection of the mundane and magical. Through memoirs and multi-modal explorations, she seeks to highlight the nuance and performance of both woman and motherhood. Her essays and poetry have been featured in several digital publications and journals as well as Tribe de Mama, The Village Magazine, Parents Magazine, and Mama, Bare . She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her daughter, Pearl. Website Adrienne Oliver About the Artist Adrienne Oliver Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Beloved, sweet mystery of patience, summation of these thousand silent vows. suspended in promises divine, shrouded in your permanence, I remain. View Full Written Work Child of Promise By Adrienne Oliver Beloved, sweet mystery of patience, summation of these thousand silent vows. suspended in promises divine, shrouded in your permanence, I remain. heart in hand, padding hallways, a small penance for sudden constancy. steady fervor scuttles me ever forward. breath builds, and laps over memories. echoing might rings, as a thousand bells. until, as the dawn, you break me sneaking ambush of spirit. and the heaving sky will bear you earthside, and we and you and I and this deafening world will melt in the fires of love until forever. Idling champion of my redesign, I am awakened. Close Loading Video . . . Beloved, sweet mystery of patience, summation of these thousand silent vows. suspended in promises divine, shrouded in your permanence, I remain. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Filmmaker Victor Carrera has created this meditative response to Lamentations 2:18. Lamentations 2:18 TEARS By Victor Carrera Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Selected from Artist Submissions 2015 Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Day and night there is a vivid lament at the heart of God. Sometimes the lament is soft, other times is loud. It is never cold, but is always pure. A Bride cries an infinity cry. Her tears fall over the wall of Zion. She asked God, "How it is called the waterfall?" He replayed, 'The Cry of the Bridge.' God employs tears to calm the Bride. She ends her cry at the Heart of God. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Victor Carrera’s greatest passions are God, youth ministries, evangelism, and beautiful art. He has experience in lecturing and teaching in Bible, Story and Film, in mentoring writers and discipleship, and in producing inspirational content with images, sounds and words. He is the founder and Creative Executive of Kingdoministry -Hope. A project in its 4th edition, in which creativity, academics and other initiatives come to live: www.kingdoministry.org Website Victor Carrera About the Artist Victor Carrera Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . The phrase kept repeating in my mind: “he set his face like a flint” Exodus 28:1-5 Exodus 28:29-30 Proverbs 19:20-21 Isaiah 50:6-8 Hebrews 12:2 Romans 7:15 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 2 By Melissa Beck Credits: 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 June 22, 2015 The phrase kept repeating in my mind: “he set his face like a flint” It kept speaking at me, though I didn’t know exactly what it meant. Even so, I adopted it into my thinking, and let it guide me in all I was doing. I imagined myself not being swayed by emotion, but staying the course because determination was stronger. I realized I had been letting disappointment get the best of me without even realizing it. I was in a strange place in life with little motivation but still strong dreams. I had prayed endlessly for some direction in my art endeavors and for a job, but, after so many tries and no success, I felt that my prayers and efforts had gone stale. However, I came to see that responding to the feeling of being stale was a form of giving up and being disappointed. I knew there had to be a better way to respond to these setbacks, even if they indeed were my reality. After chewing on this phrase, I found myself emailing my mom: “I didn’t even know exactly what it meant, but I thought it meant focused, going after the goal whatever the cost, literally making your face like a strong stone that can’t be moved (I guess that’s what “flint” is..? Not to be confused with “lint”…haha! definitely not the same thing).” Although humorous, this contrast of flint and lint was a clear picture of what I was thinking about. Lint is just excess; it is unstable and unnecessary in life. However, at the same time, it is inevitable. Lint is in every nook and cranny of our lives, and, even if we vacuum under the couch, wash our clothes, or clear out the dryer filter, lint will appear again. It floats in the air, visible in certain lights, invisible in others, ever changing its form. I thought about how I can be this way, that I tend to look around without focus, shifting like bits of lint in the air, unsure of what form I want to take. When I read this verse, I realized that setting my face like flint is something I have to do intentionally. Lint just happens, but a face like flint is something that is “set”–it is developed, crafted, and refined over time. So, for this piece, I set out to do a challenging work: I set out to make a pair of glasses. I wanted both the process of creating this piece and the piece itself to reflect this relationship of lint and flint. Bits of lint would be mixed into the resin that would set to hard, usable frames. I would then get lenses made in my prescription to fit the frame, so they could be usable eyeglasses, literally and metaphorically making my “face set like a flint.” Making glasses frames was something I’ve never done before, but that had never stopped me from taking on a project before. I was determined to create these and present it here as my second piece for Spark and Echo, so I did some research, met with a professional mold maker/former professor, and got to work. However, my attempts left me in a sticky mess (literally) and more complications than I want to go into here. I didn’t have a plan B except to abandon it, which I still could … But what was this piece about from the beginning anyway? I knew I still believed in the concept and the verse. And I knew that determination has to keep going even when I don’t feel determined. Therefore, as much as I would rather just not keep trying, I am going to. For this year-long residency, I’m exploring what it looks like to be committed to something, and sometimes that looks like wanting to give up. I think that’s okay to sit in that for a time. Perhaps this post, this in-progress part is more about the lint and less about the flint, more about the effort and process of “setting” our faces like flint rather than what it looks like when it’s polished and ready. To get to that place, to set our faces in flint, it often takes more time than we expect, even when we plan well and are overflowing with determination. In the end, I wanted to present a nicely finished piece, but instead I’m sharing a rough draft, the failed attempts, the linty in-between part that might not seem that impressive. However, these are all a vital part. The multiple attempts that failed give greater significance and meaning to something when it finally does succeed. I know this is nothing new, for every human is linty and failed. We all must believe that failures are not the end of the story, nor should we make them to be. So stay tuned, this piece and the journey is not finished yet. Flint and Lint, Melissa Beck 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 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 4 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Breadth Melissa Beck Other Works By View Melissa's first , third , fourth and final 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 . . . Dancer and choreographer Christine Suarez presents her final post on her project, Dancing the Book of Ruth, created as a 2015 Artist in Residence. Ruth 1:16-17 Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez By Christine Suarez Credits: Title: Dancing the Book of Ruth Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2015 2015 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link It is bittersweet to submit my final post on my project. It has been a beautiful journey. And I am so grateful to share it and be supported in this way. On August 29, we performed Dancing the Book of Ruth for a generous audience at 1450 Ocean/Camera Obscura in Santa Monica, CA. It was truly a satisfying culmination of my residencies with Spark and Echo Arts and 1450 Ocean/Camera Obscura. Our performance ran about 45 minutes. I was so pleased to have collaborated with dancers, Carol McDowell and Rebeca Hernandez. A quick re-cap of my process: I was drawn to the Book of Ruth because of the story and relationship between Ruth and Naomi. I identify with Naomi's depth of desperation and feeling that God had forsaken her. I am inspired by Ruth's unshakable faith and hope. And together they do something that no other Biblical women do: they reshape what a family is and how women are supposed to behave. For this manifestation of the work I designed it in part as a site-specific piece and in part as a lecture-demonstration. It was important to me for the audience to experience the real landscape of the location and to see the work from different perspectives. It was also important to me to tell the story while also sharing our creative process. I ended up writing my own version of the story. I quote the Book of Ruth directly twice. The first with Ruth's speech to Naomi: "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." Like I do with most of my work, I try to infuse it with some humor. After I quoted Ruth's speech, I looked at the audience and said, "Can you imagine feeling that way to your mother-in-law?" The second passage I quote is what Naomi says upon her homecoming arrival in Bethlehem: "'Don't call me Naomi,' she told them. 'Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.'" Our video shows how we were inspired by a series of paintings that capture the moment of Ruth’s devotion to Naomi. I had the paintings up on our studio wall throughout our process. We used these images as a source for movement material. We then manipulated the shapes by moving them through space, changing speed and spatial relationships. We morphed these paintings to reflect how these women reconfigured their ideas of themselves. We also played with patterns in space to represent how these two women navigate the cultural structure, which they lived – how they both continued on with their lives together though with great uncertainty. To end the work, we developed a series of improvisation structures to embody different aspects of Naomi and Ruth. Our audience was an interesting cross section of people – all were particularly interested in the Book of Ruth. Some of whom I imagine would not normally be interested in dance-theater had it not been for the subject matter. I love that so much! We had a lot of interesting conversations post-performance about Ruth and her motives – about Naomi and how despite her loses still had a plan for survival. What was most interesting to me was to hear how important this text is to both Christian and Jewish people. In attendance were both a Rabbi and a Roman Catholic priest along with other religious people. I had interesting conversations about how this work could live in churches and synagogues. Or how I could use the structure of the piece to work with congregations to create a new version of it. It was very exciting. I plan on continuing to work on this project in 2016. I would like to investigate further how to relate to the text. How can the performers and myself be in dialogue with these ancient Biblical women? I am curious about new entry points into the story and these women's lives. I appreciate any thoughts or reflections. Email me at info@suarezdance.org . Thanks! Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Christine Suarez is a Los Angeles-based choreographer, performer and educator. Born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Baton Rouge Louisiana, Christine made her first works of choreography to the Grease soundtrack. Since then she has created eleven evening-length dance-theater works, numerous site-specific and community events and close to a dozen dances for the theater and film, along with teaching, creating and performing at school sites all over the U.S. While living in New York City from 1994-2006, her work was presented at various venues including Danspace Project, P.S. 122, HERE, Joyce SoHo and Dixon Place. In 1998 she founded SuarezDanceTheater, a not-for-profit, ensemble of dancers, actors and musicians. SuarezDanceTheater examines the unexpected – creating dance-theater in unexpected places with unexpected people about unexpected subjects. Christine and company were Artists in Residence at Tribeca Performing Arts Center from 2003-2006. Her work has toured nationally and internationally to over 20 cities. Her work happens in theaters, houses, parks, Churches, galleries, sidewalks and beaches. She collaborates with multi-generational performers along with parents, children, veterans, high school students and teen mothers. Since relocating to Los Angeles, she has been invigorated by making dances in unexpected places. Wet Spots (2008) was a site-specific performance about female orgasm that she created in collaboration with a multi-generational cast of women. The Los Angeles Times called it “ingeniously crafted…poignant…hilarious.” She has organized community dance participatory performances in parks, beaches and classrooms in partnership with city governments, community based organizations and schools. She has also been touring Wet Spots: Solo to Tallinn, Estonia, Movement Research at Judson Church (New York City), The Garage (San Francisco), Emory University (Atlanta, GA), The A.W.A.R.D. Show! (REDCAT). Most recently she premiered her new evening length work MOTHER . at the Motion Pacific at the Santa Cruz Fringe Festival and Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, CA. As an educator, Christine has worked at public schools all over the New York City and Los Angeles area. She has been a guest teacher/choreographer at California State University San Marcos, California State University Los Angeles, Emory University, Indiana University, Southeastern University of Louisiana and Louisiana State University. She holds an MFA in choreography from UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures Department and a BA in Theater and English Literature from Emory University. She is a government contractor co-creating a dance program for Veterans at The School for Better Living, a psycho-social research initiative a the West Los Angeles VA Hospital. She also works as a teaching artist with the HeArt Project. She has been awarded grants from the Center for Cultural Innovation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Puffin Foundation, Meet the Composer, the Association for Hispanic Arts, JP Morgan Chase Regrant, the Field and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center. She is honored to be a Hispanic Scholarship Fund/Cheech Marin Endowed Scholarship Scholar and recipient of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund McNamara Family Creative Arts Projects Grant. (Photo by CedarBough Saeji) www.suarezdance.org Website Christine Suarez About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez Part 2 Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez Part 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez Part 1 The joy of our heart has ceased; Our dance has turned into mourning. Christine Suarez Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Christine's project by reading her first , second , and third post written over the course of the year. 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Oil Monster Katrina Zezza Loading Video . . . Artist and theologian Katrina Ross illuminates the timeless words of Revelation 13:1-2 with a lens of today's potential context. Revelation 13:1-2 Oil Monster By Katrina Ross Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 Pen + Photoshop Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Illuminating this passage was challenging for me, because of how it has been used to terrorize and demonize groups of people, but I chose it because I've always loved drawing giant monsters. There are a variety of interpretations for the "beasts" described in the Book of Revelation, but it is widely thought that the beasts are meant to represent religious and economic powers within society which persuade people to pledge their allegiance to institutional powers, often at the expense of what is good and right. In its original context, the beast of the sea was likely a subversive reference to the imperial cult of Rome and specifically Emperor Nero who was a notoriously brutal and unjust persecutor. However, this story has found its way into the narrative of other battles and culture wars since. As with most Bible stories, Revelation can be used to justify almost any worldview. The beast can become whatever you find most threatening or what you see as the greatest evil of our time, but I think it is important to keep God's faithfulness in mind as we interpret scripture. I find it especially troubling when the beast is said to represent marginalized groups because this text was written to give people hope for justice in the face of institutionalized cruelty, not to further subjugate the powerless. Lately, I've been thinking about how theology is used to uphold unjust systems of power. For our context, I think the beast of the sea would more appropriately symbolize wealth inequality, systemic injustice and corporate greed. The seven heads of the beast, said to be seven emperors who formed the Roman Empire, might today be the seven "supermajors" of Big Oil whose influence disproportionately controls political and economic direction worldwide. I think this story, found in the Book of Revelation, is about God's witness to the oppressive forces in our world, which will be overcome in God's time and with our compassionate action. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Katrina Ross is currently an M.Div student at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and she has also worked as a freelance graphic designer and artist for many years. She draws things using ink, water-based paints and digital applications. Katrina’s inspiration is often derived from things she thinks she saw, or symbols that want to be reconfigured. She tries to avoid explicit narrative to leave room for a range of experiences, because your contribution as the viewer is central to the meaning. Website: katrinaross.net Blog: katrinaross.blogspot.com Website Katrina Ross About the Artist Samuel and Time Travel Katrina Ross 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 piece has been quite a process, and now I’m happy to say it is complete…or rather what I set out to do is complete. 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 Part 4 By Melissa Beck Credits: 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 December 7, 2015 This piece has been quite a process, and now I’m happy to say it is complete…or rather what I set out to do is complete. I made a pair of glasses that I can wear. I got an eye exam and had my prescription put in the frames so wearing these glasses improves my vision. The lint that once was aimless excess is now redeemed, making up part of the structure of the frames. Inherently an object of focus, these glasses make the lint into something fixed and give it purpose. I learned later on that putting the lint into a resin doesn’t just help the lint become a fixed object, but the lint’s presence in the resin give the frames rigidity and actually contribute to its strength. Although this piece is “finished,” it didn’t turn out as I had thought but instead has taught me more. While the piece itself represents redemption of the figurative lint in our lives, the process of making these glasses forced me to enact the practice of setting my face like flint. Despite failures and struggle, I had to remain determined in order for the piece to be completed. One of the hardest parts about making this piece was not knowing how to do it because I had never done this before…and I’m pretty sure no one else has either. As my earlier post showed, I had run into issues and thought many times about abandoning the piece. It’s often the case that we lose our flint-like faces before we even get anywhere. At least I notice that about myself. Therefore we are not required to carry the load ourselves. This piece makes me think of when Christ died saying, “it is finished” (John19:30) and when Paul said to “work out your salvation” (Philippians 2:12). Sometimes this seems like a paradox; that work must be done even when something is finished. Although my glasses piece is finished, it still can be worked on. The screws are weak, the shape doesn’t fit well enough to stay on my face, and actually the lenses keep falling out. Even still, they work and are fully functioning glasses. They are finished, and yet I may keep working on them. I like how Isaiah 50:7 starts out with “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me…”. It’s a reminder that anything we do is first empowered by and possible because of God. He is our helper and we can’t do anything on our own. Several people helped me along the way in making this piece. Their help was essential to this piece. Even as we get impatient with ourselves, want to abandon the process because we seem to be getting nowhere, our Maker is in the business of refining us with us. Our in progress states are just as much of value and importance as a finished piece. Sometimes it’s the doing of something where we learn and grow the most, making that process essential. In life we are never finished. We are always pieces of lint being redeemed, and that is a good thing. Flint and Lint In progress: blue silicone mold and resin cast of glasses frames inside. In progress: resin is cured, ready to be sanded to desired thickness. In progress: resin is cured, ready to be sanded to desired thickness. 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 Breadth Melissa Beck Other Works By View Melissa's first , second , third , and final 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

vesper-stamper_not-my-vineyard.jpg Loading Video . . . Vesper Stamper's work entitled "This is Not My Vineyard" responds to the theme of "Memory" and the passage of Deuteronomy 6:4-12. This is a self-portrait, which is a discipline I have been trying to keep this Advent as a way to understand Jesus' coming into the deepest reaches of my own life in its present complexities. Deuteronomy 6:4-12 This is Not My Vineyard By Vesper Stamper Credits: Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2013 22 x 15 inches Watercolor on Paper Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link My faith has come to a place of simplicity over the past couple of years, distilling to the basic elements of the "Shema" ("Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one"), and the Greatest Commandment ("You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might"), both of which are contained in this passage, with the command to bind the awareness of the Lord's presence and ways on the hand and forehead, signifying both the mind and the will/deeds. I grew up in a Jewish home, so these passages have always been familiar to me, but I realized that I had a superficial knowledge of their context. I was surprised by God's matter-of-fact understanding of how quickly we forget Him even when we are in the midst of His abundance‚ an abundance that others before us had labored for, meaning that everything we think we have earned has been placed divinely in our lives in a long succession of events. Just as the Jewish practice of wrapping tefillin is a way of entwining the awareness of God in the mind and will, we are called by this Scripture to consciously entwine into our memories His deeds, past, present and future. This is a self-portrait, which is a discipline I have been trying to keep this Advent as a way to understand Jesus' coming into the deepest reaches of my own life in its present complexities. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection My work draws on mysticism, by which I mean any person’s reconciling of their tangible surroundings and doings with the (I would argue) universal inner pull toward God’s personality. I respond deeply to archetypical story as found in dark and complex fairy tales, and the disparate impressions we see in our own nighttime dreams. I believe these can be seen as a window into the mystical nature of man. As with Biblical narrative, certain cultural symbols resonate with meaning, and I believe that at thirty-seven I am only at the beginning of my own understanding of them. In this sense my work is evolving with a guiding principle that I am only one person in a continuum of storytellers, and that I will be pursuing the meanings of these symbols well into my twilight years. As an illustrator and storyteller, I feel a profound responsibility to communicate to my audience, beyond purely personal self-expression. This communication can be either on a visceral level or a clear exposition of subject matter, but as a Christian I believe I must be on guard against oversimplified dichotomies or propagandistic message-making. The best stories are those that have the most breathability—hence the fact that I am reinterpreting a passage which is around five thousand years old. Currently I am about to enter the Master of Fine Arts program in Illustration as Visual Essay at School of Visual Arts, and am seeking agency representation. I am working on two illustrated novels, both of which draw on Celtic and Anglo-Saxon myth as the reality of the lives of ordinary women and girls who are reconciling tragedy with their own agency and identity. Hopelessly lost among the wintry wardrobes of Pauline Baynes’ Narnia, Shaun Tan’s mysterious foreign lands, and the watery open spaces in Lisbeth Zwerger’s illustrations, Vesper Stamper’s calling as an illustrator began as soon as she cracked open Hilary Knight’s Cinderella and spent the rest of her childhood meticulously copying each graceful page. She earned an Honors degree in Illustration from Parsons School of Design, and, woven in with her visual work, Vesper is also a recording artist in the indie rock band Ben + Vesper, on the Sounds Familyre record label. Her career has spanned fifteen years, dozens of album covers, four picture books and countless other exciting projects. She brings a refined style and emotional depth to her work that goes beyond mere decoration to pay homage to the rich illustrative tradition from which she comes. Vesper was named the recipient of the 2012 Lincoln City Fellowship for her upcoming graphic novel "The Sea-King’s Children," which will take her to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland this spring (2013) to research the book’s setting and folklore, and to write and paint for the book at the “edge of the world.” She lives in Jersey City, NJ with her husband, filmmaker Ben Stamper, and her two fairy children, who are grabbing the baton and can take an urban backyard full of dirt and recreate it as a world of wonders. Website Vesper Stamper About the Artist Haman's Last Meal Vesper Stamper Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . 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Loading Video . . . Author Lancelot Schaubert offers the second release from his inventive three-part mini-series, presented as a small newspaper in response to a collection of Scripture passages. This section focuses on the theme of "overcoming" as found in Romans 8:29-39. Romans 8:29-39 Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 By Lancelot Schaubert Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 Creative Writing Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I wanted the stories featured in this section of the Dragonsmaw Daily to speak to the death we face, to the groaning of creation, and the typical feel of extinction. I think it succeeded in this front — you might need to read it and the passage a couple times to pick up on all the themes. The Dragonsmaw daily is a paper circulating on LOMEDAY of the month of BLAGUROEDD 47 in the year 1109 P.T. on Gergia, one of the Vale Universe ( short story series here ). It may seem like a high-shelf sort of entry for the average reader, something that takes a herculean effort to embrace in terms of the suspension of disbelief or secondary belief in my created world. However, I think it's quite easy: if you'll trust me, it'll read as a wonderfully foreign paper from a wonderfully foreign world. It's ephemera: something like an in-world artifact I happened to pick up from a newsboy who was hawking EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA copies in order to have enough ₮ to get his sister through the week on an onion (actually it's more like a leek) based soup. She beat the fever, in case you were wondering. But I brought it back from Gergia and gave it to my friends at Spark and Echo that it might supplement the stories I've written here and elsewhere about these fantastic worlds I travel so frequently. For those that have followed along in any capacity, this paper tells of events taking place prior to the events in the Moon Boys series from my artist residency and quite far in the past from the other commissions here at Spark and Echo. It occupies the region around the Imperial Crescent in Gergia (top left of the main land mass on that false map I drew of the world) . Each of the events recorded in this paper feature major workings in the region. All together I wanted to bind up the themes of extinction, of power dynamics, and of being lost and found into one piece. So I stitched together three commissions in a more unified form than normal. Of course some parts of the paper will remain out of reach for some time — like any foreign country, Gergian customs and economics and politics only make sense after you've lived there for quite some time. But one day the times, dates, seasons, and currency will make perfect sense to you. And then the dread realization of what the paper really reveals will come all too clear, as clear as a Bell Hammer. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lancelot has sold work to The New Haven Review (The Institute Library), The Anglican Theological Review, TOR (MacMillan), McSweeney's, The Poet's Market, Writer's Digest, and many, many similar markets. (His favorite, a rather risqué piece, illuminated bankroll management by prison inmates in the World Series Edition of Poker Pro). Publisher's Weekly called his debut novel BELL HAMMERS "a hoot." He has lectured on these at academic conferences, graduate classes, and nerd conventions in Nashville, Portland, Baltimore, Tarrytown, NYC, Joplin, and elsewhere. The Missouri Tourism Bureau, WRKR, Flying Treasure, 9art, The Brooklyn Film Festival, NYC Indie Film Fest, Spiva Center for the Arts, The Institute of the North in Alaska, and the Chicago Museum of Photography have all worked with him as a film producer and director in various capacities. Website Lancelot Schaubert About the Artist Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 1 Posh Girls As Waters Cover Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 Watchtower Stripped to the Bonemeal Metaphysical Insurance Claim 0075A: The Delphic Oracle Philadelphia Bloodlines Lancelot Schaubert Other Works By As with most shared newspapers, some of the pages have been pulled out and are out of order, so you will have to piece them together as the project is released. You may find the other parts of the project at Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 and Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 . You may also view the entirety of the project, here — as a brand new newspaper. Related Information View More Art Make More Art DEATH ALL DAY: From famine to danger to thirst — region faces many threats, yet loves. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . DEATH ALL DAY: From famine to danger to thirst — region faces many threats, yet loves. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Curator for Spark+Echo Arts and dancer Elizabeth Dishman responds to the theme of "Dancing" from Judges 21:16-24 with her company of dancers, Coriolis. Judges 21:16-24 dance in the dances By Elizabeth Dishman Credits: Collaboratively Choreographed by Elizabeth Dishman + the performers: Leah Ives, Kaitlin Morse, Niko Tsocanos and Caitlin Yuhas Music by Giuseppe Sammartini and J. S. Bach Curated by: Elizabeth Dishman 2013 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I initially found this passage really funny and bizarre: the Israelite tribesman make an oath not to give their daughters to the tribe of Benjamin for wives, but later feel sorry for their brothers, whose clan will die out. So they come up with this great idea to have the Benjamites SNATCH and marry the young women who go out to dance in the fields. That way no one breaks the oath, and Benjamin lives on. Such a good idea… It struck me as hilarious, so I imagined a light-hearted dance of joyous, unsuspecting young ladies being watched by a man with marriage on his mind. However, the background story to this scene is horribly grim, involving gang rape, murder and a hideous call to justice from a man bereft of his concubine (Judges 19-21:15). Saving this darker content for a future dance, I decided to create the work based on my initial response to the dancing in the field scenario, but I also thought about what it would be like to try to build a real marriage out of this abrupt and non-mutual courtship. Hence the second section, which reflects the awkwardness and struggle that might have ensued (“so…now what do we do?”). In that culture the groom may not have tried as hard to become a good friend and lover, but I imagined a more present-day pair honestly searching for their footing in an intimate, stolen dance. 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 Terra Firma Visitation 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