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

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About Spark+Echo Arts Spark+Echo Arts forms communities of artists who engage with and create in response to the Bible. Through a finely-tuned curation process , selected artists chose a passage, and respond freely and honestly. The process is slowly and steadily building a unique platform that elegantly weaves stunning and thoughtful art with Scripture. We believe that the Bible is relevant to all people in all places. We believe that all artists in all places are image bearers of God. We believe that artists have a pervasive impact in forming culture. We envision a world where: Artists are affirmed in their calling. Artists connect deeply to God and one another. Artists from diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds work with each other. Artists provide new forms of engagement with scripture. Every verse of the Bible will be illuminated with art, music, theatre, poetry, dance, or film by Christian and non-Christian artists from every nation across the world. The Bible once again becomes a common subject of artistic conversation and creation. The Bible is given fresh life and meaning to a generation who engage and respond through visual and interpretive arts. Our Story The project was founded in 2010 in NYC by Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel; artists who love the Bible and the process of creating art in response to it. They wanted to create a community platform where others could have these same kinds of transformative experiences. We feel that something special happens when you simply open the Word and creatively respond to it. So, the project continues that tradition: Give incredible artists a spark to respond to the Bible and trust that remarkable things will happen. Artists that create for Spark+Echo Arts come from a wide range of backgrounds. They are urban, rural, religious, secular, from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, at different places in their careers; they create in every style and discipline imaginable, are deeply familiar with the Bible, or rarely open it. We believe that the Bible is ceaselessly relevant to any person, anywhere. With the help of our patrons and community, we curate phenomenal artists from all over the world, letting Scripture speak through them and their life experiences. Who's Involved Jonathon is a composer, sound designer, and arts leader. He co-founded Spark+Echo Arts with his wife Emily Clare Zempel in 2010 and shaped the project as its Executive Director for ten years. He has toured the country with a solo theatre piece about the Apostle Paul, played in a popular downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, created the family podcast, “ComposerDad vs. Bible”, and released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He and Emily live in the Hudson Valley, NY, with their two boys. Learn more at www.jonathonroberts.com Jonathon Roberts Founder, Board President Rebecca is an artist turned theologian. She has a background in theatre, creative writing, and painting. Favorite performance credits include Grace in Life Without Parole, Lydia in Pride and Prejudice, and Gay Wellington in You Can’t Take it With You. A graduate from Fuller Theological University, she received her Masters of Divinity with an emphasis in Worship, Theology and the Arts and was a recipient of the Brehm Scholarship. She is the founding member of her experimental band, Sound Quilt: a project which interpreted original poems into songs and then music videos. A Southern California native, she thoroughly enjoys visiting NYC. Rebecca Testrake Executive Director, Board Member Matthew is an artist and educator with an MFA in classical acting from George Washington University and an MA in speech communication from Miami University of Ohio. He has more than 20 years of experience as a collegiate educator, teaching a wide variety of courses in communication and theatre, and he continues to coach and mentor developing artists of all ages. Matthew is also the Founder of Lamp and Light Productions with a mission of combining multiple art forms to help people see, hear, and experience the Bible in unique ways. He is an award-winning actor, director, and playwright and has created multiple original performances that he tours nationally. His latest play, What I Didn’t Say, focuses on Parkinson’s Disease and how to strengthen the relationship between patients and medical professionals. Learn more at lampandlightproductions.com. Matthew Moore Relationship Manager, Board Member Whitney is pursuing her passion of being an activist for change in her community as a storyteller, innovative thinker, and aspiring women’s and family health advocate. Growing up in Savannah, Whitney learned leadership skills and innovative thinking as a Girl Scout. She recognized her love of storytelling and creativity through her exposure to museums and theaters. The passion for storytelling lead her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a specialization in Journalism at Savannah State University. As an undergraduate student, she wrote for SSU’s student newspaper, volunteered as the social media strategist for her local farmers market, and became the president of the Mass Communications Student Association. Whitney graduated from Savannah State University with her undergraduate degree in 2012 and moved to Peru, with her daughter, to teach English for two years. In 2015, Whitney moved back to Savannah to pursue a master’s in business administration. In the three years, she was pursuing her Masters, she became a member of the National Council of Negro Women and the president of SSU’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. In 2019, Whitney earned her MBA and in 2022 she earned her MPA. Whitney Keitt Secretary, Board Member Dr. Maria Fee is an artist and theologian exploring ideas of alienation and hospitality. Maria Fee Board Member Collapsible text is perfect for longer content like paragraphs and descriptions. It’s a great way to give people more information while keeping your layout clean. Link your text to anything, including an external website or a different page. You can set your text box to expand and collapse when people click, so they can read more or less info. Alexander Douglas Board Member Matt is a creative professional with nearly 30 years of experience in brand development and marketing asset development. He's operated Big Picture Studio inpendently since 2016. Prior, he served at American Bible Society for 7 years as Creative Director and then as Program Director for Arts & Media Bible Advocacy, leading innovative efforts to engage skeptics with Scripture. Matt Steinruck Board Member Curators Our current and past curators include: Davelyn Hill (Poetry) April Knighton (Visual Art) Matthew Moore (Theater) Michael Markham (Film + Theater) Peter Mawanga (Music) Darryl Ratcliff (Literature) Jonathon Roberts (Music) Emily SoRelle Adams (Dance) Janna Aliese (Visual Arts) Ebitenyefa Baralaye (Visual Arts) Aaron Beaumont (Multidisciplinary) Charis J Carmichael Braun (Visual Arts) Rachel Carvosso (Visual Arts) Chris Cragin-Day (Theatre) Marlanda Dekine “Sapient Soul” (Literature) Elizabeth Dishman (Dance) Laura Eve Engel (Literature) John Estes (Literature) Lauren Ferebee (Theatre) Sarah Gregory (Music) Emily Ruth Hazel (Literature) Laurel Justice (Visual Arts) Jeffrey Leiser (Film) Evelyn C. Lewis (Visual Arts) Evan Mazunik (Music) Shann Ray (Literature) Katie Reimer (Music) Kent Shaw (Literature) Carey Wallace (Literature) Emily Clare Zempel (Multi-disciplinary)

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