Loading Video . . . I read a devotional recently that touched upon our disposable culture. We are all too familiar with this in regards to our use of products, ever growing pace of production, and consumption of physical objects. 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 1 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 March 30, 2015 I read a devotional recently that touched upon our disposable culture. We are all too familiar with this in regards to our use of products, ever growing pace of production, and consumption of physical objects. However what fascinated me beyond that was the connection to disposability in the more intangible things, our relationships and commitments, which is something far more consequential. A quote from the devotional: “…Many times true commitment in relationships is seen as optional. Marriages struggle to survive. Long term employees are discharged just before retirement for cheaper options….It seems as if nothing lasts.” I began thinking about commitment versus disposability as well as temporal versus permanent. I find it interesting how we often opt for temporal or disposable commitments to each other, to our goals, to our convictions, to our Lord. Yet at the same time, we were made for eternity, we believe in loyalty, we long for committed relationships and need them. However no one is exempt from this struggle of keeping promises or not letting commitments fade out. It is a constant battle within us. For me personally, reading this devotional hit home as I realized that I often make commitments to myself and to God that I don’t keep. So often I decide to face my fears and complete a project, focus on developing a good habit, or even something more invisible as being aware of my own selfish attitudes. While I believe heartedly in these good things, I find that after a brief time of establishing a commitment I have long forgotten about them or feel less convicted and let them slip into the periphery of my life. Why is it that we so often dispose of what we truly deem as of utmost importance? For this yearlong residency with Spark and Echo Arts, I will create a series of works that will explore the struggle and beauty of this battle we each face. Each piece will be tied to a Bible verse or verses that I personally feel holds the heart of this reality and yet inherently explains universally what we all face in some way. I have spent the past few months both being inspired and wrestling with how to connect my own artwork with the Bible and how to bring that forth to speak to an audience. After many late nights of trying to pin down vague inspirations and contemplating the feelings around these concepts, I’ve honed my ideas into four concrete pieces. These will come in the form of sculptures, performance, video, and a documented event. Although I am setting out to make these specific works, I anticipate things will change, but even in that lays some truth about making commitments and what time does to that. More on this will be explored later. I am very excited to see these ideas become reality, to move from my personal warehouse to the public sphere, and to experience dialogue with others of how these works relate to personal lives, communal living, and the specific stories we each carry. Disposable Commitments, Melissa Beck “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15) This first piece, while simple is a pertinent way of sculpturally manifesting this idea of “disposable commitments.” Porcelain china dishes are stacked in a plastic bag, taking the place of disposable foam plates. Two similar yet vastly different entities juxtaposed. Dishes that are long lasting, intended to be used over and over have been cheapened to mere disposable plates. What was intended and made to last a lifetime has become temporal and discarded. As a sculpture artist, I am drawn to objects and things in the visible world that when arranged in a certain way or setting reflect an invisible truth or reality. It helps me to see what is beneath the surface in our lives, but is most definitely there. I could have used any objects, but dishes reminded me of a marriage. Permanent not disposable dishes are a traditional gift at weddings because they symbolize two becoming one for the long haul. In this commitment is a lifetime promise to not just experience and create dreams together but also to do the mundane daily life of eating meals, cooking, cleaning, entertaining guests, and continuing routine together year after year. Yet this ultimate commitment, which is esteemed as the most committed relationship two people can have, is often reduced to less. It is cheapened, abandoned, severed and lost. Even in our loyalty to friends or goals, sometimes they start out as permanent in our minds and souls, but somewhere along the line they seem to fade, blending into the periphery of our lives and being cluttered among other discards. In photographing this piece, I found that the stack of dishes amongst trash blends in quite easily. The colors mesh with the environment and yet there is something odd about these china dishes inside a plastic bag. It isn’t right. It isn’t right because we know these plates like our commitments were made for more and yet we constantly battle to keep ourselves from doing the very things that cause us to discard of our commitments. 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 2 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 second , 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 . . . Letting the text 'speak' to directly inspire his creative process, composer and musician Ezra Haugabrooks wrote, performed, and recorded this song in response to Joel 2:1-11. Joel 2:1-11 Joel By Ezra Haugabrooks Credits: Lyrics, Music, and Performance by Ezra Haugabrooks Curated by: Aaron Beaumont 2017 Pop Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I picked the King James Version (KJV) to find inspiration for melodic material for my work. This translation is a personal favorite of mine because the challenging nature of the language leaves me filled with a sense of awe, which I felt especially in the first 11 verses of Joel 2. However, the New International Version (NIV) helped me conceptualize a sense foreshadowing in this passage. I formed the lyrics of my song from a blend of the KJV and NIV. So, once I created an arch to join the two versions of the first 11 verses, I fit the words to the melodic and rhythmic structure previously established from my work with the KJV. Personally, I have the most fun developing the harmony of my music. A few nights one week, I went to the local university with my four year old son. There, I messed around with the piano to see what might come out of my improvisational playing in association with the melody and lyrics. After I developed some ideas, I populated them into a digital audio workstation (DAW). There, I built a simple beat to help me rap-sing out the lyrics before doing a final recording over the finished beat in studio. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ezra Haugabrooks has performed throughout the US and abroad as a composer, violist, pianist, singer and conductor. He started producing music in elementary school and has been writing since high school. He has completed a degree in viola performance at Andrews University. Ezra plans to continue writing music and growing the nonprofit chamber orchestra that he founded: BADO . He currently lives in St Petersburg, Florida with his son, Noah. Website Ezra Haugabrooks About the Artist Ezra Haugabrooks Other Works By Read the composite scripture lyrics for " Joel ." Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Response", a composition by Jonathon Roberts for saxophone quartet and baritone, directly sets the Apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4. 2 Corinthians 2:1-4 Response By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Music by Jonathon Roberts Text by Apostle Paul Musicians: Chris Clouthier, Allison Davis, Mark Determan, Kim Reece, saxophone quartet; Jonathon Roberts, voice Artist Location: Wisconsin Curated by: Jonathon + Emily 2005 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Depending on what he thought people needed to hear, Paul used different ways to speak to the people he served: love, discipline, humor, anger. We see in this passage a tender, regretful, sad side of Paul as he alerts the Corinthians of his change of plans. This piece was original composed for vocalist Charlie Christensen and then expanded as part of Project Paul , a theatre piece on the life of Apostle Paul. 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 There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner Weakness The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Babbler Remember Me 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 Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . In her new monologue Alfred, Gwen, and Steve, theater artist Jean Ann Douglass reflects on the theme of eavesdropping and Ecclesiastes 7:21. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Alfred, Gwen, and Steve By Jean Ann Douglas Credits: Artist Location: Brooklyn, New York Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2014 Monologue Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Some of my most formative experiences involved hearing things that I wasn’t supposed to hear. I’ve overheard things that were painful to hear. I’ve overheard things that helped me understand people more deeply. This passage struck me because it admonishes eavesdropping, not because of the intrusion on other’s privacy, but because the honest things that people say about you when they think you’re not listening might be painful to hear. It also touches on power dynamics, and implies that people who are lower in status will always say bad things about people with higher status behind their backs. That may be true. Power is complicated. I wanted to explore the act of purposefully eavesdropping, especially when you know that you will hear things that hurt. Things that are personal. There’s a part of me that wishes I could hear everything that people say about me when I’m not around, and I know that desire is dangerous. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jean Ann Douglass is a performance artist whose original work has been seen at The Kitchen, CPR—Center for Performance Research, DUMBO Arts Festival, chashama, Monkeytown, Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, Lost Horizon Night Market, Marian Spore, FringeNYC, New Orleans Fringe Festival, and in rental trucks all over the country. She has collaborated on projects at 3LD, Trinity Rep, The Flea, Bushwick Starr, and on various streets and rooftops in Brooklyn. MFA: Performance and Interactive Media Arts (PIMA), Brooklyn College. BFA: Dance and Theatre, Tulane University. Website Jean Ann Douglas About the Artist Jean Ann Douglas Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art I bought the wig and mustache when we moved offices. The interior designer thought it would be a befitting status symbol if I had a private bathroom in the corner office. View Full Written Work Alfred, Gwen, and Steve by Jean Ann Douglas Ecclesiastes 7:21 I bought the wig and mustache when we moved offices. The interior designer thought it would be a befitting status symbol if I had a private bathroom in the corner office. In the old days, I would carry flats and patterned thigh-highs I would never wear into the bathroom, hidden in my shoulder bag. After I had changed, it was always a matter of minutes before I'd hear something worthwhile. Sometimes it was just teary calls to husbands and patient instructions for nannies. But then two people would greet each other while washing their hands and just talk about their work day. It was the kind of chat everyone became too scared to have with me back in the 90s. That stall was where I'd get my best ideas: where the women piss and shit and sigh unguarded sighs. My wig's name is Alfred. My mustache's name is Gwen. She's named after my grandmother. Alfred isn't named after anyone. My two friends and I now visit the Irish pub on the corner every Friday. The company thinks I work from home, thinking executive thoughts. Blaggard's thinks they have a shy retiree that nurses a hot toddy fifty-two days a year. When work lets out, I've already established myself at the center stool of the bar. My employees file in at 5:01 and fill in around me, the last stragglers to leave the office getting stuck ordering their vodka sodas next to the weird, quiet, old man. I learned the first day that Alfred and Gwen weren't enough, and they were joined by Steve, my tinted glasses. An old man at the bar is inconspicuous, unless he's silently crying womanish tears as jokes fly around him, coworkers letting off steam at the end of the week. Close Loading Video . . . I bought the wig and mustache when we moved offices. The interior designer thought it would be a befitting status symbol if I had a private bathroom in the corner office. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Aaron Beaumont's new song explores the psychedelic nature of Peter's vision in connection to his introduction to Cornelius as described in Acts 10. Acts 10 Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) By Aaron Beaumont Credits: Written, Performed, and Produced By Aaron Beaumont. 2016 Backup Vocals: Amanda Wallace Curated by: Sarah Gregory 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Acts 10 is an incredible – and incredibly wacky – story. Intense heat, a meditation sesh on a seaside rooftop, culminating in a trance in which exotic animals appear out of thin air THREE times. It might be raving mad or psychedelic – either way, Peter definitely looks kind of like a person who, I confess, I would take pains not to sit by on the subway. This made me wonder, “What WOULD this story look like if it happened today? What would I have done in Peter’s shoes?” That’s the basis of Narwhal and Ocelot… that, plus, the irresistible opportunity to (as a theater writer and all around word-play dork) come up with a bunch of rhymes for “ocelot,” which I’ve never had an excuse to work into a lyric (and it was still a stretch) #lifegoals . Here, Joppa becomes L.A., my beloved former home and a place not especially scared of a little casual afternoon rooftop meditation (possibly paired with hot yoga). Also, Peter’s dietary restrictions – so L.A.! Having grown up a vegetarian, I get it, and still dabble. For instance, I too would abstain from eating narwhal and ocelot, probably even if I thought it was the Lord’s bidding? And therein lies the crux of this story for me: it isn’t simply that Peter gets this zany vision, but rather, that he also acts on it, traveling to a whole new city to rendezvous with an officer from foreign occupying forces. Highly taboo. And from what I understand, the outcome of all these absurd, weird decisions was (likely) the first non-Jewish Christian community. I, for one, as a healthy skeptic, given to perhaps excessive rationalization, would probably have dismissed this vision out of hand (perhaps even as a byproduct of the “shellfish that I ate”). But then, as an artist, and moreover, as a human, I’m constantly challenged to act on a tenuous vision – to organize my life around a conception of reality that is frequently at odds with the actual reality I’m confronted with. In a recent interview, Todd Rundgren says something to the effect that he’s an idealist, and boldly believes in a bright future for humanity – and as a result, he often finds himself kind of angry at humanity for regularly challenging this organizing principle. To me, the Acts 10 story illustrates the conundrum perfectly: the problems of perception and apprehension, and the elusive, complicated, sometimes absurd, and often frustrating nature of chasing a vision. This time, it works out for Peter. But what do we do with all the days when the crazy, transcendent rooftop vision isn’t accompanied, and affirmed, by an ensuing knock at the door? Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aaron Beaumont has toured the U.S. and Europe as a pianist and songwriter and been invited to share his work in wide-ranging venues from the Sziget Festival in Budapest to KCRW Santa Monica to the Tribeca Film Festival to off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village to the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. L.A. Weekly wrote that Aaron's music brings "a new life to the ancient music-hall/pop piano-man tradition, with clear-headed songs of genuinely witty lyrical oomph and, most of all, a historically informed musical depth – all delivered with style, grace, wit and elan, of course." Aaron wrote one song, arranged two others, and served as a piano performance coach for the feature Permission (Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis, 2017 Tribeca Film Festival), which premieres worldwide February 2018. He also contributed two songs to the forthcoming series Dan is Dead (Drake Bell, Maker Studios) and two songs to the indie feature film Alex & Jaime (2017 Roxbury International Film Festival). Aaron contributed an original co-write (“17”) and several arrangements to Gil McKinney’s 2017 debut album, How Was I to Know, which reached #1 on the iTunes jazz chart and #8 on the Billboard jazz chart. He also co-wrote “Good Love” for Briana Buckmaster’s 2018 debut album (#1 iTunes blues, #3 Billboard blues). Other recent TV and film placements include original songs written for Cedar Cove (Andie McDowell) and Where Hope Grows (Billy Zabka, Danica McKellar; Dallas Film Festival, Roadside Attractions). Aaron has composed original scores for films and theatrical productions, including All the Lovely Wayside Things; Tall, Dark, and Handsome; Heart; Until We Have Faces; Shrew; The Fire Room; the Breakfast Show with Adam O; Companion; and Beyond Imagination, winning best score and sound design at the Hollywood Fringe Festival for his work on Fugitive Kind’s production of The Fire Room by Ovation Award-winning playwright Meghan Brown. In 2016, Aaron wrote a commissioned work for the Spark & Echo Arts project, and in 2017 Aaron created a larger scale work as an Artist in Residence. Aaron also works as an in-house arranger, producer, composer, and mix engineer for the Gregory Brothers / Schmoyoho, whose original music has earned them a gold and platinum record and nearly one billion views on YouTube, along with myriad collaborations on other platforms. Recent Gregory Brothers collabs include the Justice League film (ft. Gary Clark Jr.), Weird Al Yankovic, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bassnectar, Alex Wassabi, LaurDIY, Markiplier, Slow Mo Guys, Todrick Hall, J. Fla, The Resident (Fox Network), and the International Olympic Channel. Songs Aaron has worked on with the Gregory Brothers have received over 175 million plays on YouTube. In 2015, Aaron participated in the Ultraviolet Music and Arts Festival in Los Angeles as a featured artist and presenter, and performed with his band The Mots Nouveaux for the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Rockwood Music Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Aaron wrote the music and lyrics to the original musical, Behind Closed Doors, which sold out every performance at the historic Hayworth Theater, received multiple Broadway World L.A. Award nominations, and played for thousands of festival goers on the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. Behind Closed Doors was selected to participate in the New York International Fringe Festival as a national show, enjoying a mostly oversold run at off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village. Aaron was selected as a finalist as a composer and lyricist for the Fred Ebb Foundation / Roundabout Theatre Company Fred Ebb Award for musical theater songwriters, and received the Hal Gaba Scholarship for Excellence in Lyrics from UCLA/Concord Records. Aaron is currently developing new musicals with playwrights Meghan Brown, Andrew Crabtree, Peter Berube, and Cassandra Christensen, and a one-woman show with soprano Lorelei Zarifian. Lorelei and Aaron’s first musical triptych, Midtown Antoinette, was featured on NPR-affiliate WFIT in March 2016 and debuted as part of the Florida Tech / Foosaner Museum French Film Festival. Aaron also occasionally helps produce the outrageous bingo raves phenomenon, Rebel Bingo, in New York and Los Angeles, as featured in the L.A. Times, Guardian, and BBC , and recently played a run of five capacity shows in the downtown L.A.’s Globe Theatre as part of 2016 Night on Broadway. Aaron has collaborated as pianist, musical director, and/or co-writer with a panoply of music buddies, including Jason Manns, Gil McKinney, Sara Niemietz, Tim Omundsen, Dave Yaden, Nicholas Zork, Aaron Roche, Nick Bearden, Emma Fitzpatrick, Amanda Wallace, Shane Alexander, Ben Jaffe, Brett Young, Courtney Bassett, Eden Malyn, Luis Selgas, Aly French, Sam Heldt, Karma Jenkins, Emily Iaquinta, Lynette Williams, Meshach Jackson, Roy Mitchell-Cardenas, Kamasi Washington, Chad Doreck, J.T. Spangler, and Katrina Parker. He claimed several distinctions as a young classical pianist, including two-time Wisconsin Academy Musician of the Year, Andrews University Concerto Competition Finalist, and the British Royal Conservatory of Music Award of Highest Distinction for Piano Performance at the Newbold Creative Arts Festival. He currently serves as co-chair of the Carnegie Hill Concert Series in New York, featuring leading interpreters of classical and New Music from around the globe. In 2015, Aaron founded SongLab, an online songwriting community for emerging songwriters. The inaugural SongLab Series welcomed GRAMMY-winner Dave Yaden as special guest. In addition to working with other artists, Aaron performs as one-third of the pop trio, The Mots Nouveaux, alongside vocalists Emma Fitzpatrick and Amanda Wallace. The band celebrated their latest album release with a residency at Hotel Café, a six-month residency at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, and residencies at Rockwood Music Hall and Sidewalk Café in New York. They were invited to join the lineup for the Broke L.A. Music Festival in downtown Los Angeles, where Lyynks music hailed their set as the “greatest revelation” of the festival, one that “really thrilled the crowd” of thousands at the Lounge Stage (GroundSounds.com). The Mots Nouveaux recorded a new EP in Spring 2017 with co-producer Peter Barbee / Among Savages, with forthcoming tracks slated for 2018 release. Aaron released his debut solo project, Nothing's Forever (Not Even Goodbye), featuring the first ten songs he wrote, on Milan Records (Warner-Ryko) in 2008. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing the piano, traveling, eating, writing songs, making coffee, drinking coffee, collecting records, going for brisk walks, being near coffee, and composing extensive autobiographical sketches in the third person. Website Aaron Beaumont About the Artist Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 1 Lightness of the Pines Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont Aaron Beaumont Other Works By Read: Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) lyrics Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Two, Oil on Canvas, 10 x 20 inches Lifted, Charcoal on Paper, 14 x 17 inches Loading Video . . . Abigail Barr explores the theme of "Community" from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 through two different works of oil and charcoal. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two and Lifted By Abby Barr Credits: Curated by: Matt Talmage and Renee Bergen, Pop-Up Curator 2012 Two: 10 x 20 inches. Lifted:14 x 17 inches. Two: Oil on Canvas. Lifted: Charcoal. Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Growing up in a strong evangelical family, my faith and art are deeply intertwined. I think of spiritual concepts in terms of visual images, and often the inspiration for my art comes from what I am learning or meditating on in my walk with the Lord. This project was no exception. I keenly felt my own insufficiency for the task and wrestled with the image throughout my time working on it, but ultimately I found my faith strengthened as I experienced the Lord inspiring and guiding me faithfully through the process. I have always loved creating illustrative work that suggests story, as well as using people as subject matter. For me, figures are a powerful way to tell a story and show emotion in my work. The passage I chose to illuminate (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) speaks deeply about the importance of relationships and community, of keeping yourself woven into the fabric of lives around you. Correspondingly, I wanted the two figures I drew to be joined inextricably as one whole unit, and yet distinguishable as separate entities, pushing and pulling on each other and displaying dynamic unity. I hope the image illustrates the power of bearing one another's burdens and carrying one another through hard times, even though this may be difficult and messy. We can only succeed by looking to the One who bore all our burdens perfectly, and continues to lift us up when we fall. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Abby Barr grew up in Hampton Roads, Virginia as part of a large, artistic family. She has been drawing and creating artwork as long as she can remember. Since her early teenage years, she has shown and sold her work, as well as fulfilled commissions. After graduating from high school, where she recieved four years of private classical art instruction, she went on to study Theology and Philosophy at Grove City College (2007), where she also consistently pursued art classes outside her major. Her mediums of choice include pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, watercolors, ceramics and collage. Abby has travelled and lived around the world, for both work and pleasure, and moved to Manhattan in 2011. She currently doodles and sketches in Harlem or at a shared studio near Columbia University. Website Abby Barr About the Artist Abby Barr Other Works By Abigail was chosen by our Pop-Up Curators, Matt Talmage and Renée Renata Bergan during a Spark & Echo concert at Pete’s Candy Store . Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." This love song is inspired by the Bible's writings on eternal life, true lasting love, and the beautiful night time sounds of spring peeper frogs near the house I grew up in in Wisconsin. The Bible passage that appears directly in the song is Matthew 6:19-21, and the concept of dying to ourselves from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31) is also prominent. Other biblical concepts include the influence of nature and spiritual forces on our lives, the lies we believe, and the hope of eternal life (see Psalm 136:1, 1 John 2:25, Jude 1:21). Matthew 6:19-21 Frogs By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: 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 "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." This love song is inspired by the Bible's writings on eternal life, true lasting love, and the beautiful night time sounds of spring peeper frogs near the house I grew up in in Wisconsin. The Bible passage that appears directly in the song is Matthew 6:19-21, and the concept of dying to ourselves from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31) is also prominent. Other biblical concepts include the influence of nature and spiritual forces on our lives, the lies we believe, and the hope of eternal life (see Psalm 136:1, 1 John 2:25, Jude 1:21). This song was written at my childhood home after a break-up with a long-time girlfriend, Emily Clare Zempel. Year later, Emily and I reunited in NYC and got married. I sang this song at our wedding reception, and later, we recorded it as the Spark+Echo Band and toured it around the country. It used to be a sad song for me, but now it's a love song between us. -Jonathon Roberts Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Yo Sé Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Multidisciplinary artist Lauren Ferebee responds to Psalm 137 through her theatrical film. Psalms 137 while in a foreign land By Lauren Ferebee Credits: Curated by: Emily Clare Zempel 2013 Theatrical Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link In thinking about Psalm 137, I was struck by the phrase “daughter Babylon” – the female personification of land, which is a theme that recurs in history and in literature – the female body as a space to be mapped, conquered, and known. I thought about this in relationship to the psalm's overall discussion of self-silencing – the act of not wanting to sing for those that keep you captive, and yet knowing that if you don’t sing for long enough, if you are silent for long enough, you will forget your song. “while in a foreign land” explores what silence does to memory: how the real violence in the act of conquering and destruction is an act of forgetting. I deconstructed this narrative to look at small pieces of it from different points in time, overlaid with video highlighting different aspects of the female body in space and how we respond to it. In particular, I examined the narrative of sex slavery in our culture, and how we distance ourselves from its brutal reality. I struggled with that even in researching it. Learning about young – very young, impossibly young – girls being tortured, drugged, and kidnapped all over the world (even in our country) was a wake-up call for me. Women distanced from their bodies even as they are defined by their bodies. This piece is only the beginning of a long examination of everything I found when I started digging – the beginning of my artistic confrontation with the subjugation of women’s bodies, and the way that global patriarchy systematically condones the separation of women from their deepest selves, through violence, through language, through culture, ultimately resulting in their decision to silence themselves, as the speakers of Psalm 137 choose to silence themselves, even as they fear forgetting the roots of their songs. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lauren Ferebee is a Texan native and a multidisciplinary artist whose primary mediums are playwriting and installation/video art. Most recently, her play The Reckless Season was selected for Stage West’s Southwest Playwriting Competition Festival of New Works, and her alternative screwball comedy Sexual Geography was a finalist for the Reva Shiner Comedy Award at the Bloomington Playwrights’ Project. In 2014, she was a juried fellow at Saltonstall Arts Colony, a semifinalist for the Shakespeare’s Sister fellowship and the first theatre-artist-in-residence at HUB-BUB in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where in addition to writing, she did community-based theatre work. Her most recent work includes Sexual Geography (developed at HUB-BUB), The Reckless Season (The Spartanburg Little Theatre/HUB-BUB), Somewhere Safer (FringeNYC 2013, Inkwell finalist), and Blood Quantum (At Hand Theatre & WET Productions). Three of her short plays, jericho, jericho , Bob Baker’s End of the World and The Pirate King are published online at indietheaternow.com , where Somewhere Safer is also published as part of the 2013 Fringe Collection. She is a member of playwriting collective Lather, Rinse, Repeat, and studied playwriting, screenwriting and television writing at Primary Stages/ESPA. Lauren also has regional and NYC credits as an actress on stage and in film, and from 2007-2010 was co-artistic director of a site-specific classical theatre company, Rebellious Subjects Theatre. She especially enjoys acting in and teaching Shakespeare and working on new plays. She holds a BFA in drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Website Lauren Ferebee About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Part 1 Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Part 3 Wonders of the Deep Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Lauren Ferebee Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Damien Johnson Alma No 5 Loading Video . . . Multi-disciplinary artist Damien Johnson (also known by his artist name "Kid Moon Slayer"), explores his personal identity in connection to the passage of 1 Timothy 6. 1 Timothy 6:1-21 ALMA No 5 By Damien Johnson Credits: Photo Credits: Luis Gonzalez Curated by: Laurel Justice 2018 12 x 24 inches Spray paint, Acrylics, Glitter and Markers Mixed Media on Wood Board Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Alma No 5 explorers the hidden Concepts and direct instructions stated in 1st Timothy, Chapter 6. The human soul Traverses to a higher spiritual self. Royal purple and a lime green background represent a kaleidoscope of emotion and a calming resolve. The kaleidoscope of feelings includes how I felt while making this piece and the color combinations that I Incorporated in this work. While the purples and greens representative royalty; black symbolizes negativity and sin; gold is linked to Holiness and the white shimmer represents purity. The gold and diamond white shimmer cast and protect against the negative space, invoking a sense of peace and elevation. Red represents Pride and strength without being high-minded and the orange compliments that red. The subtle green that is in the drawing around the eyes of the man are to compliment and hint at that Royalty possessed within himself. The lion symbolizes the unwavering pride from the spiritual realm and the melanin-rich brotha entails his loyalty connection to that family. Lions do not question who or what they are: they simply know. The lion also refers to the tribe of Judah who Yashua belonged to as well as many others mentioned in the Bible. Since Timothy's mother was Jewish , she may have come that tribe. I had to do some reading of the books around this passage to get clarity on my choice of the lion as a symbol when I was making this piece. I believe selecting the lion as the representation of spiritual strength was the best choice because whenever a lion is talked about — inside or outside of the Bible — it is depicted as a strong and Ferocious Beast. A lions knows what it is: does not imitate being something else or downplay its being. I really tried to tie that into this passage of the Bible where it's talking about having your faith and truly pursuing Christ. When Lions speak, you hear it clearly. The message here is also clear: Not allowing yourself to be defeated or overtaken by adversities that are presented in the Bible; not giving into temptations that are presented before you; and the result of what happens when you do go astray from the clear instructions that Scripture tells you to follow. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Damien (KMS — Kid Moon Slayer ) is a 23 year-old, Afro-Hebrew, Colorado-based self taught multidisciplinary artist who loves exploring the wide array of offerings across the spectrum of expression. In addition to owning a family catering and entertainment company, he explores all mediums from paint to dance — hip hop, salsa, contemporary, modern and freeform — and music-making to flying through the sky — tricking and acrobatics. Tricking is the stunt and flashy style of body movement taken from commonly, but not limited to: Fighting disciplines, dance forms, gymnastics, cheerleading, etc. Originally meant to add some "spicy" flare to martial arts and display sportsmanship as well as distinguish you from other contestants or make your arts flow better eventually developed over the last generation into its own sport and since has only grown all around the world. Although the community is relatively large, it is still new and unheard of to the general public. "Art is an Expression of the soul and power beyond measure and this artist believes that with this life you get a chance to change, say or do anything. What will you do and how will you make every moment count? Inspiration springs to life when you see what everyone sees and are captivated by the unknown." — Damien Website Damien Johnson About the Artist Damien Johnson 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 thought-provoking poem written by Lancelot Schaubert challenges readers to imagine the world after capitalism has fallen, which is in response to Amos 6: 1-14. Amos 6:1-14 Stripped to the Bonemeal By Lancelot Schaubert Credits: Illumination Representation Image by Lancelot Shaubert with Ai on Midjourney Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2022 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I focused on the alliterative meter for this piece to give a sort of Old English Beowulf or Nordic ire. Most of the Hebrew ire is lost on us. I hoped an epic meter would round this out. 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 | 2 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 Watchtower Metaphysical Insurance Claim 0075A: The Delphic Oracle Philadelphia Bloodlines Lancelot Schaubert Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Time will come when the tyrants wane, When Cape Cod will be encased in ice Frozen like the final fires of hell View Full Written Work STRIPPED TO THE BONEMEAL By Lancelot Schaubert Time will come when the tyrants wane, When Cape Cod will be encased in ice Frozen like the final fires of hell Where the tears of the taker confine. To these Bible Belt complacent we say WOE — To Lexington’s healthy horse breeders, To Houston’s oil oligarchs and their wives, To St. Louis’s stealers of farms (The corn mutants of Monsanto fiefs), To Indy’s hoarders of insulin patents, And redlining real-estate Brokers spread like a patina of SPAM — We say woe to you wicked Christians. You feel secure in the coastless heights. For Saudi and Iraq, for the Soviets and China. For Mexico City and Singapore. For Japan and Uganda, for Polynesia and Sweden. Are they so much worse for wear to insult? Are you so better off than these beautiful places? And there will be time for The End to anguish greed. When your lapis lazuli La-Z-Boys® Fold inward in a fractured heap, When the mojitos you inhale dockside Slip in your sweat and shatter on deck, When your Golden Globes gilded in Peru mines Tarnish by your misinvoiced trade policies, When your Powers That Be lose your power in three Carefully placed hurricanes, When your poor will be seen, empowered and whole. Enjoy your tours of juniper spirits, Foodie reviews and festivals of music. Enjoy your Costco wine and calves. Your people — your poor — lie in ruin. And because of that: America ain’t great. "If the civility of a society’s what you want to size, Take a deeper look at its prisons.” —Dostoevsky The meal will get stripped to the bonemeal. The lounge will stiffen, so languishes the sex, And the market crashes making you the poor And not merely the poor in meek spirit. When your pride is ended, you will ask this: How did the meek shall inherit the earth? Close Loading Video . . . Time will come when the tyrants wane, When Cape Cod will be encased in ice Frozen like the final fires of hell Download Full Written Work

Maria Fee Panegyric2 Loading Video . . . We are pleased to share this brilliant and beautiful work by painter Maria Fee, based on 1 Corinthians 12:26. 1 Corinthians 12:26 Panegyric By Maria Fee Credits: Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Janna Aliese (Dyk) 2009 9 x 12 inches Oil on wood Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link My work has always been process driven. Works evolve, mutate, meander, and grow. Images come, go, stretch, disappear. The end of a painting is just the close of a chapter, the preparation and introduction to the next work. Working in such an organic manner the images tend to reflect personal ruminations‚ an ongoing conversation with the medium and the questions of daily living. I tend to grapple with themes of acceptance and belonging: life lived in the tension between individuality and community;the struggle for unity and union without demolishing the personal and particular. In all my art-play whether it be with paint, collage, or fabric, I've learn that making art is a faith journey; living in the tension can be good and beautiful; and, art making aids our exploration of the mechanized, consumerist, and fractured world we live in. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Maria Fee previously served as an arts ministry coordinator in the Center For Faith & Work (CFW), Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Maria was the visual coordinator for various Redeemer projects and facilitated collaborative programs such as the in-house literary magazine, creative showcase night, the writers vocation group, and an annual juried exhibition. Maria’s work as a painter reflects her own theological queries regarding being and becoming within a communal body. She holds a B.F.A. and M.F.A. in Painting from Queens College, C.U.N.Y. and a M.A. in Theological Studies from New Brunswick Seminary. Maria is a native New Yorker and married to Brian Fee, also an artist. They have three grown children. Maria has been published by a variety of visual arts journals. Most recently, she was featured in the journal of the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies writing about the work of Russian artist Natalia Goncharova. Website Maria Fee About the Artist Maria Fee 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 Sower is a song and group collaboration in response to Jesus' "Parable of the Sower" as told in Mark 4:1-20. Spark and Echo Arts led an audience of brave adventures in the Massachusetts Berkshires to create mini-soundscapes in response to the parable. Mark 4:1-20 The Sower By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Concept and music by Jonathon Roberts Artist location: New York City Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2011 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This piece was created at the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod North Atlantic District 2011 Labor Day Retreat in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Audience members were recorded as they pondered and improvised sounds in response to the different scenarios in Jesus' Parable of the Sower. The audience explored the farmer throwing seeds on rocky places, among thorns, where birds can snatch it, and finally on good soil. We're always excited to create new work with other people, so we're thankful to the retreat organizers and audiences members for including us in this very fun weekend in the mountains. 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 Response There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner Weakness The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Babbler Remember Me 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 Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work