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

Gideon Loading Video . . . Artist Maida Jasperson responds to Gideon's Trust of God in Judges 6:19-40 through her piece titled, Gideon's Trust. Judges 6:19-40 Gideon's Trust By Maida Jaspersen Credits: Curated by: Matthew Moore 2023 Paper Illustration Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Part of Gideon must have been terrified when God commanded him to destroy his own father's altar to Baal. He waited until the middle of the night to tear it down, safe from the judgments of the townspeople and his family. Despite his fear, Gideon displayed incredible faith and did as God instructed. This illustration is meant to capture his determination and conviction as he takes action. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Maida Jaspersen is a studying illustrator and painter at Bethany Lutheran College. Her intense sketchbook-filling tendencies along with her classes have equipped her to communicate effectively on paper. Her first published work was a picture book about Queen Esther for Branches Band. Since then she has continued illustrating Biblical accounts with WELS Multi-Lingual productions. Website Maida Jaspersen About the Artist John the Baptist Maida Jaspersen Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Poet Lauren Berry brings us two beautiful poems that explore the theme of eavesdropping in 1 Corinthians 14:33, Luke 12:3, and Ephesians 4:31-32 in a very intimate way. 1 Corinthians 14:33 Ephesians 4:31-32 Luke 12:3 A Husband Eavesdrops as His Wife Confides in a Box of Matches By Lauren Berry Credits: Artist Location: Houston, Texas Curated by: Hayan Charara 2014 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Of the three Bible verses that have inspired these poems, the most compelling for me is, “For God is not the author of confusion…” from 1 Corinthians 14:33. I am currently teaching Truman Capote’s 1965 non-fiction masterpiece, In Cold Blood , which vividly connects to notions of eavesdropping. In the book, Capote observes a small-town Kansas community whose innocence is shattered when a family of four is mysteriously murdered in their modest country home. No evidence. No apparent motive. When Capote first discovered the tragedy in the newspaper, he telephoned his New York editor and demanded that he board a late-night train across the country so that he could immerse himself in the community’s reaction to the tragedy. In the years that followed, he became embroiled in the act of listening to other’s conversations and quickly became an expert on the townspeople who “found fantasy” in recreating the events of the murder (pg. 5). He studied the electricity of their speculation; how abuzz they were with the churn of the hypothetical, how hungry they were for hearsay. In short, Capote crafted art out of the practice of placing his ear to the hive. To eavesdrop is to seek the truth— but not in a way that God would condone. We know this, and yet are tempted by the guilty pleasure of overhearing private conversations. I wonder: why are we so desperate? Why do we concern ourselves with the business of others as Capote and the townspeople did in In Cold Blood? The most generous answer that I have is this: human beings are hard-wired for making sense of chaos. We desire the possibility of comfort brought by any semblance of the truth— even if this search for truth results in the proliferation of misperception and boundary breaking. The poems that I offer here engage in this question about the bittersweet pleasure of voyeurism—the choice to transform an act from the private to the public. In “A Husband Eavesdrops As His Wife Confides In A Box of Matches,” a husband craves the “truth” gained from observing his wife’s dialogue with an inanimate object. When writing, I sought to disrupt the traditional eavesdropping structure by placing an inanimate object where a female friend or relative might appear. In “What I Want The Neighborhood Wives To Say About Me The Next Time I Lose Another Baby,” the disruption of the traditional structure offers not pleasure, but healing for the speaker, as she is able to play the role of puppeteer; she finds power in creating the very dialogue that she wants her community to have about her. In reading both poems, I hope that readers will consider: What are the consequences of this type of voyeurism? What would we gain if we could rip the curtain? Should we? Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lauren Berry received a BA in creative writing from Florida State University and an MFA from the University of Houston, where she won the Inprint Verlaine Prize and served as poetry editor for Gulf Coast. From 2009 to 2010 she held the Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellowship at the Wisconsin Institute. Her first collection of poems, The Lifting Dress, was selected by Terrance Hayes to win the National Poetry Series and was released by Penguin in 2011. She currently lives in Houston where she teaches AP English Language for YES Prep Public Schools, a charter school whose mission is to transform the low-income communities of Houston through college preparatory education and community service. Website Lauren Berry About the Artist Lauren Berry Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Some nights I cannot remember what I 've promised him. Some nights I cannot speak at all. How long will it take to convince him that View Full Written Work A HUSBAND EAVESDROPS AS HIS WIFE CONFIDES IN A BOX OF MATCHES For God is not the author of confusion… 1 Corinthians 14:33 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light. Luke 12:3 Some nights I cannot remember what I’ve promised him. Some nights I cannot speak at all. How long will it take to convince him that my mouth contains no open dictionary? Some nights I cannot speak at all; I cannot go more than three full days with a dictionary of prayer in my open mouth. He will need to build me a room where I can be alone. I cannot go more than three full days without longing for my father, the fire wrangler. Maybe he could build me a room where I can be alone with the memory of my mother, who sold diamonds while she longed for my father and for fire and for danger. The light in the store made her look younger. I don’t have memories of the diamonds my mother sold before their farm house burned to the ground. Did the light of that fire make her look younger? I oil my forehead and cheeks before I sleep. Who burned their farm house to the ground? Will my husband be wise enough to hide his matches? I anoint my forehead and cheeks before I sleep. There are things I doubt my God will forgive. Will my husband be wise enough to hide his matches? He will need to find a way to bring my Florida back. There are things I doubt my God will forgive. What is the remedy for escaping a small enclosed space? I will need to find a way to bring my Florida back. I will become the perfect wife. I can make dull things bright. WHAT I WANT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WIVES TO SAY ABOUT ME THE NEXT TIME I LOSE ANOTHER BABY Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32 1. June Gillespie should say, If you placed a sheet of white paper into a bathtub of scald, and from the marble edge you sang the length of the alphabet twice before slipping the paper out and expecting it to beat a man in an arm wrestling match, the result would be this woman, here. 2. Marguerite Elliot should say, It’s simple. She is tired from shifting between each of the wives she is supposed to become: the grief counselor, the washer of others’ hands, the translator of dictionaries, the voice of reason, the knife through every apple, the blade sharpened always, her glare too beautiful when its drowned in a juice that sets the hearts of men racing when she winces. 3. Claire Donnaway should say, We drink black coffee every morning. We drive down to her house with the perfect lipstick, casseroles. And yet— 4. Anna Marvin should say, What is anyone supposed to do with her story? Why won’t this town just let her lie down in a bed of white sheets, coverlets pulled up around her neck by a decent doctor now. A good pillow under her head would let her dreams alone. 5. Rebecca Halifax should say, Who was this woman before her song became a tangle of everyone else’s wishes? In my fantasy for her, she can’t even read. We can’t trust her to hold so much as a glass of water. We have to tell her if she’ll need a jacket to go outside. Let her never empire, never white silk, never moonstruck, let her never leap year, never one-way. Let every theater she enters have the spotlights switched off. Let the bulbs break in all our hands. 6. Elizabeth Vaughn should say, Has she slept since he broke her bedroom door down and found her on the floor with blood in her nightgown? That cracked door leaned on the garage for a week before it was taken away. Who knows now where that gold doorknob turns? To what does that door open now that she can never close? Close Loading Video . . . Some nights I cannot remember what I 've promised him. Some nights I cannot speak at all. How long will it take to convince him that Download Full Written Work

He Wept Katherine Marley 1 Katherine Marley, Lament, 36 x 36 inches Katherine Marley, The Space Between, 36 x 48 inches Loading Video . . . Artist Katherine Marley explores the liminality of space, existence, and Jesus' tears in this set of paintings responding to John 11:35. John 11:35 He Wept By Katherine Marley Credits: Artist Headshot by Lynn Scheuermann Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 Two works of differing sizes Mixed media, acrylic and oil pastel on canvas Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link My art is a raw, real time expression of the living gospel and my personal relationship with the Lord. I began thinking about the man in which Jesus was — the emotion He felt — and I became overwhelmed with the notion that this man-who-is-fully-God weeps for us, His friends and family. I began to see Him grieve and shed tears, just like us, caught in emotion of lament. When painting, I am often taken through a journey in my mind. It is more than art to me: it is a healing process and is an expression to always lead me to deeper wonder and connection with the Lord in an intimate level. I find that in my process of creating, I lose touch with thinking. It becomes more about the movements in each emotion that comes over me, the flow between healing and release — the movements between unaware and revelation — the concept of liminal space between heaven and earth and Jesus' tears. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Michigan-based artist Katherine Marley makes abstract paintings comprised of scraped, smeared, scribbled, and pools of pigment that interprets healing through the thoughts between what is known and the truth of how it is felt. Graduating from Kendall College of Art and Design, Katherine paints intuitively and spontaneously at her home studio and in live performance speed-painting with perceptive, powerful, and often abstract prophetic images in vibrant expressions of color and emotion. Katherine is dedicated to releasing spiritually powerful art into our communities and culture. Katherine also runs an art therapeutic ministry called Hello My Heart where she focuses on healing deep rooted emotional trauma with her students and is now in the process of partnering with a state certified nonprofit to build its own program dedicated to helping victims of trauma. Katherine has partnered with The Hope Project which specializes in human trafficking recovery, Fresh Coast Alliance for recovery therapy with former prison inmates, where it allowed anyone willing to come and gain emotional healing ranging from ages 13 and older. Website Katherine Marley About the Artist Katherine Marley Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Installation artist Elias Popa presents his last post as Spark+Echo Art's 2018 Artist in Residence and showcases the completion of his gorgeous work responding to Job 38-41. Job 38:1-24 Job 38:29-41:34 Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa By Elias Popa Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2018 2018 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Often, like all my work, the laborious repetition of action creates a space for meditation. The individual placement of each blade of dried grass, the meticulous angling of the mirrors, and endless visual repetition of the grass itself in the mirror — these all created a space for me to think of Job. It is perhaps easy to think of the passage in Job where he comes under the fiery arguments of God to be a scene of overwhelming fear, awe and trembling. Those aspects are definitely found there. However, I wanted to capture a deeper meaning in the story. Despite the jarring vocabulary used in this passage, I believe God was being kind to Job, allowing him to see a mere glimpse of the overwhelming presence of God. Like a small crack in time, or a narrow gateway, like Moses, Job gets to see a fragment of God. A glimpse of eternity. An unending field in the midst of temporal circumstances. I wanted to capture this small breath, this myopic moment, where Job sees God. A narrow gate which when passed through reveals unending creation. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Elias Popa was born April 7, 1987 to Romanian immigrants in California. After traveling between his home in Romania and throughout the United States, he continued his travels into his adulthood by moving to China, traveling Southeast Asia, South America and working with refugees. During his travels around the world, his worldview in art was deeply impacted. “My art expresses the struggle of identity and hope, worship and expressions of life. It explores common world views and challenges them. My work shines a light on the temporal solutions we put in place to replace what we really need deep inside”. As an installation artist, Elias uses conventional materials such as paper, wire, thread, and clothing to evoke a deeper understanding about social structures. His aim is to solidify abstract ideas about the nuances that make up sociological structures. By doing so, he retrains the eye to build a visual literacy again and treats the art as a fundamental language. He also studied dark room photography for 10 years, as well as writes poetry. Through his art, Elias started The Human Rights Network, a non for profit organization aimed at “telling stories that change lives.” The organization aims to build narratives through art that can impact social issues and generate activism. He currently works as a curator and manager of the esteemed Waterfall Mansion and Gallery on the Upper East Side, as well as the founder of the Human Rights Network. He resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where he works out of his home. He was the recipient of CFW’s artist vocational intensive, held at Princeton University. He also was selected on an Interfaith and Arts Panel at Columbia University, as well as regular participates in speaking engagements. Website Elias Popa About the Artist Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Part 1 Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Part 2 Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Part 3 The Art of Kintsugi and Sacrifices in Sidewalks Elias Popa Other Works By Follow the development of Elias' project by reading his first , second , and third posts written as 2018 Artist in Residence. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Sptuttlecropped Loading Video . . . Artist Sara Tuttle's layered work explores the theme of healing and John 11:40. John 11:40 Did I not tell you that if you believed...? By Sara Tuttle Credits: Artist Location: Virginia Curated by: Self-submitted 2014 17.5 x 14.5 inches Mixed media on paper Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link “Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) Context: Jesus has arrived in Bethany after Lazarus died, and the first thing that Martha says when she sees him is: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:21-22) She continues her affirmation in his power a few passages later by professing her belief that he is the Messiah (John 11:27). Yet, when they come to the tomb and Jesus says “take away the stone”, Martha protests, saying “But Lord…by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” (John 11:39). Martha is simply stating the reality of the present situation; one of death and decay. Yet, Jesus replies with a reproof for her to exercise the faith that she professed earlier: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” In this passage, Jesus’ is reminding her of her own faith and he makes an ‘if’ statement; directly linking her belief to her witness of the glory of God. I chose this passage because it is an exhortation for me to exercise what little faith I have in the Lord’s ability to resurrect the present realities of death and decay – not just within myself – but specifically for the neighborhood that I inhabit. The same message that Jesus gives Martha, he speaks to me (and to my local church) when the realities of injustice, violence, imprisonment, racial tension and poverty cloud our vision of the Shalom that God desires, and the glory that He contains. When all that we see is an already-dead man, sealed in a tomb, Jesus asks us to trust that he is at work and that he is a God of healing, redemption and resurrection. I made this painting while reflecting upon the ways in which I am called to continue in the work of generations of people before me who had a vision of healing and wholeness for this neighborhood that did not yet exist. In Hebrews 11:1 Paul tells us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” and I believe that I am seeing the substance of the faith of believers that came before me just now coming to fruition in the neighborhood. Reflection upon the faithfulness of those who have professed Christ’s Lordship and gospel over this place in both prayers and action gives me assurance for the ways in which the Lord wants to honor my prayers and seeds of faith. In this piece, I represent how generations of human activity on the land intersect with the vision that God wants us to take hold of for both the present and future. In order to create the multiple layers of this piece I used the process of building up the surface, sealing it, partially removing layers through sanding and other means of scraping and then repeating the cycle. This process mirrors how I see history, unfolding on a city; the healing and damaging marks of generations, layered on the social and physical environment of my neighborhood. Both worn and dingy, this piece is also a pastel palette; conveying a sense of hope. The gold suggests moments of transfiguration of the old into new or ‘glory’ breaking through. The bulbs are Narcissus flowers (also known as Daffodils), which have long been associated with the season of Lent, symbolizing that Winter is still here while joyfully announcing transition into the coming season of Spring. Thus, they are signposts of resurrection; the new life that we see breaking forth today, as well as a promise of the greater, more full life that is to come. The bulbs, too, are worn and black and white; as if an old vision from the past that is being dusted off. This piece is a reminder and exhortation to myself that I am to live in the reality of the promises of God; to inhabit the Messiah’s vision in the present, if I am to see the Glory of God. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Sara Tuttle is a visual artist, residing in the neighborhood of Church Hill in Richmond, VA with her husband Sam. She grew up in Connecticut and studied Art and Art History at the University of Richmond. She taught high school at Church Hill Academy and worked for Church Hill Activities and Tutoring for three years, has since returned to making visual art and is currently applying to MFA programs. She has had two solo shows in Richmond and is excited about the future of her art-making practice as one of the avenues by which she continues to engage in the life of her community, neighborhood and city. Website Sara Tuttle About the Artist Sara Tuttle 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 light of Genesis 4:1-15, Dan Evans’s one-act explores relationships after the death of a sibling. Genesis 4:1-15 Spaceship By Dan Evans Note: This play contains strong language and implications of violence and may not be suitable for all audiences. Credits: Curated by: Chris Cragin 2016 Script, One-Act Play Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Inspired by the characters and familial relationships in the Genesis 4:1-15 story of Cain and Abel, I wrote Spaceship wanting to explore creatively the spiritual and emotional relationship between two brothers after one has passed away. I lost my own brother in an accident like the character Paul fourteen years ago. Even though my brother passed away in completely different circumstances, I tried imagining in this work what a conversation would maybe look and sound like if a surviving brother were to hypothetically be given the chance to sit down in a diner booth with his deceased brother and just talk (especially if that conversation only lasted for several minutes.) Would the reunion be angry? Joyful? Sad? How do we as human beings process death and the responsibility of it? Especially when it seems to make no sense and happens to those closest to us? These are the questions I hope my audience asks when they read or watch a performance of Spaceship . Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Dan Evans is a playwright and writer living in Brooklyn, NY. He recently graduated from The King’s College in New York City with a B.A. in Media, Culture, and the Arts. There he studied under playwright Chris Cragin Day and presented his senior thesis and play LUNGS (working title) in a reading directed by Christopher Domig. Dan’s other writing has been featured online on Thought Catalog, GLAAD, V magazine, and Vman magazine. Website Dan Evans About the Artist Dan Evans Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Late evening. SPACESHIP opens to a 1950s styled restaurant booth sitting in the center of the stage. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Late evening. SPACESHIP opens to a 1950s styled restaurant booth sitting in the center of the stage. Download Full Written Work

Scott Neely The Spirit 2 Ii 6 Full Painting Image Loading Video . . . In this moving work, artist Scott Neely continues his series in response to 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and ponders symbols of the Spirit: dove, waters of baptism, and sheer energy. 1 Corinthians 12:7 Three Meditations on the Spirit | 2 By Scott Neely Credits: Title: The Spirit Curated by: Marlanda Dekine 2017 60 x 11 inches Gouache on paper Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This peace, this breadth, this power in us all, for us all. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Scott Neely directs the Project for Community Transformation , an initiative to strengthen congregations to transform our communities. He works intensively with the social justice organization Speaking Down Barriers , which uses facilitated dialogue to build our life together across the differences that divide us. He is a graduate of Wofford College and Harvard Divinity School. Neely served at First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, SC from 2006-2015, first as Director of Missions and then as Pastoral Executive. In April 2015 he presented a TEDx talk on race and racism entitled “ What Will I Teach My Son? ” A practicing artist, his work fuses writing, painting, and digital media. He writes: “My method balances expression and simplicity. I make visual poems: succinct, present, for the heart.” His work may be found at www.neelyprojects.com . Website Scott Neely About the Artist Three Meditations on the Spirit | 3 Three Meditations on the Spirit | 1 Scott Neely Other Works By VIEW THE REST OF THE SERIES: Three Meditations on the Spirit | 1 Three Meditations on the Spirit | 3 Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Sapient Soul (Marlanda Dekine) has invited the audience to join her creative process as they reflect on Job 10:10-12:8 to create "Diptych: Unpacking the Self," the first poem in a collection as Spark+Echo Arts' 2020 Artist in Residence. Job 10:10-12:8 2020 Artist in Residence: Marlanda Dekine By Marlanda Dekine Note: Parts of the artist’s work contain strong language and may not be suitable for all audiences. Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2020 2020 Poetry/Spoken Word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Sapient Soul's project FREE/WRITE will engage the Bible with stillness, spontaneity, and automatic writing. Videos will demonstrate steps 1-5 outlined below: Poet meditates with Insight Timer app or in silence. The guided meditation used in this video is by Naomi Goodlet. Poet turns to a random page in the Bible. Poet chooses a passage that has not been illuminated. 4. Poet writes, without the pen leaving the page, for a minimum of five minutes. This is automatic writing or a free-write. 5. Poet edits the free-write into poetry. You are encouraged to choose a book and join Sapient Soul at home. Try it for yourself. Unpacking The Self as reflection on Job 10:10-Job 12:8 considers how difficulty can harden us to ourselves and others. Wanting connection, we can push others away. Desiring to be seen, we can fear knowing ourselves. Spaces of anger and victimhood ought to be visited as friends within us. Sometimes, I have become comfortable and stayed a bit too long. Even, built a home there once. Ha! May we have a friend that listens well as we unpack and let ourselves free again. May we listen when a difficult truth about ourselves is shown to us. May we express thanks for how there is so much healing available to us across space and time, through darkness and light. Ase. From the photos above: While Job was telling, I laughed. I cried from the right side of my right eye. One year setting there like an early Dawn. I could hear Job like I've heard myself. Complaining like it will build new mountains. New worlds. How he was in pain. How pain can turn you in on yourself. Take you to prison even after abolition wins. Take you into a cell-membraned wall of blood and gut, take you inside of yourself & you become prisoner and guard, recounting all the terrible--so if any bit of light comes for you--be doomed be doomed be doomed fuck light is what you say while your soul shines bright you say you say I've said so much & meant so little to myself I I I Wanted to mean everything I said I desired beauty & I drummed the beat of pain like my own New record Are you recording this--the way the wind can snap everything into place I know now that every pain I ever knew I needed& How after we've torn at our skin our eyes our own lips broken & dry--how when the water comes for us do we act like we weren't listening to the flow--how do we lie like that & where does it go? Truth my friend requires dirt of you. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Marlanda Dekine-Sapient Soul (she/her/they) is a poet and social worker from Plantersville, South Carolina. She is pursuing her MFA in Poetry with New York University's Low-Residency program in Paris. Learn more about their work at sapientsoul.com . Website Marlanda Dekine About the Artist Artist in Residence 2020, Sapient Soul (Marlanda Dekine) Getting Lighter Know Thyself Marlanda Dekine Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art i wanted to build new View Full Written Work Diptych: Unpacking the Self by Marlanda Dekine I. i wanted to build new worlds from pain imprison myself cell-membraned walls of blood and gut i said so much meant so little to myself i i i drummed my pain new new now I 'm cardinal red wind snap- ping smiles i know now every pain i ever knew was what i needed so how when dark water returns can i act like i didn 't call her here her precious obsidian hard cypress of fathomage to make me ready II. when you listen to the color yellow with the volume up hear a choir of chaos don 't change channels wait for the moment of mirrors wait for yellow to turn purple for the crown of laughter to enter for anger to melt fear friendship to shake you until you are sensing god: green. soft. woman. from PROJECT FREE/WRITE #1 The Free/Write by Marlanda Dekine while job was yelling, I laughed. I cried from the right side of my right eye. one tear setting there like an early dawn. I could hear Job like I 've heard myself. Complaining like it will build new mountains, new worlds. How he was in pain. how pain can turn you in on yourself. Take you to prison even after abolition wins. Take you into a cell membraned wall of blood and gut, take you inside of yourself and you become prisoner and guard, recounting all the terrible—so if any bit of light comes for you— be doomed be doomed be doomed fuck light is what you say while your soul shines bright you say you say I 've said so much and meant so little to myself I I I wanted to mean everything I said I desired beauty and I drummed the beat of pain like my own new record are you recording this?—the way the wind can snap everything into place I know now that every pain I ever knew I needed and how could I smile any less, Job? how after we 've torn at our skin our eyes our own lips broken and dry—how when the water comes for us do we act like we weren 't listening to the flow—how do we lie like that and where does it go? Truth, my friend, requires dirt of you. Close Loading Video . . . i wanted to build new Download Full Written Work