LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 1) LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 2) LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 3) LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 4) LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 5) LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 6) LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 7) LAURIE LEA, SACRED LIGHT (DETAIL 8) Loading Video . . . Sculptural Artist Laurie Lea has created an impressive, large suspended glass fixture that explores the play between light and form in response to several passages of Scripture. Isaiah 61:1 Judges 7:20 Isaiah 9:2 1 Corinthians 11:24 Isaiah 30:26 Mark 14:3 Isaiah 60:19-20 Exodus 13:21 Psalms 104:2 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 Sacred Light By Laurie Lea Credits: Curated by: Michael Markham 2019 9' x 15" Glass, Resin, LED Lighting, Monofilament Sculpture Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link For many years my sculpture has explored the relationship between light and form: how light affects form and form affects light, primarily in visual, psychological and symbolic ways. My forms originated with the single human form and slowly evolved over time into simple geometric shapes of circles, spheres and cylinders representing the human condition. The light comes from artificial sources and represents God and the invisible reality underlying appearance. The interaction of light and form gives me a way of examining human existence both in the physical dimension of observable phenomena and in the spiritual (invisible, intangible) dimension. Broken and translucent materials such as glass cover but do not obscure the light, referring to states of fragility, fragmentation, transformation, and redemption. SACRED LIGHT comprises a body of work consisting of long cylindrical transparent forms covered by broken glass and illuminated from within by white light (LED). Cast from tree forms, these forms are suspended by monofilament so that they slowly move and turn, casting reflections on walls, ceiling and surrounding space. The fusion of broken forms and light is a visual metaphor for hope and redemption. The theme of how our brokenness alliterates and even hides the light of the Father is found throughout the scriptures, even though it leaves with the hope of a light to be captured. From Gideon's pitchers breaking to reveal light, to Mary's alabaster box shattered as a memorial for Christ's death, to the very Eucharist itself, the broken bread and body of Christ, we stare at glimpses of the eternal light we were supposed to reflect. Jesus proclaimed Himself the "Light of the world." The gospel of John says "the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot extinguish it;" Isaiah speaks of this Light shining in the darkness and His glory rising on us. Thus, this fusion of light and broken forms is meant to be a picture of Christ in us, the Hope of glory, in both our human frames and in this dark and broken world. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Laurie Lea is a New York-based visual artist exploring the integration of light and form (matter) through the media of sculpture, installation and poured works. Her interest in science and the nature of reality has guided her investigation of the intersection of the physical, visible dimension of observable phenomena with the invisible, intangible dimension of quantum physics. In addition to sculpture and poured works, she is creating light-forms to place on the coast of different countries where land meets water and day meets night. She is developing a language of light to express her ideas. Lea has presented work in galleries, museums and alternative venues in the US and countries around the globe: Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Japan, Africa and Europe. She initiated and wrote the original Public Arts Ordinance for Atlanta, Ga when serving on the city's Fulton County Arts Council. She is recipient of numerous awards, grants and residencies which include the Georgia Arts Council Purchase Award, grants from The Brooklyn Arts Council; Artists Grants/Artists Space; the New York Council on the Arts; Southern Arts, England and the Arts Council of Great Britain. During her time in England she was awarded a one-person exhibition and Artist Residency at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth, England. She also won a commission for a sculpture installation at the Walsall Museum & Art Gallery in Walsall, England. She was keynote speaker at the International Symposium of Art and Light at the University of the Creative Arts in Farnham, England. Recently, Lea has been awarded Artists Residencies in Greece and New York City. She has received the Gottlieb Foundation Individual Art Support Grant and was awarded the Professional Artist in Residency at the Pilchuck School of Glass near Seattle, WA. She is a McDowell Colony Fellow and currently Artist in Residence at the YWCA Brooklyn, in Brooklyn, NY. Website Laurie Lea About the Artist Laurie Lea Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Playwright Nick Stokes has written a short play in response to the Book of Nehemiah wherein the prophet leads the people of Israel to rebuild Jerusalem after returning from a long exile in Egypt. Nehemiah 1:1-13:31 Rebuild By Nick Stokes Credits: Curated by: Emily Clare Zempel 2012 One Act Play Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Community can be understood as a political concept. The book of Nehemiah struck me immediately as political, at a political time of the year (2012 elections), when politics dominated our public discourse. A community comes together to build a wall. In the midst of the communal building, usury and capitalizing on one’s brothers is thrown out of town. The wall is built: triumph, celebration, community. But the seed of the wall’s downfall is laid in its very nature of exclusion and fear. The wall excludes the audience. No foreigners are allowed to corrupt the segregated “utopia”. In completing the wall, the community reaches its ascendancy, and then begins to stagnate in corruption, a perception of lack, self-serving greed, apathy, and paranoia. Without the unifying purpose of building the wall to unite the people, the community disintegrates and the cycle of the rise and fall of civilization continues. REBUILD is an energetic ensemble performance piece based in movement and rhythm. It places the audience in an adversarial, outsider, and at times deific relationship with the ensemble. It overlays ancient Judah with contemporary society. It builds walls and tears them down. Or perhaps the opposite. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nick Stokes is a playwright and author living outside Seattle who sometimes packs mules in the wilderness of Montana. Website Nick Stokes About the Artist Sing Nick Stokes Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ENSEMBLE: 1-8. Eight men and women. A mixture of ethnicities preferred. PLACE AND TIME: A city, a country, a community. Here and Now. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ENSEMBLE: 1-8. Eight men and women. A mixture of ethnicities preferred. PLACE AND TIME: A city, a country, a community. Here and Now. Download Full Written Work

don-nyugen-air4th_first-supper-seating-layouts.jpg Loading Video . . . About this time a year ago, I was one of forty-eight playwrights commissioned by The Flea Theatre to write a short play in response to the York Mysteries Plays, a collection of forty-eight pageants which covered the sacred history of man from creation to the last judgement. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Luke 22:14-48 Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen Part 1 By Don Nguyen Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2015 Theatre Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link April 20, 2015 About this time a year ago, I was one of forty-eight playwrights commissioned by The Flea Theatre to write a short play in response to the York Mysteries Plays, a collection of forty-eight pageants which covered the sacred history of man from creation to the last judgement. It was a daunting task for everyone involved and one of the most satisfying and fulfilling projects I’ve ever worked on. Along with over fifty actors, and our intrepid director Ed Iskander and equally intrepid dramaturge Jill Rafson, we created a stunning theatrical evening, lasting five hours with two intermissions. During the two intermissions, dinner and dessert was served to the audience by the cast. These intermissions not only served as meal breaks for the audience, but also a way to interact with the cast members, who were not in character during the break. To experience this as an audience member, this act of breaking bread with actors who are not only serving you your meal, but serving you a full evening of theatre, was, shall I say, divine. This is not a new form of theatre. Many theatres and many productions have done this in the past. But there is something quite different that happens to the audience during this specific interaction with the cast. We are making eye contact with them, talking to them about their day, and accepting a plate of falafel and hummus from them with the same gratitude of a neighbor being invited over for dinner. You are instantly connected to and invested in the cast and you are ready and willing to follow them anywhere, and the dreaded sound of a five hour play suddenly becomes inviting and exciting. So exciting in fact, that I saw the show five times. But what does this have to do with my project? Well, I’m certainly not going create a five hour evening of theatre. But I do envision breaking bread with the audience. What I propose is a communal evening of theatre, food, improvisation, and game playing based on a section of the Bible. I chose Luke 22:14-48, which covers The Last Supper because it’s the ultimate dinner party. What I envision, and this pushes us into “over-ambitious, likely to fail” territory, is an evening of intimate communal theatre, one that involves a small audience, say, twelve people. And perhaps during the course of the evening, a light meal is served. And perhaps during the meal, each person has to guess who will be Judas. Will it be the person to my right? The person sitting across from me? Will it be me? As I write this, other possibilities come to mind. Perhaps each dinner guest has a menu with personality traits on it that they have to embody. Maybe there are prompts with simple goals that each dinner guest must bring up and try to achieve. There are so many different ways to approach this. The trick is in finding the most interesting and satisfying solution. Throughout the life of this project, I will be broadening my understanding of theatre improv and game theory and attempt to bring them together to design a short evening of entertainment and (hopefully) illumination. The theme(s) of the project are not yet set. I think I’m going to allow the themes to reveal itself during the process of creating the evening, and I’ll be documenting that creative process along the way. I expect to go down rabbit holes that lead nowhere. And I will document that as well. Nothing here is proven, and I’m not sure of the outcome. But I am sure that you will at least see the process laid out throughout the year, and hopefully break bread with me one of these evenings. See the upcoming production of Don’s work The Red Flamboyant with Spark+Echo Arts’ partners, Firebone Theater. April 24-May 15, 2015 Samples of Don’s previous work: (Photo from aerial workshop of THE IMAGINARY ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS) (Photo from SOUND at the Bay Area Playwrights Festival) (My Million Spectacular Moments, Don’s previous work for Spark+Echo Arts) Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Don Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam, grew up in Nebraska, and now currently resides in New York City. As a playwright, Don has written several full-length plays including: SOUND, a sign language play which was a finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and was previously developed at The Playwrights Realm. Don’s first full-length play RED FLAMBOYANT was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference and was both a finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival as well as the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. THE MAN FROM SAIGON has been developed at Naked Angels and was a NYSAF Founders Award recipient. THE COMMENCEMENT OF WILLIAM TAN was developed at New York Stage and Film and was a finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Don was also recently one of 48 playwrights commissioned for The Flea Theater’s 5 1/2 hour epic production of The Mysteries, directed by Ed Iskander, which was a stage adaptation of the Bible. Don is a proud member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, a member of the inaugural Emerging Writers Group at the Public Theater in New York and served five years as artistic director for The Shelterbelt Theatre. Don is also a frequent volunteer for the 52nd Street Project. Website: thenuge.com Website Don Nguyen About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen Part 2 Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen Part 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen My Million Spectacular Moments Don Nguyen Other Works By To follow the developmental process of Don's play read his second , third and final posts as a 2015 Artist in Residence. 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Loading Video . . . Writer Laura Eve Engel brings us a piece in response Psalm 107:4-9. Psalms 107:4-9 I AM SMALL By Laura Eve Engel Credits: Curated by: Kent Shaw 2015 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I’m drawn, something like spiritually, to the vast landscapes–oceans, deserts–that seem to have the capacity, just by existing, just because we know they’re out there, to recall for us our smallness. One need not have been lost in the actual desert–though I have been, sort of–to come upon that feeling of relative size. In stuff-I-read-in-childhood terms, it’s Douglas Adams’ Total Perspective Vortex that is raised by the Biblical images of the desert wanderer: a reminder, among the galaxies, that YOU ARE HERE, and that “HERE” is imperceptible is an understatement. But this passage is, it seems to me, about expressions of gratitude, and when it comes to expressions of gratitude I’m a wanderer in the desert. I’m pummeled by a big wave. As a Jew when I offer a traditional prayer it’s often not in my native language and I feel relief at not always knowing what it is I’m saying. Where expressions of real spiritual depth are concerned I’m most comfortable when I’m a little bit confused, not able to catch all the language, and I can approach even my own ignorance with something like awe. I like feeling small in that way, I think. It’s a way of feeling part of a bigger and not always understandable arrangement, which has always seemed to me something like fact. But I also like feeling like a person, and sometimes boundless exaltation like the kind expressed in this psalm seems to me so much like the vastness of the desert, so calibrated to illustrate my individual human smallness, that it threatens to obliterate the self. That feels dangerous and, in the wrong hands, exploitable. I think I may be temperamentally averse to the pure exaltation this psalm and others prescribe. But it also strikes me that making a meaningful expression of gratitude is distinctly and necessarily not always about my own comfort. Reading and responding to these verses was an opportunity for me to consider smallness and the temptations and aversions that accompany one’s being faced with it, as well as how insisting on the boundaries and bigness of a self inside the infinite is an act that’s circumscribed by unclarity, and failure, and beauty. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Laura Eve Engel is the author of Things That Go (Octopus Books). The recipient of fellowships from the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, her work can be found in The Awl , Best American Poetry , Boston Review , The Nation , PEN America , Tin House and elsewhere. She's in a band called The Old Year. Website Laura Eve Engel About the Artist WISHBONE Laura Eve Engel Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art And still unclear is the quality of my lostness View Full Written Work I AM SMALL by Laura Eve Engel And still unclear is the quality of my lostness to the visible stars more visible in the desert great literature love places its wanderers under a slow tongue where fear grows plantwild the dark makes forms unknowable I give thanks for not in this dry moment having to answer for myself forage for wheat beneath the sky 's great bravery I must be a nettle or else a tiny trophy bound by sand these feet from time to time displaced gathered up where I was found traversing my actual steps a length of its own brief name Close Loading Video . . . And still unclear is the quality of my lostness Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Resident Artist Emily Ruth Hazel’s new poem in response to the theme of “Lies” and Genesis 2:21-25, 3:1–13; John 3:8; 18:37–38; Ephesians 5:25-33 and Revelation 22:17 as she builds a poetry collection responding to every theme from the year as a 2013 Spark+Echo Artist in Residence. Genesis 2:21-25 Genesis 3:1–5 Genesis 3:7–13 John 3:8 John 18:37–38 Ephesians 5:26–33 Revelation 22:17 Runaway By Emily Ruth Hazel Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, 2013 Artist in Residence 2013 Poetry/Spoken Word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As with the first three themes of the year, which I found myself defining by contrast—Light and Darkness were intertwined, the theme of Fools led me to write about wisdom, and Dancing was set in relief against grief—the theme of Lies inspired me to explore the alternatives, honesty and truth. Under the many layers we wear, there is an opportunity for daring vulnerability and naked authenticity. The truth of who we are, and of who God is, is not as simple or as flat as it is often presented or misunderstood to be; deeper truths are always multifaceted. In “Runaway,” I wanted to take a closer look not only at our human tendency to run away—from truth, among other things—but also at how God has different qualities of a runaway, being hard to tie down and moving unexpectedly. This got me thinking about our human strategies for trying to make sense of our world and of the spiritual realm, and how religion can come close to articulating these things but sometimes misses the point entirely. Since subtle masks and readily accepted myths can be just as dangerous and destructive as overt lies, if not more so, I wanted to offer a poem that could acknowledge a few misconceptions about Christianity and some of the contradictions within the global and historical Church, which are troubling to me. When I began delving into the chain reaction of deception and hiding just a few pages into Genesis, I was surprised to discover a direct connection between that text and the New Testament passage I had already had in mind to respond to (Ephesians 5:25–33), which quotes a line from Genesis about the mystery of marriage. I’m intrigued that the Apostle Paul chooses the metaphor of marriage—perhaps the most complex and intimate of human relationships—to depict the relationship between God and the Church. It was this image that became my starting point for taking off some of the layers. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Emily Ruth Hazel is a poet, writer, and cross-pollinator who is passionate about diversifying the audience for poetry and giving voice to people who have been marginalized. Selected as the Honorary Poet for the 25th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading in Providence, Rhode Island, she presented a commissioned tribute to the Poet Laureate of Harlem in February of 2020. She is a two-time recipient of national Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prizes and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for a residency at The Hambidge Center in 2014. Her chapbook, Body & Soul (Finishing Line Press, 2005) , was a New Women’s Voices finalist. Emily’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies, magazines, literary journals, and digital projects, including Kinfolks: A Journal of Black Expression and Magnolia: A Journal of Women’s Socially Engaged Literature. Her poetry has also been featured on music albums, in a hair salon art installation, and in a science museum exhibition. Emily has written more than twenty commissioned works for organizations, arts productions, social justice projects, and private clients. Currently, she is developing several poetry book manuscripts and writing lyrics for an original musical inspired by the life of the extraordinary singer and Civil Rights icon Marian Anderson. A graduate of Oberlin College’s Creative Writing Program and a former New Yorker, she is now based in the Los Angeles area. EmilyRuthHazel.com Instagram: @EmilyRuthHazel Facebook.com/EmilyRuthHazel Website Emily Ruth Hazel About the Artist Artist in Residence 2013, Emily Ruth Hazel Word of Mouth In the Wake of the Storm Circling the Waist of Wisdom Give Me a Name Homecoming Give Us This Day Undressing Prayer Emily Ruth Hazel Other Works By Explore the other works composed throughout the year in Emily's poetry collection, created as a 2013 Artist in Residence . Explore her works created throughout the year: “In the Wake of the Storm” LIGHT AND DARKNESS (JANUARY 21, 2013) “Circling the Waist of Wisdom” FOOLS (APRIL 26, 2013) “Homecoming” DANCING (JUNE 27, 2013) “Runaway” LIES (AUGUST 8, 2013) “Give Us This Day” HARVEST (NOVEMBER 14, 2013) “Undressing Prayer” MEMORY (JANUARY 6, 2013) Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Artists in Residence spend a year developing and creating a major work in response to Scripture. Click on their names to view their projects. Current Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Arts seeks to develop and support communities of artists who engage with and create in response to the Bible. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 and some internal changes, we decided to pause the Artist in Residency for a year so that we could regroup our resources. Our hope is to continue offering this opportunity in 2021. Previous Artists in Residence 2020 Sapient Soul, Marlanda Dekine (Poetry + Spoken Word) 2019 Lancelot Schaubert (Short Story) 2018 Elias Popa (Installation Art) 2017 Aaron Beaumont (Music), Lily Maase (Music) 2016 Ebitenyefa Baralaye (Visual Art), Chris Knight (Film), Lauren Ferebee (Theatre), Stephanie Miracle (Dance) 2015 Benje Daneman (Music), Jason DaSilva (Film), Melissa Beck (Visual Art), Don Nguyen (Theatre), Christine Suarez (Dance), The Spark & Echo Band (Music) 2013 Nicora Gangi (Visual Art), Emily Ruth Hazel (Poetry) Related Information View More Art Make More Art The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. View Full Written Work Runaway by Emily Ruth Hazel 1 The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. She lives everywhere, a temple built of flesh instead of stone, a body with a mind and a will of her own, her heart not only red but also blue and independent, her spirit both radiant and restless. How far she has wandered, dragging the train of her newly washed dress through sewage-flooded gutters. When she returns, ready to change, grace attends her, fingers gently combing out the tangle of her hair, patiently undoing seven times seventy buttons. But legalism has one narrow foot braced against the Church’s back, two hands yanking taut the laces of a corset made from the bones of faith, that great, endangered mystery that swims beneath the surface. Perhaps this undergirding was designed for the body, to shape and support, but it digs into her skin, pressing her inmost parts to conform to its constraints. Breath held captive, the bride anxiously waits to be untied, Pilate’s questioning of Christ reverberating through her centuries later—What is truth? This far from paradise, knowing good and intimate with evil, how could her heart ever again be naked without shame? What would she look like if she lost the fig leaf lingerie? What if she continued the long walk down the aisle, eyes fixed on her first love, confessing all her uncertainties— would God still have her? 2 Born hungry, we feed each other false hopes like the warm milk of a lullaby. Having outlived the famine years, we think we are finally wise and bite into the red delicious of deception, handing it off to our partners. The growl grows louder. A tribe of exiles and runaways, we are all in the same soup line, but we front as if we’re in the queue to enter an elite club where God is a brass-knuckled bouncer letting in only those who pay or charm their way inside. Angling for VIP passes, we bleach our teeth with white lies, wear pretense like concealer, sweep shades of embellishment in all the right places. We flaunt our faux diamonds and flash our fake ID. Fully knowing who we are, knowing that we can’t afford the cover, the host at the door waves us in and offers us a bowl and spoon. We grab what is given with one hand, the other hand already reaching back to draw the invisible velvet cord across the path behind us: we want to be the first inside and the last to make the cut. 3 Measuring our steps like a barefoot bride who wears a borrowed spoon dangling from her necklace, what is it we are limping toward? Eden is a memory of the scent of apple blossoms. What do we have left, we ask, that we have not created for ourselves? Our fingerprints on everything, by this time, who can tell how much of religion is manmade? The river of life that streams from heaven has been dammed and redirected, human calculations managing the flow, interrupting natural rhythms. From the spinning belly of the same truck out of which that wall was born, poured as a thick, gray river of our own, we have built a semblance of refuge on the shore. Easily sold on the invention of that which is concrete— a substance that grows stronger as it ages—who can blame humanity for mixing with cement our aggregate beliefs? We manufacture cinder blocks of knowledge weighty enough to withstand minor disasters, but never too heavy to lift alone. Stacking rules upon rituals, long ago, we tried to build a tower that would scrape away the blue, leave a keyhole in the sky so we could see beyond, but our tongues divided us; our ladders toppled. Among our tall attempts, we have landscaped a courtyard instead, an echo of the garden we once knew, then sealed it with a glass roof more transparent than our prayers, turning the open space into yet another structure to contain the wind, to cage our fear of what we can’t control. Everything within our reach we have domesticated. But what can we do with a wind that cannot be caught? Close Loading Video . . . The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . The creation of this work stems from a combination of artist Seth Ruggles Hiler's reflection on his experiences with animals and the verse of Jeremiah 13:20 while exploring the theme "Sheep." Jeremiah 13:20 From the North By Seth Ruggles Hiler Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2012 30 x 40 inches Oil on Canvas Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The inspiration for this painting comes from Seth's surroundings. As a child, he grew up on a New Jersey farm surrounded by animals. His spiritual background in Anglicanism and Methodism and his passionate involvement with the LGBT community harmonizes with my creative drive for expression and his academic training. Seth's work has a classical sensibility with contemporary color and composition. He strives to go beyond creating likeness or surface description by expressing a momentary relationship to the subject, informed by a collection of past experiences. The landscape in this image was taken from a snapshot of the Appalachian trail above the frost line, reminding Seth of Jeremiah’s note about the flock coming down “from the north.” Also remembering his visit to a sheep field in Martha’s Vineyard, Seth notes that animals have always held a tender spot in his heart. Seth's landscapes, portraits and collaborations often simultaneously explore ideas about the exceptional and the mundane, creating a natural space for him to explore the ironic relationship between (biblical) sheep and their Shepherd. When viewed through human lenses, Seth see an anomaly in the relationship of the Shepherd and his sheep: that such a vulnerable animal would have implicit trust in its leader, following unquestionably. Thus, the surrounding verses in Jeremiah’s passage hint that there may be some trouble for this flock. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Seth Ruggles Hiler received a BFA in painting from Syracuse University in 2002 and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2005. He maintains a studio in Boonton, NJ and is a professor at Bard High School Early College in Newark, New Jersey. Seth’s work has been exhibited at galleries and institutions throughout the North East and in Ontario, Canada, including the Morris Museum in New Jersey, New York City’s Salmagundi Club and Syracuse University. In 2010, the Monmouth Museum of Art featured his work in the solo exhibition “NJ Emerging Artists Series: Seth Ruggles Hiler – Portraits.” Read more about his process on his 2010 Plein Air excursion through New England, and a sweet note about “ the Sabbath .” The premiere of “Ash Unravel,” a dance and drawing collaboration with dancer/choreographer Michael Caldwell, was presented in Toronto in 2011 at the Dance Made in Canada Festival. Guerilla Gallery in Newark, NJ presented “ CROPPED, An Intimate View ,” a solo show of large graphite portraits in September 2011. See more of Seth’s work at www.sethruggleshiler.com Website Seth Ruggles Hiler About the Artist Seth Ruggles Hiler Other Works By In further echo of this passage and inspired by this work, Nicolas Destino wrote "The Capture" and "The Escape." Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Yo Sé" by the Spark+Echo Band is a musical bilingual response to Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah 29:11-14 Yo Sé By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Words and Music by Jonathon Roberts // Musicians: Jonathon Roberts, accordion, voice; Emily Clare Zempel ukulele, voice; Jay Foote Upright bass; Alex Foote, percussion // Mixing: Alexander Foote // Mastering: Christopher Colbert Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2012 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This is a classic passage, one of those that you want to put on your wall or memorize when you are having a rough day. I use it as such, carry it with me. Sometimes I think about it at the little Lutheran storefront church we go to in Queens. This lovely bilingual church community that has been our home for 10 years is part of what inspired writing our first song in Spanish and English. This song was part of the Spark+Echo Band's second album, Inheritance . 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 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 Frogs Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By I know the thoughts that I think when I think of you. I know the plans that I have for you. Plans of hope, Plans to prosper, Thoughts of peace, And none of calamity. And you shall call upon me, And you shall come to me, And you shall pray unto me, And I will harken unto you. And you will seek me, And you will find me, When you search for me with all your heart. I will be found of you, I will be found of you. And we will be free. Yo sé los planes que tengo para tí. Yo sé muy bien los planes que tengo para tí. Planes de bienestar, Y no de calamidad. A fin de darle un futuro y una esperanza. Y tú me invocarás y vendrás a suplicarme. Y yo te eschuraré me buscarás y me encontrarás, Me encontrarás cuando me busques de todo corazón. Te dejaré encontrarme, y tú serás libre. And I will seek you, And I will find you, I will search for you with all my heart. I will find you. I will search for you with all my heart. I will be found of you, And we will be free. 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

collected-thoughts_chris-knight_featjpg.jpg Loading Video . . . I was supposed to submit this update last week, but I didn’t. I hate missing deadlines like that, mostly because I’m at heart a real rule follower. Blowing a deadline feels like letting people down who were depending on me. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Ecclesiastes 1:8-13 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 3 By Chris Knight Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2016 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link September 12, 2016 I was supposed to submit this update last week , but I didn’t. I hate missing deadlines like that, mostly because I’m at heart a real rule follower. Blowing a deadline feels like letting people down who were depending on me. (Behind the scenes from the shoot) But on the weekend when I was supposed to updating everyone on how the film was progressing, we were actually — you know — shooting the film, so it made sense to hold off until there was a bit more to report. (Behind the scenes from the shoot) It was a hectic shoot, trying to cram a bit too much into two days of shooting. I would have liked to have one more day of shooting and one more week of preparation time, but because of the way our (almost entirely volunteer) cast and crew’s schedules aligned, we had a window of just those two days to get it all done. Everyone did a terrific job in a very busy environment without a lot of extra hands. By the time the shoot started, as it usually does, the cast and crew were doing all of the critical work, and I was just standing in the center of it all and watching them make the film come together. (Behind the scenes from the shoot) The script changed little since the last update. I streamlined the two scenes and added some additional framing to give it more shape. In the end, we cut a couple of sequences for time. I’m concerned those edits might unbalance the tone of the piece, so as we get further into the editing, we may need to look for a way to pick up a couple of shots, but I don’t want to commit to anything until we see how it’s shaping up. Overall, I’m still in the shell-shocked, post-shoot blur. I’m beginning to sleep again, and I can eat actual meals, which are both nice developments. But mostly, I’m just looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. Screen Captures from Chris’ Upcoming Film Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Chris Knight is a director and writer based in New York City. His short films and feature scripts have been selected for a variety of film festivals across the country. Website Chris Knight About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 1 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 2 Carried from Jericho Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Chris Knight Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Chris' project by reading his first , second and final post as a 2016 Artist in Residence. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

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

Artists In Residence Spark+Echo Artists in Residence spend a year developing and creating a major work in response to Scripture. The progression of their work is documented and displayed throughout, and the final work is showcased. View This Work 2020 Artist in Residence: Marlanda Dekine Marlanda Dekine 2020 View This Work Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert Lancelot Schaubert 2019 View This Work Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Elias Popa 2018 View This Work Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont Aaron Beaumont 2017 View This Work Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Lily Maase 2017 View This Work Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Chris Knight 2016 View This Work Artist in Residence 2016: Stephanie Miracle Stephanie Miracle 2016 View This Work Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Lauren Ferebee 2016 View This Work Artist in Residence 2016: Ebitenyefa Baralaye – "Bam Bam" Ebitenyefa Baralaye 2016 View This Work Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band The Spark & Echo Band 2015 View This Work Artist in Residence 2015: Jason DaSilva Jason DaSilva 2015 View This Work Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Melissa Beck 2015 View This Work Artist in Residence 2015: Don Nguyen Don Nguyen 2015 View This Work Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez Christine Suarez 2015 View This Work Artist in Residence 2015: Benje Daneman Benje Daneman 2015 View This Work Artist in Residence 2013, Emily Ruth Hazel Emily Ruth Hazel 2013 View This Work Memories Nicora Gangi 2013

Loading Video . . . This week we featured Alex|Xan: the Median Movement as they bring us a fascinating study on the theme of "Lies" in response to Ecclesiastes 4:10-11. Ecclesiastes 4:10-11 A Study in Lying By Alex|Xan: the Median Movement Credits: Curated by: Emily Dishman 2013 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The film features a woman set against two backgrounds. One is a bed and one is a hanging sheet. They are deceptively similar, but the bed provides sturdy support while the sheet gives way under the pressure of a falling body. It flaps and flies and flounders. As one goes to “lie down” onto it, its lies are revealed in the fall. But this does not stop the dancer from trying, from falling, from trusting. We must take the risks of falling, of letting go, and trust and believe that we will be helped up. We must give in to know trust at all. There is not so much a resolve in this short film, but rather the constant questioning of one’s faith and one’s belief in the greater good – a study among many lifelong studies. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection XAN BURLEY a native of Youngstown, OH and a graduate of the University of Michigan (BDA Dance; BA English), is an active performer, creator, teacher, and arts administrator. She has had the great pleasure of working with artists and companies such as Nancy Bannon, Daniel Charon Dance, Shannon Gillen + Guests, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance, Donnell Oakley, Leyya Tawil/Dance Elixir, and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, among others. She joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2012. Xan also acts as co-producer of WAXworks. She has held teaching positions at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Echange, Cora School for Dance, PAVE Academy Charter School, and Poly Prep Performing Arts Camp and is currently on faculty at the 92Y. She occasionally teaches technique for professionals at Dance New Amsterdam, Triskelion Arts, and the Playground. ( photo by Vesa Loikas ) Alex Springer originally from Farmington Hills, MI, is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and video editor. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Dance and a minor in Movement Science he joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2008. He has enjoyed working with Alexandra Beller, Amy Chavasse, Elizabeth Dishman, Leyya Tawil/Dance Elixir and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Additionally, Alex has staged Varone’s work for various companies and universities and has taught at the Bates Dance Festival, the 92Y, Dance New Amsterdam, the Playground, and Triskelion Arts. He is the co-producer of WAXworks and the company manager/media archivist/video designer for Doug Varone and Dancers. ( photo by Vesa Loikas ) The Median Movement is the artistic intersection between Xan Burley + Alex Springer. This husband and wife team has been working together for almost 10 years. Since 2008, they have shown work in NYC at the 92Y, DanceNOW[NYC], the TANK, Triskelion Arts, Movement Research at Judson Church, Brooklyn Arts Exchange/BAX, Rooftop Dance, among other venues. They won the 2011 DanceNOW[NYC] Joe’s Pub Encore Challenge, and they were selected as a 2011 BAX Space Grant Artist. Their choreography can also be seen in the feature length film Frances Ha (2013). They have been commissioned to create work by the Oakland Dance Theater (MI), Cora Youth Company (NY), the Collective (MD), and Ohio University (OH). They have taught master classes in modern technique, partnering, composition, improvisation, creative movement for young children, movement for actors, and dance film. They also create dance for the camera and have screened their film work at various festivals including Moviehouse, WESTfest, the Flea, Motion Captured, and currently on Hulu as part of TenduTV’s Essential Dance Film. www.theMedianMovement.com ( photo by Ian Douglas ) Website Alex|Xan: the Median Movement About the Artist Alex|Xan: the Median Movement Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work