More from My Collection

Last Christmas my husband gave me the book The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing, edited by Leland Ryken. It has reflections from Tolkien, Flannery O’Connor, Madeleine L’Engle, Frederick Buechner, Annie Dillard, Francis Schaeffer and others. It also has lots of quotations. Here are a few I especially like about writing and story:


When we are at a play, or looking at a painting or a statue, or reading a story, the imaginary work must have such an effect on us that it enlarges our own sense of reality. Madeline L’Engle, Walking on Water

The poet’s job is not to tell you what happened, but what happens: not what did take place, but the kind of thing that always does take place. Northrop Frye, The Educated Imagination

The primary job that any writer faces is to tell you a story of human experience—I mean by that, universal mutual experience, the anguishes and troubles and gifts of the human heart, which is universal, without regard to race or time or condition. William Faulkner, Faulkner at West Point

My assumption is that the story of any one of us is in some measure the story of us all. Frederick Buechner, Listening to Your Life

The poet is not a man who asks me to look at him; he is a man who says “look at that” and points. C. S. Lewis, The Personal Heresy

I’m always highly irritated by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality. Flannery O’Connor, “The Nature and Aim of Fiction”

Coming soon: a poet, a musician, a composer, a culture expert, and more

Tyrus Clutter, Part 2: Christians in the Visual Arts

Tyrus Clutter is a painter and printmaker. He holds a BA in Painting from Spring Arbor University and an MFA in Painting from Bowling Green State University. Clutter's award-winning work can be found in many private collections as well as in the Print Collections of the New York Public Library and the Spencer Museum of Art, as well as the collections of Spring Arbor University and Union University. Images of Clutter's work have illustrated journals and magazines including The South Carolina Review, Chiron, The Christian Century, and Arts & Letters: Journal of Contemporary Culture. The Beginning: A Second Look at the First Sin, by Square Halo Books, also incorporates Clutter's illustrations. Clutter currently resides in Massachusetts where he works as the director of Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA.)


LM: What are some ways the church can support or encourage Christians in the visual arts?

TC: The old mentality that the mission field is only in some far off land where the heathen have never heard of Jesus is fading away. The contemporary church can see that right here in North America many people have heard of Jesus, but they do not actually understand the message of the gospel. Therefore, one of the most important things that the church can do is validate the role and calling of the artist. The roles and callings are as various as the types of art people make. Some artists are called to be liturgical designers. Their work is specifically made to function in the setting of communal worship. Others are called to be fine artists working in the national and international art scene—exhibiting in major galleries and museums or teaching at secular universities and art schools. The message of their work will surely be informed by their faith, but they are also a form of missionary to the cultural set in society. Their role is to make great art and live in a Christ-like manner in the world. Still others may be called to work in the film industry or graphic or industrial design. Again, all these people are called to be Christians in their workplace and we all know that that is no small task. And it is not just the practicing artists but the art historians and critics that need to be encouraged as vital within the Body.

Young people need to hear from the pulpit and from those in church leadership that all occupations are needed. Christians are called to every type of work, including the arts. I am not necessarily calling for a sermon on the arts from every pastor, but it would not hurt. And the support from leadership needs to begin at the level of seminary education, too. There is a surge of interest in the cultural class by young seminarians. They understand that this is a largely unchurched segment of society, yet few seminaries are preparing men and women to be conversant in the arts. While they will not be experts, they need to be comfortable around artists if this corner is to be turned.

LM: Tell me about your background as an artist and how you became involved with CIVA.

TC: I did not grow up in a family that embraced visual art. All of us were musicians—very acceptable in the church setting—but no one was serious about art. My siblings and I had dabbled in art but by the time I reached high school I recognized that this was the direction I needed to take. My parents, like many, were concerned. Our culture recognizes the term “starving artist” and that can easily put fear in the heart of any parent who only wants the best for his or her child. I reached a compromise with my parents to major in art and minor in business. The reasoning was that I would work toward a graphic design emphasis and have some hope of gainful employment. The minor disappeared after a year and a half when I declared that I was going to become a painter. That was not met by applause.

It was during these years at college (Spring Arbor University) that I first began to seriously consider how my faith and vocation should be integrated. Somehow during that time I first heard about CIVA. It was not until I was working on my MFA in painting at Bowling Green a couple of years later that I really began to look closely at CIVA. As one of two Christians in my MFA program I was in a very different place than at Spring Arbor (a four-year Christian liberal arts college). The topics of the CIVASEEN newsletter were timely. The news about projects, exhibitions, and conferences was exciting. The books suggested to read were formational. I longed to be part of that larger community and I knew I was, if only through my annual membership and the occasional mailings it provided to me.

In 1998 and 1999 my involvement in CIVA took off. I was accepted into the “Ignite” traveling exhibition of young emerging artists from within the ranks of CIVA. At the same time I took my first full-time teaching position and was able to attend my first CIVA biennial conference. When I look back now I see myself as so young and naïve at that first conference. I was in awe of all these people I had only read about, and now I had an opportunity to meet them. It is somewhat laughable today, because many of those same artists are now close personal friends and there are literally hundreds more I know through CIVA. Still, I remember that first conference and I know the exhilaration and intimidation that many feel at their first conference. I strive to let people know that CIVA members are generally the most open and giving people I know. There isn’t the vying for position that one finds in the broader art world. The network of CIVA is just like the church. We are a group of people at various levels of development who all need each other to press forward on our journey.

Because I was willing to volunteer in various roles for CIVA, was making contacts at the conferences, exhibiting work by CIVA artists at the college gallery I directed, and having work accepted by a variety of jurors for some CIVA shows, many on the CIVA Board knew who I was. When the Board took the step to hire a director everything came together at the right time for me to move into my current position. Directing CIVA’s programs was not something I would have imagined myself doing; nor was teaching, for that matter. God has other intentions for our lives sometimes and it takes faith to discern that leading.

LM: Is there anything you'd like to add?

TC: I have come to understand that the term “Christian artist” needs to be put to rest. There is always a problem when the word Christian is used as an adjective. I try to keep it in the realm of a noun. Christians are people, but so are artists. I prefer the term “artist of faith.” While I know that it is problematic for some, because it does not describe what the faith is in, it also does not come with a preconceived idea of what type or style of work the artist creates.

I meet many people in both the higher ranks of the church and the higher levels of the art world. If I was to ever describe myself as a Christian artist, people from both camps would arrive at the same preconception—that my work was illustrative biblical narrative, some kitschy reworking of a scene of angels, or some equally generic scene with a biblical quote attached. There is probably a place for each of those but to think that every artist in CIVA is doing that style of work is absurd.

A major thrust of my job is to have serious conversations with both sides. Usually this happens without words. I show lots of examples. CIVA is not simply a liturgical art and design organization—though those people are in our ranks and some of their work would inspire the imagination of even a die-hard atheist. CIVA encourages artists at every level to reach their highest potential. Good art work is simply good art work. It will be engaging and expanding for the viewer and it makes little difference whether it is created for use strictly inside the church or not, with an obvious and overt evangelical message or not.

We are in a time of openness in which the church knows that the visual can no longer be overlooked and the broader culture realizes that spirituality is essential to our well being. I find that, both as an artist and the Director of CIVA, this is an exciting time to be working.

Tyrus Clutter: Christians in the Visual Arts

This week I’m featuring Tyrus Clutter, painter and Director of CiVA (Christians in the Visual Arts).

LeAnne: According to your website, "CiVA exists to explore and nurture the relationship between the visual arts and the Christians faith." How did CiVA get started?

Tyrus: No one actually thought about starting a large organization in the early days. CIVA actually came into existence through the initial work of Gene Johnson, the former chair of the art department at Bethel University in Minnesota. Johnson realized that there were Christian colleges with art departments all over North America and that it was likely that the art professors in some of these remote places felt as isolated, from both the art world and the church, as his colleagues did. That was the atmosphere of the time; both the church and the art world were equally suspicious of an artist working from a Christian worldview.

Johnson began calling around to the various colleges in 1976 and planned to host a small conference at Bethel the following year. Key participants were asked to give presentations, to ensure that there would be a core group in attendance. Johnson assumed that around fifty people would show up. As word got around between 200 and 250 gathered at Bethel. Everyone was astounded at this turn out and the real need for fellowship and networking was keenly felt. A second conference was planned for 1979. When there were just as many participants that time, bylaws were drawn up and the organization was formed that year.

LM: What are some ways the organization is fulfilling its mission?

TC: CIVA is currently in the process of beginning implementation of a new strategic plan that fine tunes the mission of the organization to “supporting the artist, serving the church, and engaging the culture.” The traditional means that CIVA employed to accomplish this were the biennial conferences (rotating to various locations around North America) and the newsletter (CIVASEEN). The newsletter eventually became a semi-annual journal called SEEN and now CIVA has annual media specific workshops on the campus of Gordon College and a range of traveling exhibitions.

At the core of CIVA is a network of nearly 10,000 individuals and institutions. CIVA cannot do every good thing that integrates art and faith, but it has always been a catalyst to see that these things can be done. In the realm of culture, CIVA has collaborated with the Museum of Biblical Art in New York City to produce an exhibition entitled The Next Generation. That show is still traveling to churches and college galleries around the country. The catalogue essay on the artists and their work has opened the eyes of many in both the church and the culture. The message is that excellent contemporary art can be created from the context of faith.

Other exhibitions and projects specifically in collaboration with churches have helped the general church-goer to see that faith and theology can be deepened through visual media. Thirty years ago there was simply not this kind of openness and it is exciting to see the warm reception more churches have to the arts today.

Plans are in the works to start affiliate local groups around the country. Still, in an electronic age we realize that the website, more and more, will be a means to educate and inform. In the coming year there will be more resources online to help the mission along.

On Thursday, Tyrus Clutter will talk about why the term “Christian artist” needs to be put to rest, one of the most important things the church can do, and how he got involved in CiVA.

Spoleto: A Few Art-Filled Days in Charleston

We just returned from Charleston where we spent the last three days at the Spoleto Festival, www.spoletousa.org. In that short time we saw an opera, two chamber music programs, one piano concerto, two plays, and more. It was a wonderful experience.

The opera, Faustus, The Last Night, was interesting. The French composer, Pascal Dusapin, put a contemporary twist on the old story: Faustus was not redeemed but rather condemned to spend eternity in nothingness. The singers were gifted, the set marvelous, but the overall effect of the music and mood was strange and bleak. We knew the truth—the alternative to eternal damnation—but how many in the audience did not? I prayed that God would use the questions raised by Faustus to bring people who do not yet know the truth closer to Himself.

We attended two programs of chamber music at the historic Dock Street Theater. The funny and charming Charles Wadsworth, an artistic director of Spoleto, emceed and performed two pieces with other musicians. Each ensemble was fabulous—it was hard to choose a favorite. The musicians included: Courtenay Budd, soprano; Chee-Yun, violin; Andres Diaz (cello); Wendy Chen, piano; Tara Helen O’Connor, flute; Todd Palmer, clarinet; Catrin Finch, harp; and the St. Lawrence String Quartet.

We also enjoyed Intermezzo I, in which pianist Andrew Von Oeyen, who looks like Brad Pitt, conducted members of the Ginn Resorts Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra in Kurt Weill’s Kleine Dreigroschenmusik and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

We saw a comedy called The Constant Wife by Somerset Maugham, produced by the Gate Theatre in Dublin. We laughed throughout the whole piece. Set in London in 1930, the beautiful, charming, intelligent, and witty Constance puts her husband in his place after he has an affair with her close friend. The play is actually a sad commentary on the state of marriage in upper class London then (and some might argue, anywhere now). But the dialogue is so witty and well-done that we laughed and laughed. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Before that, we sat in on “Conversations With…”, an on-stage interview conducted by Martha Teichner, Emmy award-winning CBS News correspondent. She spoke with the director of The Constant Wife and the producer of the Gate Theater. We learned a lot about the history of Irish theater as well as about the play. For example the costume designer for The Constant Wife was a couturier with several designers in Paris, which explains why the costumes were so gorgeous that I wanted them all.

We also saw Thomas Ward’s play, Keeping Watch, for the second time. It’s a funny, poignant, and surprising Southern drama. Ward won CiTA’s 2006 National Playwriting Competition for Keeping Watch. We saw the world premiere last year at Tom Key’s Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta. This production, with its cast comprised of College of Charleston alumni, was good too.

After I bought appropriate footwear, we enjoyed walking through the streets of historic Charleston, browsing through the outdoor market with its basket weavers and other vendors, and eating fresh seafood. At Magnolia’s, a white tablecloth kind of place, I ate every bit of my shrimp and grits, after sharing the fried green tomatoes appetizer. At Poogan’s Porch, a more casual café, I had a yummy Shrimp PoBoy, finally abandoning the bread all together to concentrate on the shrimp covered with Cajun remoulade.

Yesterday morning, just before we left town, we walked across the street from our hotel, the historic Francis Marion on King Street, to the Spoleto artist market. We wandered through the park, stopping to look at booths filled mostly with lowcountry landscapes and other regional art. We came upon Elaine Berlin, whose art was chosen for the festival poster. Her work is abstract and filled with color and vibrancy. It drew us both. To celebrate our wonderful time at Spoleto, we bought a small piece of Elaine’s for a certain small piece of wall in our home that’s not already covered with something.

We’re already planning our trip to Spoleto next year. Although I don’t think it could top my first experience my husband, a veteran attender, says it can. I believe him.

Memorial Day Moments

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Take a moment to remember our soldiers who have given their lives for our country and those who still serve. Remember the families who are grieving.

Take a moment to enjoy some art today, whether it's a new or a favorite piece of music, a painting hanging in your home, a gorgeous piece of writing, or children dancing at a picnic. Look for the beauty around you wherever you are, whatever you're doing.

On Thursday I’ll have a report from Spoleto, an arts festival in Charleston. Next week, I’m featuring Tyrus Clutter of CiVA. You won’t want to miss our interview.

Francis Schaeffer’s Art & The Bible

I have more from Francis Schaeffer’s essay, “Some Perspectives on Art.”

The first [perspective on art] is the most important: A work of art has a value in itself. For some this principle may seem too obvious to mention, but for many Christians it is unthinkable. And yet if we miss this point, we miss the very essence of art. Art is not something we merely analyze or value for its intellectual content. It is something to be enjoyed. The Bible says that the art work in the tabernacle and the temple was for beauty…

As a Christian we know why a work of art has value. Why? First, because a work of art is a work of creativity, and creativity has value because God is the Creator…

Second, … man is made in the image of God, and therefore man not only can love and think and feel emotion, but also has the capacity to create. Being in the image of God, we are called upon to have creativity [pp. 33-34].

I’d better stop there. Schaeffer’s little booklet holds some great ideas. You can find your own copy of Art & The Bible at Amazon or CBD.com. Let me know what you think of it.

Coming soon: Features with CiVA, a culture expert, poet, composer, musician, dancer, and more

Our Greatest Work of Art

If you haven’t read theologian Francis Schaeffer’s Art and the Bible, a small pamphlet comprised of two essays, I recommend that you do so as soon as you can. The first essay discusses art in the Bible, and the second outlines a Christian perspective on art in general. It’s an important work, especially for those interested in Christians in the arts.

I think it’s time to reread it myself.

Here’s a little taste:

All of us are engaged daily with works of art, even if we are neither professional nor amateur artists. We read books, we listen to music, we look at posters, we admire flower arrangements. Art, as I am using the word, does not include just “high art,” that is, painting, sculpture, poetry, classical music, but also the more popular expressions—the novel, the theater, the cinema, popular music, and rock. In fact, there is a very real sense in which the Christian life itself should be our greatest work of art. Even for the great artists, the most crucial work of art is his life. (“Some Perspectives on Art”, p. 33).

Coming soon: Q&As with a culture expert, poet, composer, musician, dancer, and more

The Debut of Elysium

Last Saturday night, my husband and I saw the debut performance of a new chamber orchestra and chorus in Atlanta called Elysium. Elysium means paradise, and as these gifted musicians and singers performed, I thought about the music of paradise, of heaven. What will it be like? Will our ears be able to take in such exquisite sounds? Will the quality of our own voices astonish us as we use them to sing praise to our God?

If we’re watching and listening, the arts can give us a tiny glimpse of the paradise that is heaven. Music as beautiful as Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and as powerful as Mozart’s Requiem must glorify our Creator God. As my ears filled with the glorious sounds, I worshipped Him--how could I not?--and I know I wasn't the only one to do so. In the third movement of Serenade for Strings, Elegia, my soul took wing as the music began to build. The Requiem, with the chorus and soloists, was as moving as always.

For more information about Elysium:

http://www.accessatlanta.com/arts/content/arts/stories/2007/05/10/0511alvchamber.html

For a review of the performance:

http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/reviews/entries/2007/05/13/almost_paradise.html

Emily Saves the Orchestra

Yesterday we took our daughter, who is seven, and my sister and her daughters, who are seven and eleven, to see the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (www.atlantasymphony.org) and Platypus Theatre present Emily Saves the Orchestra (www.platypustheatre.com). Why did it need saving? A monster in a bad mood wanted to destroy all music because it gave him a headache. If Emily could help the orchestra play Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, the monster's power over music would be cancelled out. With help from friends and musicians, she learned about rhythm, melody, harmony, tempo, dynamics, and more through selections like Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 6 and No. 9, Grieg’s “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt, and Pachelbel’s Canon.

Along the way, each type of instrument was spotlighted so Emily and the audience could see what they look and sound like. My oldest niece, recently named first chair of the woodwinds section in her school band, was especially excited to see the clarinets. Our daughter recognized some of the music we have played for her over the years. During the Overture to William Tell, she and her younger cousin “galloped” in their seats. (I felt like cantering after them but reined myself in before embarrassing our group.)

It was a pleasure to introduce the girls to the beauty of a live orchestra (beyond their school field trips), and I’m sure we’ll be going again soon. Last night, as our daughter was praying before bedtime, she said, “And thank you that we got to go see the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.” For such a creative, educational, and fun presentation as Emily Saves the Orchestra, I’m thanking Him too.

Laura Millar, Part 2: Stepping into Someone Else’s Shoes

Today I’m finishing my interview with Laura Millar. Laura grew up on stage. She was in her first production at the age of five and has performed in one almost every year since. She has acted and sung in both professional and community theater. Her favorite roles include Annie from Annie, Get Your Gun!, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, and Maria in The Sound of Music. She also has taught drama and choreographed productions.

LeAnne: You have taught drama to kids. What draws you to teaching?

Laura: It’s my gift, and my passion is working with kids. I want to get the kids to love performing. I like to help them think about the motivation of a character: “Why is this character doing what he’s doing? Why do you think she said that?” Understanding why someone does something is the first step in being able to convey them to an audience. Stepping into their shoes, so to speak, helps in the communicating process of acting.

The discipline of getting something performance ready is very valuable. For children, being in a play is the perfect scenario. They are “playing” someone and it naturally goes along with what children do in their own play times. By letting them know it is an art and that is a creative, subjective thing, it takes a bit of pressure off of them and helps to make it more fun.

LeAnne: You’ve been performing for most of your life. What would you say is one of the most important things you’ve learned through acting?

Laura: As a Christian, and having the benefit of walking with the Lord a lot of years now, I look back and see the benefit of having to become a lot of characters. I think God uses this understanding of motivations on me. Many times He has reminded me to step into their shoes. It has enabled me to reach down inside and understand someone and thus be able to forgive them. Not that it is necessarily any easier, but it certainly convicts me quicker when I am not doing it!

Laura Millar: Trusting God Every Step

Laura Millar grew up on stage. She was in her first production at the age of five and has performed in one almost every year since. She has acted and sung in both professional and community theater. Her favorite roles include Annie from Annie, Get Your Gun, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, and Maria in The Sound of Music. She also has taught drama and choreographed productions.

LeAnne: You're in a choral ensemble. Tell me about the group and the type of music you do.

Laura: I have been in a couple of great groups through the years -- Christian and non Christian. I only do Christian ensembles now, as I have such limited time. I’m taking a break from it this spring but we sing in churches (to give worship leaders a Sunday off) as well as secular venues, such as parties, festivals and other entertainment arenas. The idea behind the group is to be very portable. We have a lot of a cappella pieces. We also have a subtle music set that we perform at secular venues, but we always end the show or set with a song with a Christian message — to be a bit of a mission, if you will. There is such a wide diversity of wonderful music out there that you can put together an entire show with secular-popular music that has themes of high purpose. We always end with a song with a godly message. A couple of great songs we have done through the years are “The Reason We Sing” and “Would You See Jesus More.” They are great songs with great messages as to why we are here and why we do what we do.

LeAnne: You are currently writing a musical. What have you learned about God and theater in the process?

Laura: It is one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life. I sometimes feel I am writing something that is too godly for the secular world and too secular, if you will, for the godly world. I am learning that I have to trust God every step. Every line. Every note. It is a day-by-day faith building experience for me. It may only be about the time God and I have spent together doing it — it may never be put on anywhere, and I really think I have reached the place where I will be OK with that. But I do believe in my heart that He is guiding me on this and it is my job to finish the race. Sometimes I feel it is going to kill me off. Other times I feel it is the most exhilarating thing I have ever done.

Jeffrey Overstreet: Experiencing Movies

This week my guest is Jeffrey Overstreet, author of the new book Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth and Evil in the Movies. Jeffrey calls upon a decade of experience as a film reviewer and columnist for his popular website, www.lookingcloser.org. He is a weekly columnist and critic at Christianity Today’s movie website, and his perspectives are regularly published in Risen and Seattle Pacific University’s Response magazine. His work has also appeared Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion and Paste, and he frequently speaks about the arts at Seattle Pacific, in churches and on radio talk shows around the U. S. His film reviews were celebrated in a front-page feature of The Seattle Times’ Sunday magazine (Pacific Northwest), and his work has been noted in Time Magazine. He and his wife, Anne, a poet, can be found writing in the coffee shops of Shoreline, Washington.


LeAnne: Tell me about three movies that would not be considered Christian but have strong spiritual themes.

Jeffrey: There are so many, I hardly know where to start. In every chapter of Through a Screen Darkly, I take a look at several movies with spiritual themes. Here are three that spring to mind:

I wrote about Amadeus. That movie is about how God gives grace to all human beings, and sometimes, just to keep his servants humble, he gives the most extraordinary gifts to the most childlike… and childish… characters. Amadeus was a womanizing, rowdy, offensive party animal, according to this movie. And yet he was the one who could pull back the veil and show us glory, which incensed the courtly "Pharisees" who considered themselves superior.

I ran out of room to write about Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors in the book. It's all about a man who decides that there is no God. He decides that it doesn't really matter if he commits murder. He rationalizes his decision, and sees that he is able to sin and go on living without punishment. And as he does, the film seems to suggest that sinners will get away with it, and thus there is no God. But I am impressed by the emptiness of that conclusion, the inescapable sense that a soul has been ruined.

How do I pick just one more? The Truman Show is about conformity, freedom, and what life would be like if God was a tyrant instead of a benevolent deity. The films of Dreyer, Bresson, Kieslowski, Tarkovsky, and Kurosawa — oh, Ikiru is a fantastic film about redemption — are overflowing with spiritual insight. Just this last year, I was deeply moved and challenged by the spiritual insights in The New World, Babel, and Pan's Labyrinth.

I even find The Muppet Movie to have some powerful spiritual insights — The Great Gonzo sings a song in that movie that makes me think about my own longing for heaven, for arriving at my heart's true home.

LM: There are Christians in Hollywood who are creating good work and making a difference. Can you talk about one or two of these directors or producers—about the work they've done and what they hope to accomplish?

JO: Ralph Winter, who has worked as a producer on films in the Star Trek, X-Men, and Fantastic Four franchises. Winter has done such good work on his Hollywood blockbusters, that he has clout and influence in the industry. His work is a testimony that excellence matters. But he's not a snob... he does smaller projects in order to work with up-and-coming filmmakers, and in contributing to their growth, he sometimes discovers promising new talent.

Scott Derrickson, the director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose, has a good sense of the potential for horror films to cause us to think about the consequences of sin and the reality of spiritual warfare. Derrickson has a lot of ideas for future projects for mass audiences, but he's also an artist — he wrote a thoughtful film for director Wim Wenders, called Land of Plenty, which is available on DVD, and which features an inspiring Christian character played by Michelle Williams.

LM: Is there anything you'd like to add?

JO: For me, seeing a movie for the first time is just one small step in experiencing it. The best part comes when moviegoers start discussing their thoughts and feelings about the film afterward. I hope that readers of Through a Screen Darkly will start up vigorous conversations with their moviegoing friends, and that they'll share their experiences with me at my web site: www.lookingcloser.org.

Jeffrey Overstreet: Echoes of Glory in the Movies

This week my guest is Jeffrey Overstreet, author of the new book Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth and Evil in the Movies. Jeffrey calls upon a decade of experience as a film reviewer and columnist for his popular website, www.lookingcloser.org. He is a weekly columnist and critic at Christianity Today’s movie website, and his perspectives are regularly published in Risen and Seattle Pacific University’s Response magazine. His work has also appeared Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion and Paste, and he frequently speaks about the arts at Seattle Pacific, in churches and on radio talk shows around the U. S. His film reviews were celebrated in a front-page feature of The Seattle Times’ Sunday magazine (Pacific Northwest), and his work has been noted in Time Magazine. He and his wife, Anne, a poet, can be found writing in the coffee shops of Shoreline, Washington.

LeAnne: You have said that you feel compelled to “sit down between Christian culture and secular society, trying to help them understand each other—and ultimately, God—better through a shared experience of art.” (I applaud you, by the way.) Why do you have this compulsion?

Jeffrey: It’s a passion that developed after a lot of frustrating experiences within various Christian communities. As I grew up, I found that most of the Christians I encountered had harsh, judgmental attitudes about the movies, and had a very low opinion about the people who make them. The stuff coming out of Hollywood was to be avoided at all costs.

This prevailing attitude had a damaging influence on me. It taught me to believe that movies were almost all corrupt, evil, “unclean” entertainment that I should avoid. But my love of great storytelling contradicted this. My curiosity about the stories being told by filmmakers overcame my fears. As I began seeing more and more movies, discovering more and more meaningful stories in theaters, I felt embarrassed of how I had been led into a spirit of condemnation, suspicion, and fear by my own brothers and sisters in Christ. And I felt guilty for the way I had contributed to that condemnation. I wanted other believers to discover the wonder of the big screen, to learn from all kinds of movies — whether uplifting or troubling.

At the same time, I have encountered the same kind of suspicion, fear, and condemnation among many unbelievers whenever they talk about Christians. I know that there are many irresponsible, hard-hearted Christians out there — I have to struggle to avoid fulfilling that negative stereotype myself. But I also know that many Christians are humble, selfless, loving people. And I am convinced that true Christian faith will not be shaken by the misbehavior of foolish churchgoers. When our neighbors attack Christian misbehavior, they often use that as an excuse to reject God. But that’s just an excuse. Christian misbehavior does not tarnish God himself — it just makes the church seem like a false and unpleasant place to be.

I think that the movies… and all kinds of art… give us the opportunity to humble ourselves, learn from each others’ experiences and perspectives, and move past those rash judgments into greater understanding. Movies like Saved! and Deliver Us from Evil can humble Christians and cause them to remember their own fallibility. But movies like Dead Man Walking and Sophie Scholl: The Final Days and Chariots of Fire and A Man for All Seasons show us the powerful influence of devoted believers. I talk about this in great detail in Through a Screen Darkly, because there are so many powerful films about faith and the behavior of believers.

LM: I’m sure that as a movie reviewer for Christianity Today’s movie website as well as your own website, you get a lot of feedback from readers. What do you say to people who question the idea that God can use movies for His kingdom?

JO: I remind them of several things.

First, that Christ loved to teach through powerful storytelling. He did not explain “the moral of the story” afterward — he told powerful, controversial, even subversive stories, and then let the listeners ponder them. There are a lot of flimsy, forgettable stories on the big screen, but there are powerful, truthful stories as well. When we reject movies because they might have some potentially offensive material, we often miss out on amazing stories.

Second, I remind them that the Bible itself is full of colorful stories about sin and consequences. Alongside the inspiring Bible stories we read to our children, we find dark, troubling, violent stories that are more appropriate for an adult audience. Stories about gross sexual misbehavior. Stories about unimaginable wickedness. What’s important is that we learn to be discerning readers, to consider the context, the choices and the consequences of the characters.

Likewise, the movie theater offers all kinds of stories. Some are lurid and full of lies, and we should definitely learn to avoid such garbage. But others are true and beautiful. Some of the best movies will make us uncomfortable with vivid depictions of evil, and yet the truth of those depictions can be redemptive.

Third, movies made all over the world help us see the world through the eyes, and through the imaginations, of the neighbors that Christ exhorts us to love. By learning to understand how they see the world, and listening to their experiences of life, we learn how to understand them, and hopefully how to love them better. If we can’t listen to our neighbors’ stories, how will we ever engage them in a meaningful way?

Finally, I believe the Bible’s claim that “eternity is written in our hearts.” If God made all of us in his image, then his truth will shine through, even in the movies made by people who don’t believe in him. The longing for healing, the desire for beauty and truth, and conflict of good versus evil… if we pay close attention, we’ll find echoes of glory in many of these “worldly” stories. And if we’re humble, we may find that Christians themselves have a lot to learn from their neighbors…as much as our neighbors have to learn from us.

On Thursday, Jeffrey will discuss several movies and talk about two Christians in Hollywood to watch.

Me--Just for Fun

You may have noticed that I don’t include much information about myself on my blog or in my posts. That’s because I’d rather put the focus on the people I feature. A friend of mine turned the tables on me, however, and featured me on her blog. Her name is Crystal Miller. Crystal's blog has a nostalgic, homey feel with a fun sense of humor. She’s doing a series on writers and their childhoods, and yesterday was my turn. I had a lot of fun answering her questions. Here’s the link if you’re interested:

http://christianbookscout.blogspot.com/2007/04/when-i-was-just-kidleanne-martin.html

Next week, I'll be talking to reviewer Jeffrey Overstreet about Hollywood.

About Art, Writing, and Living

For today’s post, I’m sharing some favorite quotations about art, writing, and living. Hope they inspire you today.



As an artist, you have the job of working out whatever is given you to work out.
--Robert Hass

Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.
--Andre Gide

We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts.
--Madeleine L'Engle

All writing is a form of prayer.
--John Keats

A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.
--W.H. Auden

I write with intensity, discipline and constancy, because this is the work that calls me, the vocation of my heart.
--bell hooks

Personal essayists converse with the reader because they're already having dialogues and disputes with themselves.
--Phillip Lopate

Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.
--Kurt Vonnegut

Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes.
--Kenneth Hildebrand

Never lose a holy curiosity.
--Albert Einstein

Adele Mulford, Part 2: Balancing the Dynamics of Design

Today I’m concluding my interview with Adele Mulford, the art director for Discipleship Journal. Although Adele has a degree in advertising, magazine design has been her passion for the past 11 years. She has worked with several Christian publications, including Moody Magazine, Family Life Today, the Beacon, and Worldwide Challenge. Her designs have been recognized by Print, Society of Publication Designers, and the Evangelical Press Association.

LeAnne: You have a column in every issue of Discipleship Journal called “ArtTalk.” What do you write about?

Adele: “ArtTalk” is a way in which we try to engage our readers on a deeper level with the artwork. Good artwork (and design) has a story behind it. Perhaps we will tell them about the artist who created a particular piece. Or how a piece was created. Maybe there is an interesting story about the design process for a particular story or a visual puzzle that had to be solved. It’s always my hope that we can give our readers a glimpse into the “back story” of the artwork. This builds their understanding of the artwork, thus helping them to then build a connection to the artwork. In many ways, it’s simply a way to educate them and teach them how to see artwork as a tool for their spiritual growth.

LM: What piece of art has prompted the most discussion with readers? Why do you think that was the case?

AM: It’s funny you ask. We’ve had two recent issues that prompted a lot of feedback from readers. The first one was a series of articles about Redemption (November/December 2006). Instead of assigning specific articles or concepts to illustrate (which is how I usually direct the art), I commissioned several Christian artists to meditate on the idea of redemption and then create a fine art piece. It felt scary to totally release my control on the outcome of the art. But the results were amazing. It was wonderful to see how God spoke to each of their hearts uniquely. In turn, I heard from several readers about the powerful impact the artwork had on them. I think that these pieces were unique because the artists had total freedom to create something from their hearts, and our readers seemed to recognize the inspiration behind these pieces. In an ideal world, I would love to see more of our artwork originate from this kind of hands-off approach, but unfortunately, that’s not the reality of magazine design.

The second issue was very recent: January/February 2007. The cover and theme section of this issue was about sex. Since the editorial approach was very honest and straightforward, I felt that the artwork should also echo that approach. I wanted to go beyond the usual vague images that are often the “Christian” approach to discussing sex. I thought a lot about Song of Solomon and God’s unabashed poetry of love. It’s beautiful and passionate, but with a holy purity. So, when I commissioned the artist, Jane Mjolsness, to create the art, I asked her to not be afraid to show the beauty and intimacy of God’s design for sex. Her artwork was so breathtaking, honest, and tastefully done. I loved the cover in particular, which showed a simple line drawing of a man and woman embracing and kissing on a warm red background. Where their lips connect, a warm glow of yellow emanates. I found it to be an incredibly lovely image. However, sex is a hot-button topic, and therefore we had some readers who reacted strongly against the artwork. In fact, a major bookstore chain actually yanked it from their shelves and sold it from behind the counter. We were shocked. In retrospect, I can see that it’s virtually an impossible task to create visuals about sex that would please the masses. And in spite of some negative reactions, we had many readers who said they really loved how the issue turned out.

LM: With a degree in advertising, how did you end up in magazine design?

AM: Oddly enough, I started out studying interior architecture in college but then switched to advertising. I planned to be an art director at some big ad agency, but it took only one summer’s internship to change my mind! My first job was with NavPress (the same company that publishes DJ) where I designed book covers. The former Art Director of DJ needed someone to design one issue for her, so I took a stab at trying magazine design. I fell in love with it immediately. So I moved to Virginia to work for a Christian design firm that did a lot of magazines and gained a lot of experience there. But I’ve always had a heart for DJ. So, when they called me a few years ago and asked me to join their team, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!

I love that magazine design is a balance of word and image, structure and expression, functionality and beauty. Balancing those dynamics to create a publication that communicates effectively is a process I greatly enjoy.

In my personal life, I am finally finding the courage to try and learn an art form. I’ve spent so many years working with great artists that I find myself being a heavy-handed critic in my own work. Learning to let go of perfectionism and allow my self to relax and enjoy the process has been a challenge for me. Presently, I’m learning oil painting (I’ve always used acrylics before), and hope to take a ceramics class soon!

Adele Mulford: Gently Bringing Understanding

I’ve been a subscriber to Discipleship Journal (www.navpress.com/dj.asp) for years. I have always appreciated DJ's approach and attention to the art in its pages. Along with excellent editorial content, the art draws me in and keeps me signing up every year.

Today and Thursday of this week, I’m featuring the Art Director of Discipleship Journal, Adele Mulford.


LeAnne: Discipleship Journal has long led the field of Christian magazines in employing art in an intentional way. Why is art important to the magazine?

Adele: DJ’s mission is to help our readers grow in Christ, and our editorial team works hard to support that objective. I believe it’s also important that the visuals in the magazine should also work to inspire and enrich our readers in their walk with Christ. It’s not just my mission to make the pages of the magazine look pretty, or vaguely support the idea in the article, but they should speak to the heart, mind, and spirit of our readers. Thankfully, our whole magazine staff has embraced this idea, and we share a mutual enjoyment of the artwork in the magazine. So, our magazine continues to make choices that reinforce the visual mission of the magazine. It’s fun and liberating to work in an environment like that.


LM: Who are some artists you’ve worked with?

AM: I work with a few Christian artists I really love:

Makoto Fujimura is amazing: www.makotofujimura.com

I also love Nicora Gangi: www.machairastudio.com. [LeAnne’s Note: I featured Nicora two weeks ago. See her interview on April 2nd and 5th.]

Michael Lontenero, who is represented by Scott Hull: www.scotthull.com

Scott Laumann is a wonderful artist: www.scottlaumann.com

Matthew Baek, who is represented by Donna Rosen: www.donnarosenartists.com

Suzy Schultz. She does gorgeous watercolor.


LM: What has been the response of readers through the years to the art?

AM: It’s interesting to see the variety of responses we get. I’ve designed for Christian magazines for over a decade, and I am still surprised at the resistance I’ve sometimes seen amongst fellow believers in embracing the idea that visual art is a worth the effort. We’ve had readers tell us that wasting money on artwork in the magazine is poor stewardship. We’ve had readers tell us that they don’t care at all about the visuals and wonder why we put an emphasis on it. I recall a reader who told us that she would prefer the magazine without visuals at all (which I find hard to believe).

I can understand why artwork can create tension amongst our viewers. Sometimes, the purpose of artwork is to provoke thought or to agitate a person out of complacency. So the power of artwork can feel threatening at times. I think that some Christians have observed the negative aspect of this and therefore are quick to place all art in the same category. I can sympathize with that kind of perception. I believe in harnessing the power of artwork for telling the Good News and believe that God has a heart for recapturing the arts for His glory. My hope is that I can gently bring our readers alongside this path toward understanding the gift of the visual arts.

Thankfully, many of our readers do catch the vision of our love and support of the arts. I’ll occasionally get letters from a reader that talks about how a particular piece of artwork spoke to them, and that really makes my day!

Alice Bass, Part 2: Believer-Artists

I’m talking with Alice Bass (http://www.thfairfax.blogspot.com), actress, script-writer, creative consultant and author of The Creative Life: A Workbook for Unearthing the Christian Imagination.

LeAnne: On Monday I asked why Christians sometimes fear their own creativity. Now let me add to that another question: why do we fear creativity in others?

Alice: I think there is a distinction in fearing someone else’s creativity and fearing art. I don’t distrust art (any of the arts – film, literature, music, fine art, etc.) as a medium for expression. I think for many years we’ve created a culture in which Christians fear art. But art is like money – in itself it is not evil, it is the misuse of it which is destructive.

That said, fearing someone else’s creativity can be a valid concern – I know how I’ve been affected by movies or music or literature that has unexpected darkness or ugliness in it. It’s hard for me to shake that. Our imaginations can easily be imprinted, so for me, I guard my imagination and know the limits of what I can take in and what I can’t. I can take a Mel Gibson movie with violence and language but I have trouble with movies and literature that have a great deal of despair. So I guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, and choose wisely what I read or watch. I find artists whom I trust, and follow their work. By trusting, I mean I trust them not to hijack me with something ugly without preparing me for it.

LM: What would you say to artists who may be afraid or may not have the confidence to take risks necessary to pursue their art?

AB: I’ve been asking people to consider using a new term lately. Instead of Christian artist, I’m saying that I am a believer-artist. Is Bono a Christian Artist? Well, certainly. But not all of his work has a Christian content. The same goes for Patricia Heaton, Rene Russo, Mel Gibson--these are people who’ve professed their belief and have created art. Sometimes it is Christian art as in Gibson’s The Passion and Heaton producing Amazing Grace. Sometimes their work is not Christian in content, as in Apocalypto or Everybody Loves Raymond but even in those pieces you can see the choices they make being influenced by their beliefs.

I think changing the way we look at ourselves will give artists more freedom to follow God into creating all sorts of art work, be it Christian in content or not. If we make a culture shift in how we refer to ourselves, that will widen the circle and suddenly our work that was formerly considered a risk because it was ‘secular’ will not be seen as so ‘risky’. I hope that believer-artists will be able to do work that speaks to the culture and to the Church.

Regardless of what kind of art you do or whether your creativity is used in your child rearing or in your vocation or your relationships, we must take the risk of being creative. By nature we are creative, even if we don’t use that gift. I think it is more risky to refuse a gift from God, don’t you?

LM: Yes, I agree: it certainly is. You mentioned the Church earlier. What can the Church do to encourage believer-artists?

AB: With new technology, churches are starting to incorporate graphic arts, video and other media into their culture and worship and that is a good way to encourage artists to use their gifts in the Church. I think that adopting a mindset of supporting the believer-artist would be important. If we only support Christian content in art we’ll limit our ability to reach out to the culture.

To really embrace the arts and artists as the Church we must remember that art is not good or evil in itself. The way we can have an impact is in equipping the artists -- serving them in their faith and building them up in the knowledge and love of the Lord.

Artists need a lot of care and comfort, whether we support their particular expression of art or not. All artists face a tremendous amount of rejection, criticism and competition, almost daily. If we as the Church could care for artists in such a way that they felt loved and supported, their art would grow in grace and beauty. If we offer to equip and strengthen the artist in the ways of God, then the artist can grow in confidence and godliness.

Alice Bass: Imagination a Rich Gift

Alice Bass is a writer, creative consultant and award-winning actress living in Orlando, Florida. Called “The Great and Good Philosopher of Arts and Faith” by Act One’s Barbara Nicolosi, Bass works with artists to coach their creativity and business professionals to develop their brand. A graduate of Rollins College and a member of Actor’s Equity she has performed in professional theaters across the U.S. Her scripts can be found at Dramaministry.com and you can visit her blog for essays on creativity and culture at http://www.thefairfax.blogspot.com.

I’m talking with Alice today about her book, The Creative Life: A Workbook for Unearthing the Christian Imagination.


LeAnne: I like the subtitle of your book. Why does the Christian imagination need unearthing? How did it get buried in the first place?

Alice: I’m so glad you like the subtitle! Cindy, my editor and I worked very hard to discover it. On a practical level I wanted readers to know it was a Bible study, but also a creativity workbook. My editor and I were tossing around ideas and she asked me, “What do you want people to take away from The Creative Life?”

And I just exploded with all the passion I had for this mission God has given me: “I want people to dig into the Bible, discover what God says about creativity, and unearth their own imaginations in the process.”

Well, Cindy got so excited she practically hung up on me, “I’ll be right back,” and click. A half hour later she called me with what she’d crafted from my thoughts, A Workbook for Unearthing the Christian Imagination.

So, it was a very personal, individual idea, something that I needed in my life and for my creativity. Each person (artist, Christian, man or woman) has an imagination that is buried, initially under the Fall. Then our experience teaches us to hide or ignore or compromise our creativity. So freeing our imagination is essential for each of us. Whether you are an artist or not, you have an imagination and it should be such a rich gift to you in your daily life.

As a Christian, your imagination should be a place of blessing. Not only is it a gift from the Creator in His image but Christ, through whom all things are made and in whom all things hold together, Christ has redeemed your imagination. Your creativity can be a place of communion with Him! The thing to do is to experience His Lordship in and through that gift.

LM: Why did you write this book?

AB: When I wrote it, there was almost nothing available on the subject of ‘What does God say about creativity?’ There were several great books for artists, among them Art and the Bible by Francis Schaeffer and Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle. I felt a need for this distinction between creativity and art because of my experience both in the theater and in ministry. In my life as a professional artist other actors would come to me and say, “I wish I could believe but then I’d have to give up my creativity.” Then at church people would stop me and say, “Oh, I wish I was creative like you.”

Neither perspective made sense to me. It seemed to me that if God is the Creator, he loves artists and longs to endow them with even more creativity. And for the Christian, I really believed that when Christ, the Word of God, was invited into a heart...well, creativity would definitely be one of the results! I also thought that if God was the Creator then everyone, artist or not, was creative. So I set about finding this out for myself by going through God’s Word. The more I discovered, the more I wanted someone to write a book that would be a tool for the believer-artist that would encourage them in their faith and work, giving them reasons why they believe. And I wanted a tool for the Christian to see that they are creative whether they are artists, homemakers, realtors, or missionaries.

LM: Why do Christians fear creativity in themselves?

AB: I think everyone has fears about creativity because it comes from such a vulnerable place in us. Even if you’re just keeping your creativity to yourself, there is a level of fear because a creative idea can lead you down a new path. So creativity is risky for the one offering the idea and scary if you are on the receiving end too. Have you ever sat in a movie theater and thought, “I have no idea where this is going?” That kind of creativity as the audience member has an exhilaration and a tension to it.

For the Christian our relationship to our creativity is very tender. We are renewing our minds and desiring to do as it says in Galatians—think on things that are lovely and pure and beautiful. I think that having our creativity redeemed means that Christ will get in there and root out all the dark stuff from our imaginations. I’ve found that redeeming work is often done by God after I’ve said something terrible or done something hurtful. So it is with my ideas—they might be messy in their raw state and bringing them under God’s authority will separate the wheat from the chaff and that can be quite a delicate operation.

More from Alice Bass about creativity on Thursday.

Nicora Gangi, Part 2: The Artist's Calling

Today I'm concluding my interview with artist and professor Nicora Gangi (www.machairastudio.com).

LeAnne: What would you say to encourage other artists who happen to be Christians?

Nicora: A Christian artist should not be caught up in producing an evangelical tract- therefore failing to produce a work of art. Many Christian artists haven't made good art because they have only been concerned with the evangelical tract.

God made the world beautiful –so don't reduce creation to just a message about God but also see it as beautiful. It is for Christians to show what is meant by life and humanity and to express what it means for them to have been 'made new' in Christ in every aspect of their being.

The artist with his special gifts has a specific task, a very special and wonderful calling. It is to make life better, more worthwhile to create the sound, the shape, the tale, the decoration, the environment, that is meaningful and lovely and a joy to mankind.

How is the Christian artist to fulfill this role and to work out these norms? It is a calling to promote good and to fight evil, ugliness, the negative; to hunger and thirst for righteousness; to search for the right 'finishing touch,' the right tone, the right word in the right place.

To respond to our calling today means that we shall not be afraid to show that we are Christians, not only in saying that we have been saved by Christ but also in our stand, in our way of life, in our prophetic analysis of the situation. This means that we shall never compromise, never accept the status quo because that is the easiest thing to do or seems inevitable. It means to be radical—to go back to the roots to the very foundation, which is Christ. To be Christian involves all our work and activity, understanding that there is nothing neutral, nothing apart from Christ's reign.

"We have confidence before God, and we receive from him whatever we ask because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him" (I John 3:21, 22).

Nicora Gangi: For Such a Time as This

Nicora Gangi (www.machairastudio.com) is committed to creating art that invites viewers to enter into a visual dialogue with pastel still life and landscapes that reflect a Christian aesthetic. Born in Indiana in 1952 she was educated at the Hartford Art School (Hartford, Connecticut), Montclair State College, and Syracuse University (BFA and MFA). Her fields include both fine arts and art education. She is on the faculty at Syracuse University in the Studio Arts and Design Programs. She is married to artist Bruce Manwaring and resides in Syracuse, NY.

LeAnne: Tell me about your journey as an artist who happens to be a Christian and how your work reflects your faith.

Nicora: First let me start with a quote I love from chapter one of Francis A. Schaeffer’s book, How Should We Then Live?: “There is a flow to history and culture. This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people. People are unique in the inner life of the mind—what they are in their thought-world determines how they act. This is true of their value systems and it is true of their creativity. It is true of their corporate actions, such as political decisions, and it is true of their personal lives. The results of their thought-world flow through their fingers or from their tongues into the external world. This is true of Michelangelo’s chisel, and it is true of a dictator’s sword.”

Soon after I became a Christian, I attended a presentation by a young artist. Prior to this meeting, my husband, who also is an artist, and I had many discussions about using our talents in the church. We were reading works by H.R. Rookmaaker and Francis Schaeffer. We struggled with the fact that the church we had recently joined, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, no longer found it biblically correct for arts to be used in the worship service. This denomination originated in Scotland and was influenced by the iconoclasts of the Reformation in Europe. Much of the art in the churches was destroyed because of its association with the Roman Catholic Church. The reformer wanted no trace of its influence in the new buildings. “God is good at saving souls, but we have tended to keep him away from our big decisions in scholarship, science, art, politics and so on” (H.R. Rookmaaker, Art Needs No Justification, pg. 24). We asked many questions of our fellow Christians; however we were not getting any answers, let alone direction.

That evening we sat and listened to the speaker read Romans 12:1-2. “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NAS).

After he finished reading from this passage, he held up one of his paintings. With this example before us, we knew our work could be a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God. We understood that we did not have to abandon our talents for the new life in Christ. Our talents were meant for God and his glory. Rookmaaker clarified this further: “As the body moves, thinks, speaks not for its own sake but called by God to be the salt of the earth, artists are not just servants of a Christian subculture, but are called to work for the benefits of all” (Art Needs No Justification, pg 21).

I began thinking about works I had been drawing and printing. Those same images could have a new depth of meaning. Since then, I have devoted my life to studying the scriptures and understanding the metaphors God uses to teach his people.

Many biblical references have become completely incomprehensible to the present generation. Since the Bible is the bedrock of what Christians believe, I aim to help Christians and non-Christians focus on the scriptures through my still life and landscape drawings. Not every drawing may appear religious in nature, but every work symbolizes how Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we may have access to God.

This method of religious symbolism in artwork is nothing new. Early Christians saw God in everything. They attached religious and spiritual meaning to all they observed. Renaissance artists wove elaborate complicated allegories into their pictures. Still life painting, especially in the hands of the Dutch and Flemish masters of the 17th century, often has symbolic overtones. Courtship and love were seen through musical instruments. The vanity of human life was seen in a skull and hourglass. The Christian message was seen through a loaf of bread and a glass of wine. The Bible itself even displays symbolism through its Old Testament and New Testament counterparts. Abraham’s sacrifice of his son Isaac foreshadowed God’s sacrifice of Christ. David is also seen as a type of Christ. David’s struggle with Goliath foreshadows Christ’s struggle with Satan.

I would love for all artists who happen to be Christians to be known as the best and most creative people in their field. The church has done a good job serving before obscure men, but not such a good job serving before kings (Proverbs 22:29). Christians were meant to “rule” the earth with their talents as leaders, as Genesis 1:26 commands. My challenge to all Christians everywhere is to recognize the gifts God has given you and develop them to their utmost potential so that you might serve Christ in an eternal way. We have all been called “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14, NIV).

“Through Jesus Christ, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” - Hebrews 13:15 (NIV)

A Milestone: Thank You!

This week marks a milestone for me: my 50th post on this blog. Since September, I’ve featured many gifted and fascinating people, and I’ve listed them below. If you missed any of these interviews, take a look at them in the archives.


Nigel Goodwin, Genesis Arts Trust
Bryan Coley, Art Within, www.artwithin.org

Jeanne Murray Walker, poet and professor at University of Delaware

Tom Key, Executive Artistic Director of Theatrical Outfit, www.theatricaloutfit.org
Dale Savidge, Executive Director of CITA, www.cita.org

Bruce Herman, painter, www.brucehermanonline.com
Carol Bomer, painter, www.carolbomer.com
Beverly Key, visual artist
Teena Stewart, visual artist

Marlene Dickinson, dancer and choreographer

Joseph Pearce, writer, professor, co-editor of Saint Austin Review, www.staustinreview.com
Ken Gire, writer and speaker, www.reflectiveliving.org

Frank Boggs, soloist
Brad Williams, percussionist
Chandler Branch, Executive Director of Soli Deo Gloria, www.sdgmusic.org

Calvin Edwards, arts enthusiast
Mart Martin, arts enthusiast

Ruthie Colegrove, Kelly Eastwood, Jeff Foster, Meg Foster, and Kathi Urban: fine arts teachers on arts appreciation for kids, www.wesleyanschool.org


Thanks, everyone!

And thank you to my readers for your support and encouragement these last seven months. You can now sign up to receive my posts via email in the box in the sidebar unless you prefer to visit the blog itself. In the next few weeks, you’ll see more links added, plus I’ll be featuring more artists and art enthusiasts.

I’d like to hear from you. Just leave a comment here or email me at the address listed in My Profile. Please let me know what you like about the blog, how I can improve it, who I might feature, and anything else that would help me make it better. Thank you!

CITA: Forging Connections in Theater

Today, I’m featuring CITA (Christians in Theatre Arts, www.cita.org) and its executive director Dale Savidge. CITA’s mission is “to impact the world and further the Kingdom of God by encouraging and equipping Christians in the theatre arts.” CITA helps theatre artists through a variety of ways, including its publications, conference, and regional groups.

Dale Savidge has been involved with CITA since its beginnings in the mid-1980s, serving as either President or Executive Director ever since. Dale has two masters degrees in theatre as well as a PhD in Theatre and English from the University of South Carolina. Of CITA, he says, “It has been my passion and very rewarding work.”


LeAnne: One of CITA’s goals is to address the isolation that Christian theater artists feel. Why do they feel isolated?

Dale: Not all theatre artists feel isolated, but those who do speak of their situation as between the church and the theatre: the church doesn’t always understand (or accept) their position in the theatre and the theatre community often doesn’t understand their faith in Christ. This is less common than when CITA began some 20 years ago, before the church had co-opted the theatre for its own purposes. But there are still underlying theological/philosophical suspicions of theatre which are commonly found in Christianity and which sometimes manifest themselves in an antitheatrical prejudice.

LM: What are some ways CITA provides support to them?

DS: We are a network, a community of people, so our primary means of support is to forge connections between people who are Christians and who love theatre. We publish newsletters and a magazine, we hold conferences and publish books, we hold auditions and play contests, but the single most valuable service we offer is creating times and places where Christian theatre artists can interact.

LM: What are some ways the church can support or encourage fellow Christians in theater?

DS: #1 – Buy their work. If they write a play, produce it. If they produce a play, buy a ticket. It’s that simple. You can pray for them, welcome them into your church, treat them nice, etc., but theatre is a terribly competitive field and everyone, Christian and non, has to work very hard to earn a living in it. If the Christian community would spend as much money on live theatre as they do on other types of entertainment (sports and movies to name two) it would have an immediate and profound impact on the arts in their local community.

Soli Deo Gloria, Part 2: World Premiere This Sunday

This week I’m speaking with Chandler Branch, Executive Director of Soli Deo Gloria (www.sdgmusic.org), an organization that preserves, promotes, and enhances the classical sacred music repertoire.


LeAnne: Tell me about SDG’s current projects.

Chandler: We are currently preparing to celebrate the world premiere of the largest work we have ever commissioned. This Sunday, March 25, the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale will give the world premiere of this new work, written by Pulitzer prize-winning composer Christopher Rouse. Mr. Rouse has composed a Requiem for large orchestra, double chorus, children’s chorus and baritone soloist. It promises to be a very significant occasion. Meanwhile, we have quite a few other commissioning projects in various stages of development, among them a new oratorio for chorus and orchestra that will highlight the Old Testament story of Daniel and the “Fiery Furnace.” This work is being written by American composer Daniel Kellogg and we are very excited about its introduction into the repertoire next season by a major orchestra on the west coast (I can’t officially announce the details quite yet!).

In the realm of recordings, we are in the midst of a multi-year project to sponsor high definition DVD productions of the three great Bach works I mentioned above, all filmed in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The first disc was released early this year on the Virgin Classics label and features the Mass in B Minor, conducted by John Nelson.

LM: How did you get involved with SDG? What is your background in music?

CB: I’ve been a student of music most my life. I began playing the violin at age five, stuck with it and eventually earned my BA in music performance. During my college years I developed an interest in music theory, conducting and composition. The latter discipline eventually blossomed into a wonderfully fulfilling pursuit for me and continues to be a source of joy in my life. Soon after college, a classmate of mine who had studied Music Business and was at that time the Project Manager of Soli Deo Gloria introduced me to the organization and I welcomed the opportunity to join the staff. Since then, almost seven years ago, my responsibility and involvement with the organization has increased and taken on added meaning to me personally. On the business side of things, from the very beginning, Soli Deo Gloria has been a great environment for me in which to learn the mechanics of music administration, but as my involvement has grown, the work has also become more connected to my faith in Christ as I pray for God’s guidance and blessing on our efforts. Among the things I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to direct projects that attract a diverse interest while remaining rooted in a commitment to honor God.

Coming soon: Q&As with CITA, an actor, a painter, and an expert on creativity and imagination

Soli Deo Gloria: Music on Its Own Terms

Before I get started on today's interview, I wanted to let you know that I have joined the rest of the blog world and added a feature that will allow you to get my posts via email if you prefer. It’s easy and convenient. Just sign up in the sidebar below.

This week I’m talking to Chandler Branch, Executive Director of Soli Deo Gloria http://www.SDGmusic.org, an organization that preserves, promotes, and enhances the classical sacred music repertoire.

LeAnne: I’m so excited about Soli Deo Gloria. For readers who may not have heard about it, describe SDG’s mission and purpose.

Chandler: Our purpose is to facilitate the creation and performance of classical sacred music, at the highest level, for the glory of God. We take our name from the practice of J. S. Bach, who inscribed many of his compositions with the Latin phrase, SOLI DEO GLORIA (to God alone be the Glory). How we translate that statement into action is primarily by commissioning the great composers of our time—the Pulitzer prize winners, the composers in residence with major orchestras, artists whose works are performed all over the world—to compose new, large scale works of music based on or inspired by the Bible. It’s really quite an unusual focus in the field of contemporary classical music.

But Soli Deo Gloria isn’t only about new music; we also sponsor performances and recordings of the classic masterworks of sacred music. We’re particularly active in supporting concerts of sacred music in world regions where mounting performances of major choral/orchestral works is especially challenging or where for any reason such works are seldom heard. We’ve assisted concerts in Russia, Ukraine, China, Armenia and Costa Rica. Among the highlights was assisting the first performance of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem in the history of China. Two performances took place with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, and (believe it or not!) the entire text of the Requiem was translated into Chinese and sung in the vernacular.

LM: How has SDG been received by the classical music world at large?

CB: Classical music enthusiasts generally share a respect for the sacred music repertoire, or at least a handful of individual pieces, that sort of preconditions them to value the concept of Soli Deo Gloria. Still, people are often surprised and fascinated to learn that such an organization exists. The response in general has been very positive. And there is more to that, I think, than just a familiarity with the tradition of sacred music. In the classical music world, communication and excellence are paramount, often providing a point of synthesis for artists and audiences of disparate religious backgrounds and beliefs. In the case of Soli Deo Gloria, audiences and performers alike are less likely to take issue with what might be perceived as a religious agenda if they can see that we share their passion for music that speaks on its own terms, with imagination and technique that can satisfy the critical ear. Far more often than not, though, it is the person of faith in Christ who values our efforts great enough to provide us with the support that keeps us running.

LM: Tell me about the Musical Feast in Paris, which is actually taking place right now: March 17-21.

CB: It’s a bit of a side item for Soli Deo Gloria, but an exciting one nonetheless! Each year, during the Easter season, Soli Deo Gloria’s Artistic Director, John Nelson, conducts L’Ensemble orchestral de Paris and the choir of Notre Dame de Paris in one of Bach’s three greatest choral/orchestral masterworks, the Mass in B Minor, the St. Matthew Passion or the St. John Passion. The performances take place at the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris and have become quite a popular annual event in the life of the city of Paris. There’s no surprise in that, as the magnificence of the cathedral surroundings combined with the power of these Bach masterpieces make for an unforgettable experience. So, for the past several years Soli Deo Gloria has hosted a five day adventure in Paris that begins with fine dinning, private recitals and lectures, and culminates with the Bach performance at Notre Dame. The tour is open to anyone and I highly recommend it! This year about 20 people have joined us for the event this week, which is centered on a performance of the St. John Passion. Next year we’ll be celebrating the St. Matthew Passion from March 1 through 6.

On Thursday, Chandler will be discussing some current projects as well as his own background and involvement with SDG.

Art in the Garden

My daughter and I went to the Atlanta Botanical Garden yesterday afternoon. Atlanta is waking up to spring right now and new buds are appearing every day so walking in the Garden was a true delight.

On this visit, my favorite flowers were the orchids in the conservatories. In one room, pink and purple orchids cascade down an entire wall. It’s breathtaking. (So much so that I forgot to get the name of them.) Orchid Hall houses dozens of different types of these flowers in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Among the living beauties we found glass ones as well—sculptures by internationally acclaimed artist Hans Godo Fräbel. Many of the sculptures are shaped like the orchids themselves, like playful fairies and nymphs, cavorting clowns, and more. The brightly-colored frogs inside glass cases are often indistinguishable from the real thing—until the real thing moves. You can see a few of the pieces on the garden website at www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org as well as Frabel’s studio site at http://www.frabel.com/.

Outside, we enjoyed the sculptures of French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Where Frabel’s glass looks fragile and delicate, Niki’s huge sculptures encourage touching, sitting and even climbing. Embellished with stones, mosaics, glass, and mirrors, they catch the eye and capture the imagination. Sitting inside one sculpture, my daughter was queen and I an honored guest in her kingdom. Niki’s 20-foot alligator across the pond was her beloved pet. My favorites were the oversized women—the Nanas—dancing with joy in the pond. Surrounded by beauty and art in such a gorgeous place with my daughter, I felt like dancing with joy too.

A Wedding and the Arts

Two years ago on March 12th, my husband Mart and I got married. Our wedding was filled with the arts. All of the printed pieces were commissions from some of our favorite artists. The location was a theater that’s very special to us: the Balzer Theater at Herren’s in downtown Atlanta. The set for the show that was running at the time, Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke, included a courtyard with a fountain and an angel statue that had “Eternity” etched into its base. We used some of our favorite classical music, with Edward Elgar’s Enigma as the processional. Actor friends, including Nigel Goodwin and Tom Key, both of whom have been featured on the blog, read selections from C. S. Lewis, 1 Corinthians 13 from The Message, and a long list of our favorite scriptures. Other friends performed special hymns and songs of worship.

Mart and I did special readings that we'd written to each other, which we had glued inside a handmade book by a paper artist. After our vows and a special prayer of dedication, the pastor presented us to our family and friends. They began clapping and, when the beginning strains of the Hallelujah Chorus could be heard over the noise, they rose to their feet and applauded wildly as we, laughing with joy, left the theater. A short while later, we met them in the lobby of the Rialto Theater next door for our reception.

This week Mart and I celebrate each other and the God who brought us together. We look forward to many more years together as we live lives filled with love for the Lord, each other and the arts.

Arts Appreciation for Kids: A Love for Music, Part 2

Recently I asked music and chorale teachers at Wesleyan School, a private Christian school with a thriving fine arts program, how parents can teach their kids to appreciate music. Here are responses from three more teachers.

Kathi Urban (Lower [or Elementary] School Music)

Parents may provide musical experiences for their children outside the arena of academia. Great family outings might be to a concert at Symphony Hall, or the opera, or going to the ball game and singing the “National Anthem” or “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. I also cannot stress enough the opportunities given by churches in the area of music. A strong foundation in church music is priceless.

99% of music is listening. Encourage your child’s listening skills. Read aloud to them – that is music to their ears. Play music and ask them to talk about it – what are their ideas? Listen to their music and help them discern good from less than perfect.

Encourage practicing of instruments be it piano, guitar, recorder or anything else. In the beginning the sounds may not be perfect, but given daily practice (even 5 minutes is grand) it will get better and all will enjoy.

Jeff Foster (High School Director of Bands)

Listen, listen, listen. Kids need to be exposed to all kinds of music. Take kids to concerts of all kinds. Give them recordings of their own – help them build a library of their own music. As they get older and feel drawn to more “pop” music, encourage them in that and support it, while encouraging them to also embrace the other music in their library.

Kelly Eastwood (High School Chorale)

Parents should try to expose their children to a variety of music starting at a very young age. Take them to the opera (you might have to bribe them!), encourage them to join the youth choir at church, and [if the symphony in your area offers outdoor concerts], take a family picnic to them. As a family, you can support the arts at [your school] by attending musicals as well as band concerts and chorale concerts.

Arts Appreciation for Kids: A Love for Music

Because my husband and I love the arts, we want our daughter to love them too. And, as we look at the big picture, we know that teaching the children of the Church to appreciate the arts will help encourage the next generation of artists, art experts, and art enthusiasts. I’ve asked several fine arts teachers at Wesleyan School, a private Christian school, to talk about how parents can teach their kids to appreciate the arts. This week I’m focusing on music.


LeAnne: How can parents help their kids develop a love for music?

Dr. Ruthie Colegrove (Middle School Band Director):

Encouragement is the key! Supportive and encouraging parents are the key to a child’s success in music. I have found that the students who have the most success in band are the ones with great parent support. Parents can get involved with their child’s discipline.

By being involved in the Fine Arts, students are being influenced in the same manner as [they would if they were playing] a team sport. Skill building and effort is the same, and it is important for parents to recognize that.

Meg Foster (Middle School Chorale Director, Assistant Director of Fine Arts):

Parents can help simply by exposing their children to various genres of music, both live and recorded. Share your favorite CDs with them and tell them why you love them. Play for them what you listened to at their age. Take your children to musical events around town and at local universities.

Teach them how to sit down and really listen to live music with a critical ear. An important question to ask your children about the music they listen to is why do they like it? Do they like the beat? The lyrics? The singer’s voice? The guitar section in the middle? Or perhaps it reminds them of a particular time or place where they heard the song. Help lead the way by listening to some of your favorite tunes with your child and telling them why you like it so much. The car can be a great place to do this; talk about a live show you just attended or listen to recordings in the car and discuss. (When I was little, my mom and one of my carpool drivers in elementary school did this kind of thing. They would also ask questions like “do you know which group this is?” It was usually the Beatles or the Monkeys in Mrs. Helms’ carpool!)

More from teachers about music appreciation on Thursday.

Beverly Key, Part 2: Evangelist for Beauty

Today I’m concluding my interview with visual artist Beverly Key (beverlykeymakesart@yahoo.com).

LeAnne: What is your favorite form or method of painting or creating art and why?

Beverly: Recently I’ve begun to do large abstract oils. In addition, for many years now I have been painting large abstract landscapes on paper with watercolor, where I pour paint through paper filters using dried beans and peas and string for design elements. I enjoy it because it is a wonderful mix of spontaneity and control. You can sort of set up a design with the papers and textures but then you pour and you have no idea how it will turn out when you take off the filters. It is like opening a present to see what happens as a result of the paint filtering through the paper. Originally, when I first began to do them it was a way to loosen up and move toward abstraction.

I also do collage. I collect bits of found paper all the time. When I walk I am always searching the ground for interesting discarded paper, etc. Again, when I started doing collage work it was an effort to move toward abstraction and have a more direct way of getting at the piece I wanted to create. I love working with bits of papers and forming sort of a stream of consciousness piece of art.

LM: Some of your work very boldly proclaims your faith. Have you found resistance to that by nonChristians?

BK: I have never encountered resistance to my subject matter. In fact, it is everything to me that the people who live with these paintings love them and continue to gain energy from them day by day. I am saved by beauty in my own life. When I am discouraged and feel a lack of hope for the future, beauty, whether it is being outdoors, seeing a color or a bird, is such an encouragement to me. That is what I hope my work does for others. I guess you could say I am an evangelist for Beauty. After all, God created all this for us to enjoy. He must have thought it was important. “And God saw that it was good.”

LM: What would you say to encourage young artists who want to blend their art and their faith?

BK: I would say “trust yourself.” You are the only person who will see the world the way you see it. Take confidence in that and draw from your own experiences. Keep working some every day. Most work gets recognized because the artist just kept at it.

Beverly Key: Beginning with a Box of Crayons

Visual artist Beverly Key’s work hangs in collectors’ homes and corporate offices both here and in England. My husband and I are big fans of her work and have several pieces ourselves, including a commission.

Last summer my daughter, my nieces, my sister and I watched Beverly as she created one of her trademark pours using filters and other elements. It was fascinating to watch the process, to actually see the colors blend into a stunning abstract landscape. Later my husband surprised me with the painting for my birthday. (He did good.)


LeAnne: When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

Beverly: Early on—when I was in first grade and tried to sneak a box of crayons into the grocery cart. As I was growing up I always thought of myself as an artist. I was one of the ones in school who was always doing the bulletin boards for the teachers. Both of my parents painted as a hobby so I grew up with the smell of oil and turpentine. I took some art classes after school with a wonderful woman, Abbott Downing (of course, in south Alabama we called her “Miss Abbott”).

However, I graduated from college with a degree in special education and thought that would be what I would do. I taught for a few years, got married, had 2 boys and in 1986 we moved to Atlanta. At that time, we decided to have another child and I decided to take some art classes at the Atlanta College of Art. Since then I have been painting professionally.

LM: Have you found that the church doesn’t understand your calling as an artist?

BK: Yes, I always had the feeling that as far as many Christians are concerned, the arts are suspect and held to a higher standard than the more “practical” occupations. I think it has something to do with thinking that the senses are evil, not given by God. It is really very Manichaean ( soul=good, body=evil). Jacques Maritain, the Catholic Philosopher who was a confidant of Thomas Merton and Pope Paul VI at the time of the Second Vatican Council has a quote that I have always drawn strength from:

“Thus for the apprentice as a painter or as a composer, the primary rule is to follow purely the pleasure of his eyes or ears in the colors or sounds he will be responsible for; to respect this pleasure and pay total attention to it; at every instant to produce nothing but what the senses are fully pleased with. For the creativity of the spirit, in its longing for beauty, passes through the senses and is vigilant in them, in a fragile way.”

More from Beverly Key on Thursday.

Brad Williams, Part 2: Opening a Door

Today I'm continuing my interview with percussionist Brad Williams.


LM: Have you faced obstacles in the world because of your faith?

BW: I know that all of my musical gifts and talents have been given by God and I feel that desire and responsibility to honor Him with them. It is difficult to be a Christian and a musician in the ‘secular world’ at times. It certainly requires a strong and uncompromising faith to be both!

LM: Have you faced criticism from the church for using your gifts outside the church?

BW: Unfortunately, there have been times when I have faced criticism from church musicians. They have said that I shouldn’t be playing music in the separate world. I personally couldn’t disagree more. I have had moments in my life where I have been approached by individuals expressing their love for my music. To me, this opens a door to share my beliefs and to witness for Christ. I feel that the work to bring people to Christ needs to happen more outside of the church. You never know when you are going to change someone’s life and lead them to Him.

Brad Williams: The Heartbeat of the Orchestra

Classically trained percussionist Brad Williams is not only an Audio/Visual Specialist and Director of Percussion at a private Christian school, Wesleyan School, but also a freelance musician. He plays in a four-piece band in addition to a duo—both of which cover a wide variety of music including jazz, blues, rock, and country. When he is not busy with these two projects or his day job, he freelances in “every kind of group imaginable.”

LeAnne: What are some of your favorite classical pieces? What is your favorite instrument to play?

Brad: I am a fan of 20th century classical music and I love the music of the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok. He was so committed to presenting the music of his country to the world. His pieces are based mostly on Hungarian folk melodies and I enjoy them as a performer and listener.

I love the entire percussion ‘family’ but I enjoy playing timpani the most. It is the heartbeat of the orchestra and the foundation for the rest of the group. I suppose that there is a connection with my love for timpani and the fact that I am now a bass guitarist.

LM: Why are you drawn to music?

BW: I remember hearing all kinds of music as a child. My mother is a talented singer and my father is a great pianist. I was exposed to such a variety of musical styles. There was always a song playing at my house! As I think back, I can recall that music affected me emotionally, even at a young age. I love the fact that music is so expressive, yet can be performed with such precision.

More from Brad Williams on Thursday.