We invite you to pull up your favorite virtual chair to browse in, find your focus areas, and begin connecting through our network.

Resources will link you to books, articles, online media, and most of all, the artists at work in the Kingdom, in their creative gifts and calls.

You will find articles on cultural restoration and the recovery of the imagination in Mind and Heart aisle, written by some of the current leaders in the global arts movement.

StoneWorks desires to spotlight what artists are doing around the world.  We want to share resources and raise awareness.  But mostly, we want to hear and tell the stories of what God is doing around the world in and through artists.  We hope you enjoy your visit.

Safina writes, “Art and a pride in my cultural heritage allow me the opportunity to showcase creative reflection – giving me a platform to honor the Creator as one made in His image.”  Safina also enjoys using her skills to work with children and youth, sharing cultural insights through school artist-in-residence programs.  She seeks “to raise awareness of issues hindering mutual respect [and] acceptance between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, given her belief in the dignity and equality of all people.”

Safina is an enthusiastic participant in the Koorie Night Market, a regular arts, food, culture, and music market that debuted in 2008 in Melbourne. Since then it has developed significantly to become a community event that showcases indigenous culture.  Part of the vision for the market is to “be a cultural showcase, meeting place, community builder and business incubator, giving aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people access to the resources they need, the space to promote their culture, and the opportunity to achieve their potential.”  Safina and other Aboriginal artists (both non-Christian and Christian) actively participated in the Koorie Night Market, which encourages them as they see their culture affirmed and celebrated.

Safina’s form of ministry is at Koorie and other similar art markets and shows, where she is able to speak casually with people and hear their faith stories.  She tells them about the stories depicted in her art, as well as her own personal testimony.  Through these conversations, the Lord sometimes gives Safina opportunities to minister to these admirers of her art.  Many of the people she speaks with are white Australians, who don’t understand how an Indigenous Australian can also be a follower of Jesus, while embracing their native culture.  These conversations help increase understanding between believers of both communities.

In her paintings Safina explores her faith and ethnicity, seeking to understand how God has combined both in her as an indigenous follower of Jesus.  Beginning with Aboriginal art styles and motifs, Safina infuses them with her own personal color palette.  Next, she combines this imagery with biblical stories and themes, focusing especially on God’s love and reconciliation.

Safina says, “My acrylic paintings each carry a story about the relationships we hold with others and our Creator.  I aim to share messages of hope through the vibrant tones and fluid line work that I use to tell the story behind each painting.”

For example, many of her paintings feature native Australian animals.  Not only are many of these animals Aboriginal totems, but they also display characteristics which remind us of God’s character and love for all people, Safina says.  She chooses each animal based on those unique characteristics which embody God’s ways.  As she listens to Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, Safina says she wears her “Gospel glasses” in order to interpret them from a Gospel perspective.  She then visually transforms these impressions into colorful, vibrant paintings.

In her paintings Safina explores her faith and ethnicity, seeking to understand how God has combined both in her as an indigenous follower of Jesus.  Beginning with Aboriginal art styles and motifs, Safina infuses them with her own personal color palette.  Next, she combines this imagery with biblical stories and themes, focusing especially on God’s love and reconciliation.

The painting “Intercessory Prayer” delivers a reminder to Christians about their essential calling to pray passionately for those who have not yet come to Christ. With Christ as our center, Christians are to share the Good News of Jesus‘grace and forgiveness. It is interesting to note that the central ring of U imprints is facing outwards. Usually in Indigenous art the campfire scene has U imprints turned in toward the center of the campfire. However, in this scene the artist has deliberately painted them facing outwards to depict the message that the church is called to be outwardly focused.

In “Propa Good News, eh?” Safina depicts the Gospel story through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  The large gold star-like rings overlaying the image represent the Southern Cross constellation, which reminds us of Jesus’ wounds from his death on the cross.  A cross-shaped blue river also runs vertically through the painting, representing both Jesus and the River of Life flowing from God’s throne, inviting the viewer to come soak in him!

The story actually begins in the top left of the painting, showing the original dreaming of the triune God, where he is surrounded by the people He has created to sit around His campfire in a close relationship with Him. (For more about how God and people are visually represented in Aboriginal art, see my post here).  Next we see God in the Garden of Eden speaking with Adam and Eve (in yellow), while Satan lurks behind them as a serpent.  Next we see the pair choosing to follow Satan and his lies, as they exit the Garden.

Following the blue path to the upper right section of the painting, we see the Trinity once again, as Jesus is born to Mary and Joseph.  Next are Jesus’ baptism and temptation in the wilderness, followed by his teaching of the disciples.  The cross now appears (minus Jesus himself), its base piercing the serpent.  Afterward is the empty tomb and the resurrected Jesus appearing once again to his disciples.

In the lower left area, Jesus returns to heaven and then sends the Holy Spirit to his followers, who are sitting around a campfire.  From this central gathering, the Good News of the Gospel goes out into other communities, to the ends of the earth.

Lastly in the bottom left corner, we see people making a choice to join God’s family by entering the “narrow gate,” or rejecting him by walking away. Those who choose God are ushered into eternal relationship with the Trinity, while those who reject God are cast away, along with Satan, their representative.

Safina plans to make prints of her paintings available for purchase through her website sometime in April 2012.  Her work is culturally beautiful and spiritually rich, and would make a great addition to any home.

Safina finds a lot of fellowship and inspiration from Christian Artists’ Factory, a non-profit network of Christian artists in Australia.  CAF acts “as a connection point for Christian Artists’ in Australia, offering workshops, mentoring, advertising and gathering opportunities.”  An online video posted by the organization features several of its members, including Safina at the beginning and end.

Contact Safina through CAF.

Paul Hobbs

Paul Hobbs, a visual, sculptural and conceptual artist of Gloucester, UK, came to faith at an early age, but came asking a lot of questions.  This questioning spirit became a critical and formidable element in his vocation as artist.

From a simple, “What do you see?” or “What do you think?” to the more provocative, “Should the State pay for in vitro fertilization of women wanting a child?”  Paul’s questions became as integral to his creative process as his technical skill, in his interaction with audiences throughout the UK and beyond.

With a background in sociology (Social and Political Science at Cambridge), a skill set developed at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London, and his Christian faith, Paul was well-equipped but, knowing how hard it is to succeed as an artist, was concerned to have the right motivation before God.

The difficulties left him with a fundamental question: “What really matters?”

Paul realized that he needed to make art that was both beautiful and meaningful, both intellectually challenging and yet accessible to an ordinary viewer.  He needed to bring together the Bible, contemporary news stories and art in combination to open people up to consider the relevance of the gospel to all of life, and to break down the veneer of agnostic indifference to the love of God for His world. The best way to do this was by asking questions.  And above all, to persevere in producing art, he needed to focus on what mattered to Christ.

Paul turned to the Scriptural texts to make sense of his world; he would need one to respond to the other.  If he was to keep his motivation, to persevere in producing art, he needed to focus on what mattered to Christ.

Heart Song

Frequently working from the news headlines (which sometimes appear in a layer of his work), Paul seeks to reconcile what he reads in the newspaper with what he reads in the Bible.  Familiar images, sometimes taken from the local newspaper, are collaged together to make disturbing yet frequently amusing juxtapositions. Some are literally visual puzzles. Hidden in the layers of paint, collage and assorted objects, metaphors and associations develop stories with multiple meanings, with plots and subplots.

The stories are suggested, never preached.  They are spun by someone simultaneously investigating the cosmos and the neighborhood, reporting his findings, interpreting with skill and executing artistic creations with excellence.

“We don’t need to fear the questions,” says Paul.  “The work itself should be well-executed, to capture the audience visually, but then, once you have people looking, you have subplots waiting for them to discover.  For example, how do these two elements go together?  Why?”

Drawing on topical news and social debate, Paul wrestles with questions of human value, dignity and faith, then uses a variety of media in creating his responses.  His work ranges from celebratory abstract paintings, to collage and sculpture, to the acclaimed installation piece, The Holy Ground Project (see below).

Asking Questions Through the Work

The three-dimensional, interactive quality to so much of Paul’s work invites engagement.

“People find their world in the exhibitions,” Paul continues.  “The work has clues: a buried headline, a graphic element, a pair of shoes.  The clues create the space for dialogue.”

As viewers respond to his creations, sometimes with tears, Paul moves intuitively between word and image, depending on the art to do its job, responding to the questions that it provokes.  Getting people to think is a driving motivation for Paul.  His approach allows people from diverse backgrounds to explore the issues together with him, whether social issues (homelessness, poverty or absent fathers) or faith issues (the Trinity, Creation, the Crucifixion).

An example of Paul’s process is his triptych, “Where’s Your Daddy Gone?” (Collage, Acrylic & Crayon).

Where's Your Daddy Gone?

While reading in the British press about women wanting to conceive without the commitment of relationship, and raise a child without benefit of a father, Paul created this triptych in response.  The images reflect the present damaged state of fatherhood, and engage the viewer on three levels.

In each picture the father is absent in different ways: as a shadow, under censorship, or cut out completely. Collaged into the panels are articles discussing fatherhood today.  The second panel of the triptych refers to women who sought in vitro fertilization, seeking to get pregnant while avoiding involvement with a man.

The Holy Ground Project, Paul’s largest work, is a collection of shoes and stories, gathered from Christians around the world.  The piece is arranged in a circular format, with a ‘burning bush’ in the center, shoes on an outer perimeter, with their accompanying stories.  The stories reveal what it has meant for each person to follow Christ in his or her context.  From a fashion model in New York City to Ethiopian athlete Haile Gebrselassie, from a former murderer to a white farmer in South Africa, all have encountered the living God.  They have found themselves on holy ground, and, like Moses, they removed their shoes, at least metaphorically, in the Presence of the Holy.

The Holy Ground Project

The Holy Ground Project has been displayed in cathedrals, schools and churches.  After one recent church installation, an organizer wrote:

“I was moved beyond words by the honesty, humility and beauty of the piece and the stories of the many people, who for me, were ever-

present companions throughout. Thank you for your warmth, generosity, openness and hard work. I can speak for many teachers and students when I say that many lives have been touched, spirits blessed, and questions encouraged.”

The Holy Ground Project continues to move and inspire audiences (and can be booked for exhibition on its own or as part of a larger exhibition).  Paul continues to collect shoes and stories to expand the installation.

Between the Image and the Flame

Acrylic, Collage & Gold Leaf

Between the Image & the Flame

Perhaps one of Paul’s most powerful pieces, this work incorporates the traditional motif of the icon with a newspaper image of a starving mother and child from the Sudan.  While the ‘plot’ is fairly straightforward, one is drawn in by the ‘subplot’: haloes surround the head of mother and child; within each halo is the cross of Christ.  Above their heads, to the right, the Greek text is Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

While the image may be deeply moving for the Christian viewer, Paul tells of a very different reaction in the Buddhist culture, where such poverty and suffering would be considered a result of the sins of a former life.  The power of art opens the door for dialogue on differences in worldview.

Engaging the Culture

As he seeks to make sense of a world where great opportunity and great suffering co-exist, Paul’s masterful artwork has earned him an international reputation as an artist of integrity and humility.  His compassionate streak finds its roots in his childhood.

Paul was born in Nigeria, the son of missionaries working with the Church Mission Society.  His own father was a doctor and worked in two hospitals, and helped with the Red Cross during the Biafran war.

“It gave me a great sense of compassion for others and an instinctive realization that people who follow Jesus are quite different from other ex-pats working in the country. When I returned to the UK in 1970 I was very conscious of the selfishness of our secular culture. Here people have so much more and yet are so protective of their possessions and self-focused.”

He has traveled to China, Poland, Spain, France and Holland and the US, on cultural exchanges, exhibiting, and promoting arts in service to the Kingdom.

He is a frequent guest of churches, schools, and conference centers, facilitating workshops and talks about his artwork, its themes and his methods of working; he is also happy to lead discussions on the social and spiritual issues raised by the work.

As time permits, Paul is also available to curate exhibitions. In schools, this involves leading assemblies, and taking classes on discussion tours around the show. In churches, this often includes speaking at a variety of invitation events.

Coming up next

Paul will be exhibiting with Painter Sarah Kelly Paine in The Menier Gallery, Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU, 15th to 27th October 2012.

Go ahead, ask him a question!

Click here to download this autumn’s prospectus.

MARY SCOTT
Co-Director
CORE Theatre Arts Laboratory
Tel. 07719 760924
www.coretheatrelab.org

Bali, Indonesia is a haven for international artists. Local artists are joined by many Europeans, who enjoy greater freedom of expression than being placed in “the categories of European art,” said Tina Bailey.

“Our organization is not an arts organization. We are artists/ministers working as Coordinators for the Arts and Community Engagement. Our hope is that our work will open up doors of dialogue across religious and cultural lines that will enable an authentic experience of Christ. Summed up, we hope to be the presence of Christ among artists and the cultures in which we work and create.”

Since 1996, Tina and husband Jonathan Bailey have been living and serving within this diverse, vibrant and talented community of artists where they encourage Christians to be true to their culture, craft and calling.

“When we went to Bali in ’96, our job description didn’t have an arts color to it,” said Jonathan during a brief spring visit to the States. But the fit was natural.

Tina, a native of Springfield, GA, is a dancer, visual artist and a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design.  Jonathan, from Simpsonville SC, is into music and literature.

The rap on American missionaries through the years has been that many brought their Western culture along with the Gospel message to the places where they served. That’s not the mission of Tina and Jonathan Bailey, who serve through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship global missions program.

“We’re very open to say that, as Christians, we value Balinese culture,” said Jonathan.

Tina and Jonathan encourage Christian artists to use their gifts of music, dance and visual arts to express faith in an honest way that is true to their own culture. In doing so, the Baileys believe, relationships are built across cultural barriers and authentic expressions of faith get heard.

“We don’t see the arts as a tool,” said Tina. “It’s not a means to an end; it’s an authentic way to be.”

“Christian artist” can be a tough tag to wear in Bali as well as in other cultures. If the artists’ works are not solely focused on overtly Christian symbols and themes, fellow Christians will often criticize them for straying from or compromising their faith commitments.

On the other hand, the larger arts community can see Christian artists as being one dimensional, with a lesser commitment to artistic expression than to getting across a religious message.

So Tina and Jonathan offer encouragement and support to Christian artists and help create opportunities for engagement with the larger arts community. From art exhibits to music and dance classes, to enhancing the use of arts in worship, the Baileys are finding many points where faith and art connect.

“It’s not a new idea, however,” said Jonathan. “It is what the Church did for a millennium or more,” he added, noting the role of music, architecture and other forms of art.

The Baileys said that not everyone understands how art is an intrinsic part of life and faith for people in many cultures.

“In America, or parts of America, we’ve bought into the idea that the arts are a luxury, not a way of life,” said Tina, noting that such a concept would not be understood where they live and serve.

“But for those who don’t appreciate art or can’t grasp how this could be a means of Christian service, Tina and Jonathan speak of a more common basis for their work: relationship-building.

“Our work is about as traditional as it gets,” said Tina. “It’s about relationships.”

Jonathan added: “We live in a community where the arts are a way to relate” — in fact, a primary way.

Growing, trusting relationships provide opportunities for the Baileys to host an artist-in-residence program, teach summer art classes in Hungary, and communicate faith in ways that are understood and appreciated in a pluralistic and artistic culture.

“We find ourselves standing in a lot of [different] communities,” said Tina of the doors that have opened through relationships with artists, adding that the most meaningful ones “have been 10 years in the making.”

“Art is a good way to make friends and an important part of their own identities, said Tina.  “We are doing art because that is who we are.”

The Baileys admit that explaining their ministry to supporting congregations back in the US is not as easy as for mission personnel who might dig wells or build houses in other parts of the world. But the needs in Bali are different, said Jonathan.

“The Balinese are capable of building things; they don’t need construction teams,” he said.

Because of the distance to Indonesia and the long-term relationship approach, the Baileys don’t host as many visitors from U.S. churches as some mission personnel who need volunteer labor or medical teams. However, they have artists and other guests come to participate in their classes and worship, and invite collaboration and partnership.

One visiting pastor told Tina and Jonathan that churches in US could learn some important things from their ways of engaging the arts community.

The Baileys believe that breaking down barriers is the key to effective ministry and that art is one of the most effective ways of doing so, even though it had to be written into their first job description.

“We walked through the doors that opened,” said Tina. “[The larger art community] knows that we are Christians and artists, and involved in the International Christian Church.”

In whatever creative form of art — music, painting, dance, etc. — the Baileys see a connection to the Creator.

“We see it as a gift from God,” said Jonathan. And he and Tina are helping artists grow in their own creativity and to see themselves as gifts from God as well.  They offer Spiritual Formation Retreats, cross-cultural art projects, creativity/body awareness workshops, interfaith music collaborations, art and spiritual formation, dance, visual art exhibits, Gamelan lessons and performance, and care for international students.

The Baileys now serve on the CANA advisory board, as CANA becomes a department of ACTinternational (Byron Spradlin, President). The Baileys helped organize a conference with CANA in Chiang Mai in 2002 and in Sanur, Bali (their town) in 2005.

Upcoming events include plans for more art exhibits, Christmas and Easter performances, and a spiritual retreat.

If you would like to get involved through volunteer work, internships or short-term trips, write the Baileys at djono@mac.com.  For more information on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship global mission program visit www.thefellowship.info/missions.

This article was first published in Baptists Today, New Journal, Aug. 2011.

Once every four years, Pacific artists gather together to celebrate both their common heritage in the arts (visual, song, dance, theatre, etc.) as well as their cultural diversity.  The Solomon Islands will host the 2012 Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA), expected to draw 3000 participants from the region.
This summer a Wycliffe Discovery trip will offer a unique opportunity for ethnoarts, videography, and communications students (and professors) to participate in the festival through the following:

• cultural, linguistic, medical, & team building orientation (Dallas – 1 week)
• attending an “Arts in Mission” field training course (Dallas – 1 week) [based on the AiM training in England last fall – see the video here]
• leading an “Arts in Mission” workshop in the Solomons before FOPA
• facilitating short courses during FOPA
• creating an audio-video documentation of the event to give to the Solomon Islands sponsors

To get prerequisites, application, and other details, see:
http://www.wycliffe.org/Go/ShortTerm/DiscoveryTrips/DiscoveryTrips.aspx
Contact: lee_montgomery@wycliffe.org for more information.

Note! Applications accepted until March 8.

The Cache-Cache Experience: three days in Paris or Amsterdam where the creatively spiritual are allowed to search for God amid the beauty…the art…the history…the streets…the canals…the cafés…the parks…the people.  Experience art together…eat/picnic together…meet local artists…and most importantly, time to be alone…doing what you need to do…asking questions…listening…being inspired…doing art…experiencing transcendence…

http://cachecache-experience.com/

Contact David Brazzeal, La Fonderie, for more information.

(* “cache-cache” is french for hide and seek)

Participants included Christian artists, mission leaders, trainers and   facilitators who are incorporating the arts within their mission.  A focus of the conference was the review and edit of a training manual, written to give guidance to ethnodoxology.

Attendees repeatedly praised AiM 2011 as a transformational experience.

“I now realize that I have not even scratched the surface of understanding the artistic culture of the community where I serve… I now have the tools to learn more!” said a participant from India.

“I think the most important thing about attending is seeing a framework for promoting and/or contextualizing indigenous art forms to achieve ‘Kingdom Goals,’ with the native communities owning the process and perpetuating the outcomes from within.”—Scott Rayl, USA

“The most inspiring component of AiM 2011 was the people I met; it was a reminder of all the facets of God’s kingdom at work and the opportunities for future partnership.  Also very helpful: clarity in understanding where we (OM Artslink) fit in the spectrum of arts in mission work.”—Mat Carson, Director, OM Arts School of Mission, Italy

AiM 2011 was a first: a milestone in learning to nurture the arts within indigenous people groups.  Dr. Bill Taylor, Mission Commission senior mentor, represented the MC and stated, “I cannot think of any moment in mission history when such a seminal event of thoughtful and competent equipping for arts in mission has taken place. It was a delight to witness what God is doing.”

The next Arts in Mission event is tentatively planned for 2014. To keep informed about future training events or the publication of the manual, write to ArtsInMission@gmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list.

For the full WEA press release about AiM 2011, go here http://www.worldevangelicals.org/news/article.htm?id=3718&cat=main

Videos:

http://vimeo.com/30109670 – 3 minutes

http://vimeo.com/30090344 – 6 minutes

Helping Artists Find Spiritual Direction in a Postmodern Landscape

Geoff Hall, author and film-maker in Bristol, UK, began his journey into the arts as a child, playing drums on a biscuit-tin.  From living-room band and 60’s pop songs, to aspiring songwriter, Hall’s journey took a sudden detour when his local church would only support him if he became a worship leader—minus the biscuit-tin!

“The thought of this shook me to the core. I didn’t want to play or write church music, but wanted to get ‘out there’ and be part of the rich conversation in the cultural domain.”

Inspired by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in the German resistance against the Nazis, and Jacques Ellul, of the French Resistance and a writer of great insight and spirituality, Hall’s heroes formed his credo: resistance is never futile!

Ten years ago, when an art student who attended his church told Hall that her college had warned her that faith was inappropriate for one of their students, Hall knew he had to respond.

“I focused on writing, but God let me know that I had to respond with more than prayer, by rolling up my sleeves and doing something.”

A monthly meeting was set up to provide encouragement and space for artists to share their work, presenting it before other artists in an open critique (discussing merit, technical problems, approach, etc.).  Cultural critique—of the current art scene, an artist or film director—helped artists discern belief systems, worldview, and the cultural direction of their work.

“The Group,” as it came to be known, grow to over 60 artists around Bristol and South West UK.  Although he didn’t know it at the time, Hall had just added a new facet to his career: mentor.

Hall focused on the spiritual, artistic and professional development of the artist.  Churches had little knowledge of or creatively-specific support for their artists.  Sometimes working within local institutions of spirituality and education, The Group found its niche outside the walls of the church, working with and supporting each other, building community, under Hall’s mentorship.

“In fact some members of The Group tell me that this is their church, not that I aspire to be a church leader!  However, I provide a non-judgmental, discerning critique and mentoring service.  The majority of artists with whom I work practice outside the institutional church.  These artists use a totally different language, because an artist who speaks in an ecclesiastical idiom becomes culturally dislocated from the world by that language.”

“In the Group we explored how faith informed our work, gave direction to it, and what our work conveyed about life. There is no divorce between spirituality and medium, nor spirituality and the life of the artist.”

The original focus on visual artists expanded to include word, image and performance arts.   In the late 80’s, when Hall moved to Bristol, he established a creative community, capitalizing on the talents of those associated with The Group.  He studied at Bristol Polytechnic, majoring in Art History, with a dissertation on ‘Iconoclastic Disorders of the 16th Century’.  In the 90’s, while working as a photographic curator, he received his MPhil degree at the University of Exeter.

In 2007, an exhibition entitled ‘Set All Free’ at the Grant Bradley Gallery (http://www.grantbradleygallery.co.uk/) included painting, sculpture, installation, ceramics, photography and poetry.  A gospel choir packed the place out at the Preview, to the astonishment of the proprietors.

Between 2007 and 2009, ‘The Tree House,’ a monthly café event, provided space for dance, fashion, film, performance poetry, live music, cultural critique, a philosopher’s corner, and talks on visual art.

A website went up in 2010, hosting a number of articles written over the last 15 years, including material penned while Hall was Arts Editor for a South African magazine, ‘The Big Picture’.  Hall plans to add to the library on the site, and release two free electronic editions of essays in 2012: ‘The Spiritual informs the Aesthetic’ and ‘Art to the Max’. (http://upptacka.com/)

ArtsMentoring.Co developed organically, helping artists find spiritual direction in a postmodern landscape.  Today, some 70 creatives of all genres meet together in South West England to inspire and encourage one another, and impact their society.

As Andy Rankin, of “RankinStones”  (www.flickr.com/photos/rankinstones), writes:

“Geoff has provided both structure and insights into exploring my journey as an artist. He is deeply knowledgeable about the process of creativity and the challenges of revealing oneself to the world. I find him authentic, joyful and a pleasure to work with. I leave our sessions more purposeful and connected.”

From Personal to Cultural Transformation

In addition to mentoring, Hall provides lectures on the arts and spirituality, and has written numerous articles on the arts along with a series of books on spiritual direction, “Spiritual Direction in a Postmodern Landscape.”

In this series, Hall visits the current cultural landscape in search of the spiritually-attuned artist.

“Much of contemporary art is focused on the material; on the ‘process’ or ‘concept’. There are a few, however, whose work is a search for something deeper. The Group is open to all, but we have a slant to it: Christian spirituality. Many artists are searching, and are not closed off to this.  With the Tree House, our ‘slant’ comes to life, and is embodied in the life and work of the artist.”

His second book, The Cultural Way of Being, moves from the personal to the communal, offering encouragement to those who want to know how their work can become culturally formative.  The book, rooted in 21st Century culture, seeks to help artists see the misdirected accent on relevance today, to “show how our work can change from being personally expressive to culturally transformative. Our aim should not be relevance, but credibility.  Relevance is fleeting, credibility endures.

“Part of being a contemporary artist is uprooting the humanistic view of the bohemian, reclusive individual and developing a form of Christian artistry which is culturally connected to community, as well as spiritually at work like pinches of salt or a batch of yeast in the (fallen) dough of life and art.

“Personal transformation leads to cultural transformation only if the artist is part of a spiritual community. I’ve explored this in ‘The Cultural Way of Being;’ it is a great foil to the current fixation in the West with the autonomous individual!  Through community we become culturally formative.”

The third book, ‘Translating the Invisible Wind’ has just been published, and can be ordered at http://upptacka.com/shop.

From Transformation to Restoration

Cultural restoration is based on a Kingdom which opposes the trend of Postmodernism’s despair, with its disaffected artist. In the current landscape of fractured lives, Hall’s heart is drawn to walking in community and authenticity with everyday life, creativity, and people.

“The deformed image of the self is part of the focus of the fourth book in the ‘Spiritual Direction’ series, “The Artist’s Autobiography.”  My publisher and I believe this will cause the most controversy, as it attempts to ‘clear the ground’ of synthetic Christian spirituality; i.e. Christian syncretism with Humanism, Nihilism, Gnosticism and Materialism.

“My experience of church has led me to concerns about worldview and language, and the retreat of Christian spirituality into a sub-culture. I’m not sure that what we have today is what Jesus had in mind. When I see the response to his institutional days, at Synagogue, I am confronted by the murderous intent of those who rejected his teaching. His move to the highways and byways showed a different kind of communication, the story of everyday life, the parable form. We tend to use the language of the synagogue in such public spaces and wonder why people don’t respond to our invitation.

“The language of Jeremiah’s calling may resonate with some artists: ‘Today I have appointed you over nations and kingdoms to UPROOT and TEAR DOWN, to DESTROY and OVERTHROW, to BUILD and to PLANT.” (Jer. 1v10) The picture of clearing the ground before restorative building and planting doesn’t just mean a different way of communicating, but a different way of living. The life of the artist may echo in some way the heart of Jeremiah’s calling and we need to get behind such people and support them, as the terrain is difficult…

“Good, powerful, subversive Christian artistry is the art of the subtext. Want to tear down a stronghold? Then build a tunnel, don’t build a siege machine!”

From Mentor to Filmmaker?

Hall sees part of his ongoing role in The Group as facilitating the connection between artist and culture : “…good art will create an imaginative response in the viewer (and listener) if it creates a place for them to dwell, to participate in the narrative. The rest is up to the Holy Spirit…”

Upcoming events include film projects (see Handy Cloud Productions www.HandyCloud.com, where “the spiritual informs the material”), more Tree House events, and possible synergies with other groups in the UK who are exploring reconciliation between arts and church.

Contact Geoff at geoffhall1957@live.co.uk , and visit his websites for more information on mentoring, The Group, cultural critique, lectures, books, and films.

Twitter: @ArtsMentoringCo

web: http://artsmentoring.co

blog: http://thegroup.artsmentoring.co

Writer: http://geoffhall.co.uk

Film Company: http://www.handycloud.com

Publishing: http://upptacka.com

Unorthodox blog: http://upptacka.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/123948337619696/

Film Production: https://www.facebook.com/MyNameIsSorrow

and http://mynameissorrow.com/ (for our human rights film project).

It all started with an open mic in Charlottesville, VA.

Host Ebony Walden looked out into the audience and saw a glimpse of the Kingdom of God: people of different races, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds in one place, supporting one another and sharing stories of hope, trial and triumph through words, poetry and song.

“It was an act of expressing our humanity,” writes Ebony.  “As creatures of the ultimate Creator, we were acting in His image through our creativity.”

This defining moment led to the creation of WordSmith Poetry in March 2009.   Walden began hosting events that affirmed and introduced a wide variety of artistic voices, including poets, spoken word performers, open mic enthusiasts, musicians and singers.  The purpose of these events was to inspire creativity, promote poetry, and catalyze spoken word in the Charlottesville Community by encouraging local artists to be heard through performance.

“My strong faith, love for community development, and passion for the arts has led me to organize and emcee various events, such as the WordSmith Poetry Jam, to encourage art, beauty and community change.  I encouraged Christian and non-Christian alike to cultivate and offer their gift of words, facilitating a number of different vehicles,  such as writing and performance workshops.”

Born and raised in New York, Walden received degrees from Georgetown University and the University of Virginia, and currently resides in Charlottesville.  A city planner by trade, she works to promote healthy and livable communities. Walden holds a certificate in urban youth ministry and has years of experience creating and coordinating learning activities with children and youth.  She has also partnered with local organizations to host and/or coordinate poetry segments at community events.  And as WordSmith began, Walden became one of the founding Board Members of the New City Arts Initiative (a regional group of IAM), which supports artists and fosters creativity in the Charlottesville community.

“Poetry to me is like God breathing life into being through his word, which created something out of nothing.  I wanted to encourage everyday people to take their thoughts, words, experiences and pain, create something beautiful, and share it with the world.  There is great healing and redemption that comes when we share our gifts, stories and uniqueness with one other.  In every event I hosted, I saw people create beauty out of the brokenness of their lives. I loved it.”

The WordSmith Poetry Jams, which included a featured poet, an open mic set, and a scheduled line up of local poets, spoken word artists and other performers, were an overwhelming success, sparking interest in performance poetry in the Charlottesville community.  Attendance ranged from 75-130 each month, a creative catalyst for performance poetry in the city.

Building on this success, Walden also performed and coordinated performances at schools, community events, church, and local television.  Inspired by the success of the Poetry Jams and the impact of the art form, Walden launched into a new endeavor: The Poetic Justice World Tour.

An international creative venture, The Poetic Justice World Tour involved extensive travel in 17countries over an eight-month period, writing poetry and volunteering at schools, orphanages, community centers, and arts organizations.

The journey harnessed the creative power of poetry to give voice to the world’s impoverished and disadvantaged communities, whose voices are often muted.   The project used poetry as a conduit to promote cultural awareness, inform a greater understanding of social justice on an international scale, and engender healthy dialogue around global issues related to poverty, racism, and gender discrimination.

“I wanted to…capture peoples’ stories and give them a voice through their creation of poetry, as well as my own.  I had been working to develop my skill as a poet, but I was also interested in finding new ways to use poetry to give a voice to those who are often forgotten. A love for diverse peoples and cultures gave me the vision to embark on an exciting adventure to travel the world, write poetry, and create poetry with the people and groups that I visited and volunteered with.  Teaching English and poetry in developing countries was an extension of my desire to have a positive impact on communities in need.”

To accomplish these purposes, Walden took a hiatus from Wordsmith Poetry (which continued under the direction of her friend, DJ and sound man, Double A 1 K), and volunteered with The International Volunteer Headquarters. In late spring 2010, Walden left for The Poetic Justice World Tour, a trip around the world.

During over four months of volunteering (teaching English and coordinating other educational activities), Walden traveled to developing countries in Latin America,   Africa, and Asia.  For the remaining months of the project, she also visited countries in Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as South Africa, writing poetry, performing, touring, and networking with international arts organizations to capture poetic voices through poetry workshops and events.

Throughout her travels, Ebony wrote poetry to document the unique culture and beauty of each country, as well as the challenges of poverty and social injustice.

In almost every country, Walden facilitated a signature poem: “Where I am From.”  This autobiographical piece gave participants an opportunity to explain their background by describing their homes, community, traditions, and family sayings. The poem demonstrated how poetry could be used to create a powerful mosaic of the world.

Returning at the end of January 2011, Walden hosted a multi-media event (photos, poetry and video presentation) that captured her experiences during the tour.  Her website, publications, and presentations provided a platform to increase cultural awareness, as well as bring greater exposure to and discussion of a number of social justice issues. Walden’s hope was that such dialogue would spur activism and encourage other artists to offer their skills for community development and social justice.  A second show is planned in the coming months.

How did this trip change Walden?

“I learned many lessons on life, love and faith from the Poetic Justice World Tour.  I learned how to see with the eyes of goodness.  I saw beauty in the broken places, and hope in the hard places.

“Secondly, I learned how resilient and creative people are.  From South America, to Africa, to Asia, and everywhere in between, people were always taking what little they had and creating works of art.  I saw guns turned into sculptures, plastic bags into handbags, and recycled newspaper into shopping bags.  People were always making and selling things they created.

“Ultimately, I think people were inspired to a greater level of humanity, transparency and creativity.  I did not write poetry before I started hosting events through WordSmith; as I discovered my own gift, I wanted to share it with the world. I am a greater bearer of God’s image because of this.

“The WordSmith Poetry Jams also added an element of diversity, creativity, life and energy to the Charlottesville community that did not exist before.”

What’s next for Walden?

The mission and vision remain the same: to use poetry as a creative tool to highlight the beauty of different cultures and generate awareness about social injustice issues globally.

But, as you might expect, a new passion has emerged.  As Walden was exposed to those who have been traumatized, she saw the potential of poetry to process pain, to begin recovery, and to create something beautiful from it.   While continuing to explore the power of arts in community transformation, Walden anticipates facilitating workshops at churches, schools, and community centers to promote poetry.  She hopes to collaborate with local artists and groups, and develop new ways to use poetry as a dynamic tool to inform, inspire, and empower those who are voiceless.

And while digesting her global adventure, poring over the thousands of photos that will eventually find their home in a book, Walden is working her craft as a poet, and hopes to begin work on a memoir next year of the Poetic Justice World Tour.

“I would like to highlight the stories I heard, the people I met, the lessons I learned, and the poetry I created that reflects each facet of the trip.  This will be the culmination of my experience.”  (Publishers and ghostwriters, take note!)

The public will continue to get a glimpse of the world and hear about Walden’s experiences through essays, poems, photos, and videos posted on the website and travel blog (link to blog).  A local exhibit is one goal, to display the more poignant photos, videos and poems.  And while no international trips are on the immediate horizon, Walden would love to travel again.

Her enduring desire is that wordsmiths the world over find, cultivate and share their voice.

Behind those silent eyes is a beautiful voice

So speak,

Speak with passion, speak with purpose…

From Speak, by Ebony Walden

Contact Ebony Walden at Ebony.walden@gmail.com or visit www.poeticjusticetour.com or The International Volunteer Headquarters for more information.