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Episcopal Church and Visual Arts (ECVA) is a community of
artists and individuals who share an appreciation of how art can
influence our spiritual well-being and widen our spiritual
expressions. Our roots are in the Episcopal Church, and our
branches reach up and out.
As a community, ECVA explores
the visual arts and the ways in which they can be used within our
churches, our ministries, and as part of our worship.
ECVA
Chapters are local communities that provide opportunities (e.g.,
exhibits and workshops), dialogue, and fellowship within the
wider
ECVA network.
A Chapter can encompass a wide
or a small geographic area, but normally consists of artists
from more than one parish, and may even include an entire
Diocese. In some cases, a single parish with a large enough arts
community may be granted Parish Affiliate status when there are no
companion parishes with which they may join in the usual chapter
model. In this same way, an Ecumenical Affiliate might
also form.
Chapter and Affiliate members might represent any area of the
arts world,
including professional artists, liturgical specialists, art
historians, theologians, and various parish program coordinators.
Varied membership fosters mentoring, networking, and sharing of
resources. Through seminars, exhibitions, and conversations, the
issues of the visual arts are brought to the table, shared,
explored, and re-visioned.
This format is a flexible model, that serves the changing
needs and interests of local ECVA members. Typically, a Chapter
or Affiliate begins with an artists’ dinner where guests share a
meal, present the work of their artists, see a presentation
about ECVA, and share
fellowship.
Once formed, individual members decide upon the
type and level of activity they will pursue. Some may choose to gather regularly; sponsor arts exhibits, seminars,
and workshops; and/or publish a newsletter. Others may
simply gather once a year for an artists’ dinner and renewed
fellowship.
ECVA Chapters offer extraordinary opportunities for
artists to discuss the spiritual nature of their work, to
inspire each other, and to encourage the visual arts within the
life of the Episcopal Church.
The first Chapters were
established in 2002 in New York City and San Francisco and have
since grown to more than a dozen (including Parish Affiliates).
If you would like information
about an already existing Chapter please
refer to the contacts listed in the column to the right. To
learn about the formation process, please contact
Ruth Councell, (Director of ECVA Chapters)
at
chapters@ecva.org.
To read about the New Jersey Chapter's inaugural dinner and
exhibit, please click
here. The New Jersey Chapter
has also provided some sample documents to help plan for an
inaugural dinner. (These documents are in MS Word format.)
Cover letter /
Invitation
Reservation /
Exhibit labels
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•
For General Information Inquiries, please contact
ECVA
Chapters Director:
Ruth
Councell
• For information relating
specific ECVA Chapters & affiliates please refer
to the list below:
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