ECVA e-Newsletter                                                             March  2008

"For God So Loved ..."

     

 

contents
 

Features  —   ECVA Chapter News   —   Calls    

Visio Divina    —   ECVA News   —   About ECVA
 

features
 

Art at St. Mary's, Hemel Hempstead, UK
by Robert Enoch

I was asked to collaborate with some people from my church on visual reflections of the Gospel readings during Lent and this is for Lent 2 [John 3:1-17]. We had various ideas for representing the work of the Holy Spirit and the love of God, and as I've been looking at Matisse, this was very influenced by his cut-outs and his brushwork. I wanted to 'hug' the columns with colour as with God's love. I was thinking of Psalm 139 when I painted the amoebic forms: "When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed substance." So these reflect that 'unformed substance'.

Editors note: Look at Robert Enoch's profile page at The Artists Registry, here.

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Art & Soul 2008
Nurturing your Spiritual Life
Through the Creative Arts

Releasing creative energy, community with fellow artists, nurturing your soul through music, worship, rest, exercise, fresh mountain air, and nourishing food – this is all part of the 3rd annual Art & Soul Conference at Shrine Mont, Orkney Springs, VA, in June 2008. Participants will stay in their chosen class throughout the week.

In addition to these specific classes, there will be opportunities for everyone to join together for evening classes in Bible study, other art forms, worship and fun! Download the Art & Soul Retreat brochure in PDF format HERE.

If you have questions or need more information, contact Carolyn Chilton
1-800-DIOCESE (ext 29), or e-mail cchilton@thediocese.net

Above: Composite image using brochure art by
Mary Norton, Peggy Parker, and Paul Harris

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ecva chapter news
 

The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts (ECVA) is more than just a website, it is a community of artists and individuals who share an appreciation of how art can influence our spiritual well-being. As a community, we explore 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, dialogue, and fellowship within ECVA. To read more about ECVA Chapters, click here. If you have news from your ECVA Chapter, please send articles and images to the newsletter editor here.

Watch for a Special Issue of the ECVA Newsletter devoted to Chapter News.
 

calls
 

Portraits of the Self

Seen above, latest entries to Portraits of the Self Call. Left to right: Robert Epley (Colorado), Roberta Karstetter (Wisconsin), Luiz Coehlo (Georgia), Michael Chesley Johnson (Maine), Janita Lo (Texas), Erin McGee Ferrell (New Jersey).

The self-portrait is a deeply traditional art subject. Artists have created images of themselves since ancient times, resulting in an art form that spans all eras and encompasses all types of media. Self-portraiture not only gives the artist a ready subject, but also one with which the artist may be less objective. The resulting self-portraits often reveal the passion, courage, and energy of the artist's soul.

How do you see yourself? How do you present yourself to others? Does your image reveal your personality, character, and values, or do these attributes hide behind an invisible veil that reflects mystery?

We invite you to use your art for self-exploration and to share an image of what you discover about your own unique physical, emotional, and spiritual persona.

Read the entire Call here.

Exhibition Dates: April 4 through September 30, 2008
Submissions deadline: March 21, 2008
Curator: David C. Hancock

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Flood

The Gallery At St. John's in Kingston, New York has issued a Call for original artwork in all two-dimensional media by men and women of all faiths relating to the theme of Flood. There is no need to be literal. Click HERE to view the prospectus in PDF format.

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Call For Artists – Transitions

The Seabury – Western Art Gallery is accepting submissions of original fine art for mid-May-June-July 2008 show showcasing personal and communal transitions. Transitions engender growth and change. They challenge our assumptions about relationships, values and priorities. Some transitions occur within a religious or spiritual framework, some in a cultural context, while others happen in isolation. The artist should consider how transitions provide courage for the future and help celebrate the past. Themes may include but not limited to: journey, community, empowerment, struggle, liberation. To download a PDF copy of this Call and complete information required for entry, click here. For more information contact: Tyrone Fowlkes at 847.328.9300 or email: tyrone.fowlkes@seabury.edu.

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visio divina
 

the visio-divina.com bookshelf
The visio-divina.com library, with the convenience of one-click purchase through the Amazon.com Associates program, offers selections of particular interest to the artist.  All purchases referred from
visio-divina.com earn a 4% cash commission for the Visio Divina Program. Two of the newest selections are shown below.

Walking on Water -Reflections in Art and Faith by Madeleine L'Engle.

"... as I listen to the silence, I learn that my feelings about art and my feelings about the Creator if the Universe are inseparable. To try to talk about art and about Christianity is for me one and the same thing, and it means attempting to share the meaning if my life, what gives it, for me, its tragedy and its glory." (Quote is from L'Engle, on the back cover.)

The Artist's Reality - Philosophies of Art by Mark Rothko.

From Chapter One, The Artist's Dilemma, p.4: "Most societies of the past have insisted that their own particular evaluations of truth and morality be depicted by the artist. Accordingly, the Egyptian artist had to produce a definitely prescribed prototype; the Christian artist had to abide by the tenets of the Second Council of Nicea or be anathematized or, like the monk in the iconoclastic age, work in danger and by stealth. ... It will be pointed out that the artist's lot is the same today, that the market, through its denial or affording of the means of sustenance, exerts the same compulsion."

Click HERE to view all bookshelf selections.

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ECVA News
 

Have you visited the web site at ECVA.org lately? It's been re-styled, refurbished, and re-energized.
A simplified, more unified home-page format allows you to easily

access areas of interest to artists and practitioners;
find resources that connect spirituality and art; and
become part of a vital and growing artists network.

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about ecva

The mission of The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts (ECVA) is to encourage artists, individuals, congregations, and scholars to engage the visual arts in the spiritual life of the church. ECVA values the significance of visual imagery in spiritual formation and the development of faith, and creates programs to support those who are engaged in using the visual arts in spiritual life.

To subscribe to ECVA's e-Newsletter, click HERE. To learn more about this newsletter, and view others, click here.

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The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts, Inc.
815 Second Avenue NY, NY  10017

Newsletter produced and edited by C. Robin Janning, Deputy Director of Communications