ECVA Newsletter




	Magnificat III By Caroline C. Brown (mixed media on paper) From her ECVA Visual Essay Magnificat

Does Art Really Matter?

Elliot W. Eisner, professor of education and art at Stanford University states simply, “The arts are about joy. They are about the experience of being moved, of having one's life enriched, of discovering our capacity to feel. If that was all they did, they would warrant a generous place at our table.”

Studies have shown that incorporating the arts into the lives of young people will improve academic performance as well as the individual. Arts-based education has been linked to the development of basic cognitive skills as well as improved problem-solving. “We know that learning in the arts can lead to a higher level of motivation, self-confidence and 'ownership' of learning among students.” explains Marsha Dobrzynski, executive director of Young Audiences of Greater Cleveland.

And there are those that believe art can be “healing and life enhancing”. The American Art Therapy Association states that “… one can increase awareness of self, cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences, enhance cognitive abilities, and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of artistic creativity.”

The therapeutic value of art was found to be true for many following the traumatic experience of 9/11. Art helped many people – artists and non-artists – work through their grief and stress that resulted from 9/11.

A friend once said that he took up pottery not to become a craftsman, but because he enjoyed the time spent creating. The feel of the wet clay, the spinning wheel, the time spent in concentration, had a calming effect that helped him get through stressful times.

Calm and quiet contemplation – something we all need in today’s automated and hectic life. It seems we are losing our ability to concentrate, to reason, and (dare we say) for patience. If art can provide us with “quite” time and restore our ability for thought – even for patience – then is it not worthwhile?

Poet Stanley Kunitz has stated that works of art are a gift freely given "in acknowledgement of the gift you have been given, which is life itself. ... That work is not an expression of the desire for praise or recognition, or prizes, but the deepest manifestation of your gratitude for the gift of life."

Dan Hardison
Editor, The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts
editor@ecva.org

Articles

Painting by Faith: An Artist Residency
By Tanja Butler

Artist Tanja Butler was invited to take part in an artist residency at Christ Church in Hamilton/Wenham, Massachusetts. So what is an
artist-in-residence program? Find out as Tanja describes this unique relationship between artist and church. More . . .



	Remarques The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts now has its own weblog or blog, "Remarques", online at www.ecva.blogspot.com. Remarques will replace the ECVA Listserve as a welcoming place for discussion without having to receive a flurry of email messages. Using the blog is easy. You do not have to register to participate. Simply visit the link above, and read the items that have been posted. If you wish to read any comments for the post, click "comments" below the post. If you wish to leave your own comment, click "comments" and type your comment in the box under "Leave your comment". Choose "identity" as "Other" and enter your name or choose "Anonymous". You may preview your entry and then click "Publish Your Comment". That's it. ANYONE is free to comment. You do not need to be an artist. The only requirement is an interest in the topic and a willingness to conduct a conversation within the normal rules of etiquette. If you would like to suggest a topic for discussion in a post, please email us at remarques@ecva.org. Remarques (re-marks) A small original drawing near an artist's penciled signature in the margin of a print created as a special limited edition.



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From the ECVA Registry:

Mourning Bench
By Diane Walker
Bainbridge Island, Washington
(photograph)

The Worship Well

Church Publishing Incorporated has partnered with ECVA, the Office of Liturgy and Music, and the All Saints Company to provide an online community for conversation, collaboration, education, and the sharing of liturgies, images, music, art, multimedia, scripture tools, and more. The goals for ECVA are to increase visibility of ECVA and ECVA artists through The Worship Well; support increased use of art and image in worship and liturgy; and create support for ECVA artists in the areas of how to use art in church situations and how to ask for remuneration for the use of their art in church situations.
www.theworshipwell.org.

	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 learn more about ECVA, please visit www.ecva.org.		If you know someone who might enjoy our newsletter, please forward this issue to them so they can learn what is happening at ECVA. To subscribe, visit www.ecva.org/newsletter.htm for information.