The Pursuit of Excellence in our Art

On the most beautiful day in November, a couple of friends from the NewSong art ministry and I headed down to Philadelphia for the day to check out some art galleries. Our first stop was the one I was most excited about, White Stone Gallery. I had been to their gallery before when they were located in Lancaster, but soon after that they moved to Philly. I had also remembered talking with the owners a little bit and noticed how friendly and open they were so I was excited to see what conversations might come from having 3 other Christian artists with me when we arrived there. Nothing had changed. One of the owners, Susan Hooks, was there and still as friendly and willing to talk with us as if she knew us. She shared with us the process of going through entries they receive for a juried show they host each year and why they choose the particular art AND artist they include in the show. It's not always just because of the art. She also mentioned the challenges of representing a Christian gallery to a secular market and media, but with those challenges progress and change has started to happen in some of the people she's met. There have been times when visitors have been in tears after viewing some of the art and they didn't necessarily know what it was about or that Christ was behind the theme. I can only imagine the impact that this gallery has had on the public and hope to one day get back into the gallery scene to experience it for myself.


Aside from the encouragement of Susan, and inspiring artwork I saw that day at the many galleries we visited, I was definitely challenged as well. I have always struggled with artists that do the same subject matter over and over and over again. For instance, the show that was up at White Stone Gallery was all about divers. That was it! Every single painting was a diver in a different position. Despite the fact they were in beautifully arranged poses and made you feel the movement of the dive, I couldn't get past the fact that that was the whole show. So as the 4 of us were having lunch that day and enjoying some lively art discussion, it hit me. I was reminded by a comment Susan had made earlier about pursuing excellence in our art and not accepting anything less than that in other artist's work. One of the reasons Christian art has grown a bad reputation for being hokey or cheesy art is because we don't want to offend the artist who may not have much talent in that area, so we show their art and label it "Christian art." But if we went to a recital and had to listen to a "Christian" pianist butcher a piece by Wagner or Mozart, we'd get up and leave at intermission and probably never go to another recital by Christian pianists again. So, there is definitely a line that needs to be drawn between the artists pursuing art as a profession and those who just want to use art as their personal expression.

So, I have to remember this with my own art. Just because God has given me the ability to creatively express myself through painting doesn't mean that I can produce whatever I want and expect people to accept it because the inspiration was from God. I am required to pursue excellence in all that I do and remember that most of all, my art represents who God is, therefore, the end product must reflect excellence because that is who God is! And if this means doing the same subject matter over and over again in the pursuit to master that subject, then that is what I should do. The artist at White Stone Gallery definitely mastered the subject of divers, whether or not it was in pursuit of excellence, the entire show was evidence of an artist who had worked hard at refining their art.

****IT'S AN ART "Move"MENT SALE****

My husband and I just moved and no longer have the studio space we once did so we're having a MASSIVE SALE on all my original artwork!!!

Never thought you could afford to buy original artwork? Well, now's your chance, and we can guarantee once you get started you won't stop. There's nothing like owning a home full of original pieces by your favorite artists that mean something to you and not just mass produced art that 1,000's of other people have in their living rooms as well.

All proceeds will go toward our family's missions fund for our next missions trip to . . . well, we don't know where yet, but we're already preparing for when God calls.

Check out what is already up for sale, and keep checking back for more pieces. There will be a total of 30 pieces with a couple uploaded each day. If you have a favorite and want me to hurry and list it, let me know and I will.

Article about Scarlet Steps

Here's an article in this weekend's paper with a great write-up about Scarlet Steps by Joan Kern.

The third annual "Scarlet Steps" sacred art exhibit at NewSong Fellowship Church will focus on hands.

There will be hands that commit sins and the hands of Christ, "who died for our sins."

Perhaps the most compelling piece in the exhibit is Dan Milligan's "Jesus Laid in the Tomb" — a large acrylic painting, with a black background, of a crucified hand, red with blood.

The exhibit, also with hands from Easter scripture, will invite guests to contemplate "how our hands and His hands can come together."

NewSong's Inspire Arts Ministry will present the exhibit of 22 drawings, paintings, sculptures, collages, photographs and fiber art at the church, 609 Prospect St., from 5 to 9 p.m. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Supervised art activities will be available for children age 4 and older.

For more information or to reserve free tickets, call 393-9600 or go to www.newsongfellowship.net/scarletsteps.

"Scarlet Steps" — a variation on the Stations of the Cross — takes its name from the trail of bloody footprints Jesus left on his way to Calvary.

It will feature 20 artists, including one teen. All but three of the artists are members of NewSong.

"We have a ton of artists," said the Rev. Brett Lovern, pastor of worship and arts.

Lovern, who is in charge of the exhibit, said he doesn't know why NewSong attracts so many artists but suspects it is because it is a young congregation.

"We're theologically conservative, but edgy," he said.

One of the young artists in the congregation is Ann Kimmich, NewSong's director of Inspire Arts Ministry, who is assisting Lovern in putting on the exhibit.

"We're driven by scripture but not afraid to keep up with culture," she said.

Kimmich, who resides in Lancaster city, moved here four years ago from San Diego.

"I came from a church that had a gallery, coffee shop, monthly art shows and art classes."

It was Kimmich, of Kimmich Art & Design, who suggested NewSong establish an art ministry. "Scarlet Steps" was its first project.

The exhibit, which attracted more than 500 people the first year and more than 600 last year, will be held in the church lobby, which will be draped in black curtains.

The atmosphere will be "quiet, contemplative, personal," Kimmich said.

The first section will feature works of art depicting modern-day sins. An example is Nicole Rosania's "Abuse," a detailed graphite drawing of a scared young girl.

The second section will feature hands depicting events from scripture that led up to Jesus' death on the cross.

Kimmich contributed "Betrayal," a fiber art portrayal of Judas' empty hands.

"He betrayed Christ for money, but in the end gave the money back and hung himself," she said. "It goes to show that what you think you want isn't always fulfilling."

The last stop in the exhibit is the sanctuary, which will be converted into a response room, with easels and other art supplies.

"(Guests) can, paint, draw or write a poem or a song," Kimmich said. "Or they can sit and pray."

Artists will be on hand to answer questions and discuss their work. Each piece in the exhibit will include an artist's statement: why the subject was chosen and how the piece was created.

NewSong gave the artists a list of subjects and let them pick from it.

"A lot of people picked something personal; things they've dealt with," Kimmich said. "That's why the artists' statements are so important."

The response room also will include recorded music and five videos of NewSong members talking about how Christ came into their lives.

The focus on hands began with a two-minute video that NewSong showed in a worship service. It will be on view in the lobby during the exhibit.

To the music of "Amazing Grace" and without narration, it flashes close-ups of hands in various settings with phrases or words such as "stole a pack of gum," "lies," "gossips," "doesn't show love" and ends with a hand nailed to a cross and the words "forgave them all."

"That's the kicker," Lovern said.

Scarlet Steps

"Scarlet Steps: Sacred Hands"
NewSong Fellowship Church | 609 Prospect St | 17603

I'm very excited about Scarlet Steps this year. I've been dying to step out of my comfort zone and try a different form of art, but always back out at the last minute. Well, I finally did what I've been wanting to try for the last couple of years: fiber art. I've had a huge stash of fabric in my closet for over 3 years and finally broke it out to create the below piece. I'll be the first to admit I have a lot to work on since I'm not completely satisfied with the way the stitching turned out, but because I had a tight deadline, it is what it is.

Below is some information about Scarlet Steps if you live in Lancaster and would like to check the event out:

Scarlet Steps is a free, art-driven experience combining artwork by local artists, music, multimedia, and Scripture to illuminate the message of Christ in a fresh, new way. It will be held at NewSong Fellowship Church, on Thursday and Friday, April 1st and 2nd with tickets available from 5-9pm. This 3rd annual event will walk you through artist renderings of the life and death of Jesus Christ while giving you a new appreciation of both artistic expression, and Christ's life-changing sacrifice, specifically focusing on how our hands and His can come together. Scarlet Steps will inspire you to think beyond the traditional Good Friday message to explore the Passion of the Christ in a bold new way you'll never forget.