Truly Golden

I am overjoyed.  I feel that the Symposium on Monday night offered much to be celebrated as a community.  I enjoyed sharing my story with you all & you were good attentive listeners.  I thank you & am honored.

Over 100 artists, art appreciators, hobbyists, & all those in between (dabblers) came & got there early, I might add (something rare at Trinity).  I pray your evening was enjoyable, that you met someone new, that you grew as an artist or that you were inspired to create.  If you have a moment, fill out the poll up at the top right of the blog.  We wish for your feedback so that we can better the event- dialing it into our needs as a creative community. 

The next Symposium is on the books for Monday, May 4th at 7:30. As it will be the season of Easter we will focus the evening on Beauty & The Splendor of God revealed through Art.

Going from here, we are going to initiate two community groups of artists based on the sign up response from Monday night.  These groups will meet the First Tuesday of the Month. One will meet in the Northwest side of the city, (Octane Coffee Bar) & one will meet to the Southeast side of the city, (Carroll Street Café).  This will give us the chance to do what so many of the creative saints of old did;  speak of art over tasty beverages.  Imagine Caffé Giubbe Rosse, Salon of Berta Zuckerkandl, or Caffé Trieste but in Atlanta & with your brilliance.  

When we gather we will ask one another, "What are you working on right now?"  This calls us into accountability but also gives us the chance to further relationships, collaborate, talk shop & address vocational challenges as Believing Artists.  

To join one of these groups: show up at 8:00pm! Tuesday, March 3rd at either Octane or Carroll St. Café.

An Introduction to Our Panelists for February 16th

With Trinity's first Symposium on Faith and Art approaching within the next week (February 16th at 7:30pm to be exact) I would like to take this time to introduce not only myself, but also my good friend and key note speaker Jeffrey Guy and also the artists comprising our panel for our discussion dealing with the contemplative nature of art.

My name is Cameron Stevenson, and I am 24 years of age and a writer of short stories.  at the moment none of my stories have been posted anywhere, but that will most likely soon change.  I just moved to Atlanta a little more than a year ago from the great state of Kansas.  As we enter into Lent and it's contemplative nature I would encourage you to listen to Blind Pilot's album Three Rounds and a Sound, Elbow's album Seldom Seen Kid or any of the other artists listed on this blog.

Next I would like to introduce you to our speaker for this particular evening, Jeffrey Guy.  Jeff is 29 years old, husband of Julia Guy and lives in Alpharetta.  He is an oil painter by trade and works part-time as a communications man at Trinity.  You can find some of his work at www.jefferyscottguy.com or you could go door to door until you find someone in the city that owns one of his paintings.  If someone wants to hear something incredibly suited for the season of Lent they should listen to Gorecki's 3rd symphony, better known as the "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs".

Artists on our panel include:

Bob Butler:

"My name is Bob Butler, I am originally from Australia but have been living in Atlanta for 3 years now.  Trinity is my home church.  I am engaged to Lori Madden!  We are getting married in June...  very exciting.  I work full time as a photographer shooting musicians, couples, lifestyle etc...  my business is called Public Image Photography, here is a link to my website http://www.publicimagephotography.com.  Some of my favorite artists are Lars von Trier (film maker), Kris Allison (writer), Tom Waits (Musician), etc... For the season of Lent I would highly recommend watching "Into Great Silence" by Philip Groning... It was very inspiring to me this time last year, it can only be good for us to take some time to slow down especially in this western culture."

Stephen Brannen:

"My name is Stephen Brannen.  I'm 24 and live in Smyrna.  I'm a songwriter by passion, but historically not by profession.  However, I'm helping plant a church in Atlanta and am writing songs to be used for worship there.  Hopefully some of those will be recorded and available soon.  One of my favorite musical works of a contemplative nature is Morten Lauridsen's sacred suite Lux Aeturna.  His O Magnum Mysterium is awesome too.  Also, Andy Goldsworthy is an artist who employs materials in nature to create shapes and structures within the materials' environment.  His work, though not explicitly Christian, strikes me as a pointer to what we as image-bearing creatures can do with and within creation itself."

Micah Stansell:

"My name is Micah Stansell. I make movies/films/videos/images-that-move.  You can see one of my films/videos currently on display at MOCA-GA, and a limited amount of work on my reel at my website: www.575films.com.  in preparation for Lent, I recommend stopping by the High and taking a look at Vermeer's The Astronomer, on loan from the Louvre."

Whitney Stansell:

"Whitney makes paintings, drawings, sculptural garments, and books, you can find some images from her work at www.whitneystansell.com.  Whitney recommends reading "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" by Annie Dillard, in preparation for the Lent Season"

Jason Campbell:

"My name is Jason Campbell, husband, father, pastor and writer.  I have been writing the longest, but keep it the quietest, much of it resides on my computer awaiting some final release when my hands have wrinkled and my brain is wise enough to finish.  It was Nietzsche, a truly frightening man, who got this right: "a long obedience in the same direction results in something which made life worth living." I have resolved for a long obedience in everything.  You can find some writings on my old and new blog (http://tiredwanderings.blogspot.com or http://jaypercival.blogspot.com).

Here are my recommendations: music: Freedom Day EP by Max Roach; Litany by Arvo Part; Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet by Gavin Bryars Book The Cost of Discipleship by D. Bonhoeffer; The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard; Great Lent by A. Schmemann.  Poetry Ash Wednesday & Chorus's from the Rock T.S. Eliot and Nature of Heraclitean Fire & As Kingfishers Catch Fire GM Hopkins Film The Gospel According to St. Matthew Pier Pasolini; Ordet & Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Dreyer."