The Future of This Beautiful Thing

Our God is a God of Creation. Our God is a God of Renewal.

We are to be about Creating. We are to be about Renewal.

Imagine a place.  A place in this city that is dedicated to the beautification and renewal of the city and its people.  A place that gives and nurtures through art, music, dance, writing and the planting of gardens.  Imagine the church returning to its patronage days. Days when it saw value in caring for its talented artisans and encouraged them to shape culture in the church's image and not the converse.  

I have had such a returning vision for some time now and I would like to broadcast it because it is not mine.  I share this openly with a hope.  That this will fall on some hearts who have just the resources, gifts and means to bring it to fruition for the sake of God and his Kingdom.  Many have given the advice not to do this, that I should hide the idea for fear of it being "taken" and completed by someone else.  I say to this warning, if it is for the Kingdom and in the spirit of our Resurrected Jesus then let it come to pass by any means necessary.  This vision has just been lent to me for my stewarding - I do not own it.

The vision goes something like this: Whitehall Street is an industrial area near downtown Atlanta that has fallen into disrepair and despair in our midst.  Take some of this land and break the ground allowing light and water to penetrate the soil.  

Phase 1: We get some of our most talented gardners and landscape designers and we put them to the task of planting a public garden.  The garden must be self sustaining and therefore independent on irrigation from outside sources, like public water.  Rain harvesting may be utilized but only simple methods allowed.  Hardscapes will be incorporated into the design and part of the hardscape will be a public amphitheater.

Phase 2: We begin hosting events in the garden from the amphitheater.  Harvest festivals. Health days for the homeless.  Public free lectures and concerts.  Performing arts events.  Etc. The events and garden would be fiscally sustained by donations and ecumenically sponsored. The center could be supported by the city, state and federal government grants as well. So by this point there is a place and now you have added assembly and the exchange of idea to that place. People who attend these public events give what they can to the mission of the center.

Phase 3: We build or retrofit studio space, a gallery, and sanctuary at this place.  Artists will occupy the spaces for periods of time, create, as well as give to the community in teaching, sharing and contributing to the center's beauty.  Artists of all disciplines would propose a residency and a panel of artists would select who can come and reside and create.

Phase 4: We build or retrofit retreat space, counseling offices, and common areas for city residents to come for mental and spiritual healing, for rest and sabbath within the city.  Imagine coming and retreating in simple monastic quarters where there are no distractions.  There is only a bed, a small desk, a rug and a chair.  Your purpose for dwelling in these rooms is to be restored and be contemplative in a city built for hurry and worry.  Agencies, therapists, and counselors who meet with people on a regular basis may operate out of these spaces caring for those in Atlanta. 

It will be called the Center for Art & Urban Renewal. 

If you have any direction, leads, recommendations, thoughts, banter, etc. I would love it.  Please share it by emailing me.  You may get my email address by clicking on contributors, Jeff Guy.

May our Lord Jesus Christ guide us as we work toward this future.

Christ Crucified

Swiss Painter, Antonio Ciseri, painted this from 1864-1870. The Transport of Christ to the Sepulcher

This image pierced me when I saw it recently.  I feel like each year, toward the end of Lent, I am asked to yet again forsake my comforts to walk with a processional as is depicted here.  I feel the earth shift beneath my feet and occasionally dare to look upon my savior's broken body moving down the street.  I hear weeping the likes of which hadn't been heard since Jeremiah lamented a lost and dying Jerusalem.  I walk this road each year.  May we quiet ourselves for the next few days.  Where ever you may work- your studio, your writing shed, your workshop, your music room, your office- pray without ceasing.  Think of Jesus as you create.


Jesus, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Trinity Artists Community Groups Round 2

image courtesy of shannon newby. shannon and erik host the northwest community group at octane.

Yep. You heard it right. Its time for round two of the community groups. They will meet at the same locations as before on the First Tuesday of the Month, April 7th; one in the Northwest at Octane and one in the Southeast at Carroll St. Café.

We come together, share what we've been working on and this go around we will talk about how Lent is going for us. Has it had an impact on our creative time? Has it been a period of growth for us as Artists? Have we made margins for creativity and contemplation?

As a primer for this coming community night, you can post a comment to these questions below. We hope for the blog to become more interactive. Can't wait to hear from you. Christ be with you as you create.

A Word on Lent and the Approaching Easter Season

Greetings fellow artists, I hope that you are all having a very contemplative and meaningful Lent thus far.  I can say that this is truly the first year I have participated in Lent, and fasting of something I love, and honestly it is teaching me more discipline not only in my faith, but also in my art.  I think this is a great time to create new habits of discipline that can extend well past the season of Lent, especially in the realm of quiet contemplation and reflection.  As Jeff mentioned in his speech at the previous Symposium, we, not only as artists but also as Christians, need to be intentional about setting aside time for contemplation, prayer, and reflection.  As I mentioned before this is a great time to create those habits by cutting out things in our lives that we possibly don't need.  There are countless others around the world and within our own community going through Lent together, creating a kind of support group, which is good to have while creating new and good habits.

I think the idea behind the 40 days of fasting in this season is quite beautiful.  Most of us have chosen to fast something that can, at times cause either a physical or mental discomfort, a reminder of the suffering of Christ and a way to identify ourselves in some small way with his sufferings, and by doing so making the approaching season of easter even more meaningful to us.

I would like to encourage you, in your times of intentional contemplation during this season, to continue to create in your personal forms of art.  if you have chosen to give up something for Lent I encourage you to stay strong in your fast and remember that you are not alone.

Also I would like to take this time to let you know about our next upcoming Symposium on Faith and Art, which will be May 4th and dealing with Beauty and Splendor, as this date will find itself within the season of celebration that is Easter.

One last thing, I want to remind you of is the Community Groups that meet the first Tuesday of every month.  The next Community Group night is coming soon; April 7th at Octane and Carroll Street Café.  For more information on that you can reference the entry below or email Jeff or myself.

God Bless,

Cameron

TrinityArtists Community Groups

A group of artists took a retreat by train in the northeast long ago. I don't think you could take the same shot on a MARTA train. Its a problem with MARTA's design.

Tonight is the First Tuesday of the Month and so it is time for us to meet up and talk about what's going on.  Micah & Whitney Stansell will be hosting the group in the Southeast of the city while Erik & Shannon Newby will host the Northwest group. 

The Southeast group will meet at Carroll Street Café at 8:00pm. Carroll Street Café is in the shadows of the old mill in Cabbagetown; an area known to have smelled of stewed cabbage in olden days because that's all the workers who lived there could afford to eat. Creativity often springs from poverty or so I'm told so it seems like a good place for creative people to meet.

The Northwest group is going to meet at 8:00pm at Octane - Home of the best espresso! (Yes, I said it and I will fight to the death all who oppose.) Octane is in the ever-growing-hipper Westside of town. Neighbored by commercial art galleries such as Kiang and Sandler Hudson this area has been saturated with art dialogue and thought for some years now. 

As mentioned before, we wish for the gathering to be a chance for us to further relationship as well as encourage and care for each other as Believing Artists. Perhaps some good creative collaboration will take place. We can also voice vocational concerns and network during the evening. 

See you at 8:00pm where ever is closest to you! (The leaders will be wearing makeshift name tags.)