HELEN HALE // SANITY CEREMONIES

Helen Hale is a dancer from Trinity's community.  Sanity Ceremonies is a one-act, one-woman foray into being both in-stride and off-kilter in which Helen pieces together colorfully layered conclusions about what it takes to find equilibrium in a hectic and baffling world.  The production takes form through a marriage of dance, text, video animation, costume, and prop use that draws from a range of daily rituals, archetypal figures, cultural idiosyncrasies, and autobiographical anecdotes, as she plumbs the material of her own day to day realities as an artist, and the beauty and enigma of her family heritage.

Helen explains: "The work stems from the questions:  Where do I come from?  Of what mettle am I made?  How do I orient myself when things don’t make sense?  What does it take to keep putting one foot in front of the other?  With Sanity Ceremonies, I aim to contribute a story that will translate well across a spectrum of experience by grappling with big but basic questions in a personal voice.  This is a challenging and exciting piece for me as director and performer.  I’m stretching my choreographic modes to communicate the humor, eccentricity, and absurdity of my life and to provide a playfully honest portrait of the day to day struggle to not just make it through, but to be brave and go big.

I'm so excited to be working with a fantastic creative team to build this show." 

The talented crew consists of: Video Artist, Mike Boutté, Costume Designer, Amanda Baumgardner, Set/Prop Designer, Elwen Hau, Lighting Designer and Technical Director, Danny Davis, and Musical Wizard, Santiágo Parámo. We hope you will go to a show in November! Details are below:

WHEN:  Friday & Saturday, November 1 & 2, 2013 @ 8:00 pm
               Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 7, 8 & 9, 2013 @ 8:00 pm

WHERE:  7 Stages Theatre Mainstage, 1105 Euclid Avenue, Atlanta, GA,  30307

TICKETS:  $18 in advance; $20 at the door
Discounts:
    Artists & Students:  $15.00
    Children 10 and under:  $5.00
(includes sales tax and ticketing fee) All Shows General Seating

7 STAGES BOX OFFICE:  404-523-7647 open Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00 for advance sales, and open for walk-ups one hour prior to show.

Doors open at 7:30.  No late seating.  Wheelchair accessible.  Paid parking and street parking available.

5X15! May 2nd at Trinity

5X15 gives us the opportunity to experience what the creative community inside and outside Trinity is up to. During the course of the night, we'll sample tastings from culinary artists, watch the latest video from filmmakers, and hear poetry read with delicacy - along with many other presentations. Celebrate the Easter feast with some good art to foster the imagination.

Judith Brock - poetry

Michael Stille - mini-series, film

Erik & Stephanie Rostad - violin & vocal 

Ben Rollins - photography

Andrew Boatright - art

Tim Degroot - rare form art class

Ryan Coleman - painting

Claire Almon - illustration/character design

Erin Levin - film/documentary

Luke Williams - film

Nick Nelms - free art fridays

Michael Mullins - painting

Bethany Blanco - music

Sarah Sorrentino - printmaking/stationary

Brian Sintos - trumpet

Jaime Wynns - baking food truck

Brent Clouse - film

Beverly Ann Lenox - fashion

Jake AKA Maplanta - street art

Artists Workshop at St. Paul's Pres.

As artists we need from time to time concentrated moments to listen and learn from seasoned arts leaders within the church. This is an exciting opportunity to do just that. The details and more can be found on the Atlanta Arts Network website. But here is an article outlying the event form their website:


"God is an arts patron – are you? The word “patron” comes from the Latin word for “father.” God is the Father of the arts and all cultural activities, and he works through them to reveal his nature and love his children. Want to learn how you can join God in his creative and redemptive work in the arts?
Join Atlanta Arts Network and St. Paul’s Creatives Group at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church on Friday evening, March 15, at 7:00pm for a special presentation from our artists and from the director of Church and Art Network, Luann Jennings. Luann is an Atlanta native who was working in the theater community here when she was led to faith in Christ, and later called to minister in the arts at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC. For more info contact Buddy Eades budeades@mac.com.

“Arts career.” Is this an oxymoron? Working artists already know that our vocation (calling) doesn’t arrive with a guaranteed salary. Where does the creative calling fit into the spiritual, communal, and financial life of the Christian? How do we balance pursuing godly character with pursuing professional advancement? What are the right steps to take next?

Atlanta Arts Network is hosting a one-day workshop, “The Path Between: Entrepreneurship for Artists of the Church”, to consider these questions and more. Saturday, March 16, from 10am-3pm at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church 163 Ponce De Leon Avenue Atlanta GA 30308. The cost is $25 including lunch.

Our guest facilitator will be Luann Jennings, director of Church and Art Network, and frequent writer/speaker on arts leadership and entrepreneurship.

RSVP required by March 12. Let us know you are interested and coming via our contact page.
Online Registration is coming soon."



Make sure to read the interview with presenter Luann Jennings. She is a tremendous artist and resource to artists. It will be a privilege to spend some time with her at this event.

Peace crew-Jeff Guy

Iconography Lecture at Advent

Andre Rublev's Redeemer Icon

From Church of the Advent - This Saturday evening, July 21st at 6pm, we are extremely honored to welcome Father Anthony Salzman, priest at St. Philothea Greek Orthodox Church in Watkinsville, Ga, to speak to us at Advent about Iconography and Byzantine Art.

Fr. Anthony and his wife, Christine both graduated from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. in 1989. They lived in Thessaloniki, Greece for six years, where Fr. Anthony studied Byzantine Iconography and they immersed themselves in the life of the Church. They have two sons, Stephanos and Maximos.

Father Anthony is an artist/iconographer and continues today to paint icons for churches and families. You may see some of his work at www.imageandlikeness.com

He also is a guest lecturer at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, UGA Continuing Ed. School and OCAF (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation), teaching about Byzantine Art History and Iconography and spreading the word about Orthodoxy through the arts.

His work was recently featured in Athens local news:
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-06-09/priest-st-philothea-painting-icons-connecticut-church


http://www.facebook.com/events/421837194524782/

From Trinity - As Advent is our sister church, we would encourage all who are interested to go to this great event. It should be wonderful to hear a perspective on the convergence of theology, creativity & the beauty of the divine. See you on Saturday!

Rural Studio Camping Retreat

Friends and Trinitites,

As urban folks we often tend to assume that things of note only happen in cities, that big things happen in big places. Especially in the art and design world, the urban dominates.

In May, a few of us will be traveling to the poorest county of Alabama to see one of the most radical architecture schools in the world. Auburn University's Rural Studio is a Design/Build program in Newbern AL where the students live in self made homes while designing and building for the local community. We will be visiting several of the built projects and attending the official graduation party / pig roast. We will also be eating at the nearby bakery that mixes graphic design, apple pie, and social change.

Feel free to watch the Trailer PBS did a while back about the rural studio
http://www.citizenarchitectfilm.com/

We leave Trinity bright and early Saturday morning, May 5th and return in the afternoon on Sunday, May 6th.

The cost is $30 which includes travel, campground fees, campfire supper, and a good breakfast. We will be tent camping in a nearby National Forest for one night, so you will need a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and whatever else you may require. We will supply the food and cooking equipment for two meals, God will supply the stars, and Alabama will supply the bugs (fireflies, mostly).
If you have a van or SUV and would be willing to drive please let us know. We are trying to keep this around 20 folks and are hoping to have 3-4 vehicles. RSVP if you plan to go ASAP!!! Simply respond to this post and we'll add you to the list. RSVP by emailing Thomas Hardy: click here!

Sincerely,
-Thomas Hardy, Woody Giles & Jeff Guy

Art Community Night

Artists often create in what seems to be a vacuum. You are alone, hammering out your work, and then come up for air to find you have been working in total isolation. No doubt, sometimes this is a benefit, but usually it is a detriment to your sanity and you need some fellowship with other like-minded people to shock you out of the fog of work you've been in. So, we fashioned Art Community Nights for you.

These gatherings have been happening now for over two years. Every month we come together to share in life and discuss the creativity at hand - whether we are professionals or we are just getting started - all are invited.

There will be musicians, dancers, poets, painters, filmmakers, dabblers, pretty much every artistic discipline under the sun represented on Art Community Nights. The whole hope behind these events is to get us connected with our craft, with one another and with God.

All are welcome. We start at 8pm and wrap up around 10. Food is always involved so bring some room in your tummy! This is open to artists from other churches as well so feel free to invite people who don't worship at Trinity.

Tuesday, April 3rd from 8-10pm at the Tucciarone’s in Cabbagetown. 829 Marcus Street Atlanta, GA 30316 .  It is a green house with a double porch.
If you have questions about this event reach out to Jeff Guy; the ministry coordinator.

What's Cookin'

I wanted to take the moment and bring you up to speed on things that are coming down the line for Trinity's creative community.

Some dates are definitive and some are tentative but it still will whet your appetites! If you have any questions about the events, email me by clicking here: Jeff Guy


Every Thursday Night
Small Group for Artists | Rollins House in Virginia Highlands
Each week, a group of artists get together to read scripture and explore how it gives shape to their lives as children of God and as creative people. Led by photographers Ben Rollins and Josh Booth, this group is open to all Trinity artists. Join anytime.


Tuesdays, April 3rd, May 1st, June 5th
Artists Community Night | Tucciarone House in Cabbagetown
Every month we gather along with artists from other church communities to share what we do as creatives. We meet at the home of Latoya and Andrew Tucciarone in Cabbagetown. It is very casual and typically we have a conversation around a topic pertinent to our practices and faith in Jesus. There are also delicious snacks and beverages.


Saturday & Sunday May 5th-6th
Rural Studio Camping Trip | Newbern, Alabama
Limited to 20 people, architect Thomas Hardy and city planner Woody Giles will take us to Newbern, Alabama where Auburn's architecture students have worked over 2 decades on building sustainable and dignifying dwellings and civic structures for the communities there. We will tour the build sites and engage the community through their annual pig roast (don't be cast off you vegetarians, there will be food for those of us who abstain) More details to come!

Thursday, May 24th

5X15 | Trinity Anglican Mission

15 artists sharing for 5 minutes at a time on a subject they are passionate about. On these evenings, we get to experience what the creative class among us does - dancers dance, songwriters share their latest tune, visual artists talk about their work via slideshow -  you get the idea. It is a way to get inspired and blessed by the community we are a part of.

This is a small church house that was completed by the architecture students of Rural Studio.

Creating For The Seasons

Artists need structured projects for a host of reasons, but I'll mention a few here. It puts parameters on the freedom we have to create as we desire. It creates a goal to press toward with deadlines attached to it. If you are given the commission by a friend then you have some form of accountability and criticism - it keeps you going. All of these are healthy reasons for an artist to keep some structure to your discipline as an artist.

So here is what I am asking you to join me in. What would it look like if we took this Lent and engaged its spiritual overtones and themes in order for those to guide the production of 1-3 works of art? Keep the concepts and ideas you are working on in progress. I am not asking you to abandon what you are currently working on. But, I am asking you to create something within the season of Lent and see what becomes of it.

I want you to consider for two reasons: 1. The experience of creating in the season will keep your mind renewed to the themes of Lent focusing on scripture, prayer and your walk with Christ. 2. The Church, not just Trinity, but the Church universal could use more art that is consciously created for the sake of exalting and amplifying the truths we hold dear. We need better songs. We need better paintings. We need better writings. (...And the list goes on and on.) Do this while you are diligent in your other works.

Here are some themes to dwell on as we enter the season and you can bear these in mind as you create.

Penitence and confession of sin
Christ as absolution for sin
Darkness and the World's need for reconsiliation with God
Jesus' persecution, crucifixion and burial (Holy Week)

Let me know what you decide to work on! I'd love to see what God does through you. Drop me a line.

Here is something I painted during Lent a couple of years ago as an example. I was contemplating the sins of my grandfather and his generation in order to grow acquainted with my own sin.

Trinity Artists Interview Series: Thomas Hardy



Meet Thomas Hardy, an architect who can find the design beauty in everything from buildings and roads to the graphics of a newspaper article. Read on to learn how he deals with writer’s block, how the Large Hydron Collider inspires him, and why ravens are awesome.

Anti-Manners on the Beltline

Greetings good people, we felt we should promote this event as there are a number of Trinity artists collaborating on this thing - Helen Hale, Daniel Bass, Aaron Hodgins, Holly Evans, Joel Seibel, etc! So, go and enjoy.

On Nov 6, in a clearing along the BeltLine just north of Piedmont Park, you'll find a 30 foot picnic table covered with a feast of meat, apples, corn, potatoes, and warm rolls all lit by glowing light. Revelers will join you as you sit down at the table to eat, you'll toast one another and take long swigs from deep jugs of wine. Dancers will appear as if from nowhere and eaters, amid the flailing limbs, will become performers themselves, flipping, throwing, swigging, munching, twirling, singing, toasting, cheering, flinging, eating and swirling.

 Join Dash, Nov 6 for ANTI MANNERS a Dance/Feast featuring the lovely Helen Hale. 30 folks (maybe you?!) will sit at the main dinner table, sign up here if you want a spot! However, ALL are welcome. Everyone else will sit on picnic blankets watching the messy, whimsy-filled peformance, eating delicious fruits, drinking strong wine, enjoying the night air and welcoming fall time.

FREE
BeltLine just North of Piedmont Park behind Amsterdam Walk -- be brave, you'll find it.
Park wherever
Bring whomever
Stay however long
Bring a blanket, a candle, a flask, and a bib.

LOVE DASH Facebook event.

The Man Who Ate New Orleans! Last Supper

Earlier this week, filmmaker Michael Dunaway stopped by the blog to talk about, among other things, his most recent project The Man Who Ate New Orleans!, a documentary following a pastor’s mission to eat at every restaurant in New Orleans, all 600+ of them.

Soon Ray Cannata will be crossing that finish line. On Friday, October 21, he’ll eat his “Last Supper” at Besh Steakhouse in New Orleans. And everyone’s invited to watch it happen. So if you or someone you know will be in New Orleans that night and you want to give money to a good cause, you can buy tickets at http://thelastsupper.eventbrite.com/.

"Staging Narrative" Theater Workshop

In conjunction with the release of The Letters of Samuel Beckett, Volume 2: 1941-1956, Emory University is offering a free workshop with actor Barry McGovern on Saturday, October 22^nd from 11 am -12:30 pm. Aimed at theater artists and writers, the workshop will discuss “McGovern’s experience in adapting Beckett’s prose to stage performance…highlight[ing]…movement, spatial and vocal dynamics, and timing.” If interested, you need to register by October 18: http://www.gs.emory.edu/beckettletters/calendar/index.php?entity_id=561.

Trinity Arts Interview Series: Michael Dunaway

Meet Michael Dunaway, film producer and director and contributing writer for the irreplaceable Paste Magazine. His most recent project—The Man Who Ate New Orleans!—tells the story of a pastor on a mission to eat at all 600+ restaurants in New Orleans and, along the way, portray the city’s spirit in its “music, food, and rebuilding.” Read on to hear Michael talk about the collaboration of film making and why we should all stop dreaming. 

Trinity Arts Interview Series: Aaron Tovi

Do you ever miss sidewalk chalk? You and your friends drawing a spaceship or a castle on the ground outside your house? Do you ever think of how much fun you had creating together?

If so, then you have to meet Aaron Tovi, a graphic designer, occasional poet, and the force behind a new project called Chalk Party. Chalk Party is a proposed website for people from all over the world to join together to create the coolest online sidewalk ever.

Read our most recent interview to meet Aaron, hear more about Chalk Party, and learn why he advocates for keeping things on the back burner.

Decatur Book Festival

Looking for something to do this Labor Day? If you love books (or at least like to pretend you do), head over to the Decatur Book Festival. Presenters include Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists), Natasha Tretheway, George Singleton, Clyde Edgerton, Kevin Young, David Lehman, Robert Olen Butler, Tayari Jones and many other writers and readers. Plus, a book market and street fair will feature hundreds of publishers, writers, and organizations, such as Wink, a non-profit writing workshop started by some members of the Trinity community (Booth #126). On top of all this, there will be good food and music! The festival activities run all day Saturday and Sunday. Find a detailed schedule at the DBF website at http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/.

Trinity Arts Interview Series: Courtney Garrett

Meet Courtney Garrett, a painter whose passion for both God and her work radiates in her discussion of creativity and process. Read on to learn more about community, grace, love, and the culinary potential of a pop-tart. 

Trinity Arts Interview Series: David Taylor

In gearing up for the Southeastern Conference for Faith & Art on August 13, it’s the perfect time to get to know our keynote speaker, David Taylor. As a pastor at Hope Chapel in Austin, Texas, David oversaw the arts ministry and adult education program. He also edited the book For the Beauty of the Church: Casting a Vision for the Arts. With degrees in theology (MCS) and biblical studies (ThM) and his current doctoral studies at Duke University, David keeps busy, but he still took time to answer our questions and translate some good advice. Read on to learn how he does it all.

365 Days, 365 Stories

In a previous blog interview, we met Theron Humphrey, a photographer about to embark on a year-long project, meeting one person a day, every day, for a year, and documenting their stories through pictures and words. This Wild Idea will begin on August 1, 2011. Follow Theron and meet the people he meets at http://thiswildidea.com/ and on Twitter @thiswildidea.

Trinity Arts Interview Series: Stephanie Laubscher

Our newest interview is with Stephanie Laubscher, actress, singer, lover of words. Anyone who knows Stephanie, or has heard her lead music at Trinity, can testify to her beautiful spirit and grace, but you’ll have to read on to learn how she pushes through artist’s block, why it’s good to ignore your dirty dishes, and what she has in common with a tree.

Trinity Arts Interview Series: Helen Hale

For the newest chapter in our series, we’re hearing from modern dancer Helen Hale, who shares with us about dislocation, the Divine, the potential benefits of being half-horse/half-cheetah, and how to turn a piano into a light source. Read on to learn more.