Podding Artistry

I was interviewed this week on the Dustyn and Molly Stevens Remarks Podcast. We had a great conversation about art as business, creativity as language, art as ministry, world travels and cultural diversity. Check it out and have a listen. 

http://www.dmsremarks.podbean.com

no cell service, no locks on doors, no worries

The Retreat for Pastors and Ministers to Artists 2014:

i just spent 4 days at the secluded Laity Lodge Retreat Center in the Frio River canyon in the Texas hill country. 2 hours drive outside of San Antonio, Laity is like stepping into a safety zone of heart, mind, and soul. once the vehicle turned into the river i entered a special place. it's the opportunity for renewal and refreshment equally with inspiration and challenge. what Laity offered was unique (I've never experienced any retreat like it yet!). the retreat was for pastors and ministers to artists. 

the setting was intimate and beautiful. no cell service, limited wifi, no locks on doors, flexible relaxed schedule, delicious food, good ol Texas hospitality, and the chance to connect with people from all various Christian churches throughout the states and the world about what it means to and how we do this thing called art ministry. the grounds houses lodge and cottage places to stay, a family style dining hall, a large meeting hall that overlooks the water, 2 art studios, an art gallery and performance center, a library and bookstore, outdoor fireplaces, water fountains, hammocks to lounge in, trails to explore, contemplative services, recreational opportunities on the water and in the canyon, an interactive at installation, and plenty of quiet. 


the retreat this year was the 6th of it's kind. taking place annually, it is facilitated by arts pastor and author David Taylor (currently at Duke University). this years' topic was "Artists as Stewards of Physical Reality" (i.e. recognizing the responsibility that artists have in our world, stewarding the physical). our main speaker was Dr. Trevor Hart from St. Andrews, Scotland (professor of Theology and the Arts at St. Andrews University, and Episcopal priest). we were also joined by world renowned tap dancer, Andrew Nemr and hammer dulcimer musician Max ZT of New York City (they offered us stunning performances as they shared with us). and on a panel of speakers they were joined by Cam Anderson (director of CIVA: Christians In the Visual Arts) and Meaghan Ritchie (assistant director of IAM: International Arts Movement). 

i traveled with a team of 6 other art ministers from the VineArts Boise art ministry of Vineyard Boise church in Boise, Idaho. traveling with fellow art ministers to attend this retreat each year has been so enriching to my life. the continued building of relationship with the various people i meet at the retreat, and amongst my own team members throughout the time of travel has always been and continues to be a highlight for me each year. in fact, it's this relationship building (as a team and with the other attendees at the retreat) along with the topic discussions at the retreat that help to set the tone for the rest of my year. 

Next year the retreat will be held on April 30-May 3, 2015. The topic will be "Artists as Stewards of the Emotions". The main speaker will be Jeremy Begbie.

The Creative Church Conference 2014

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for 

THE CREATIVE CHURCH CONFERENCE

being held at Vineyard Boise Church in Boise, Idaho on JULY 25-27, 2014

The registration fee is $75.

Our focus this year is about creating healthy community amongst creatives and pastoral care to creatives. 

Click on the link below to learn more about the conference.

There is a link on that page to see the schedule and a link on that page to connect you with the registration page. 

http://creativechurchconference.wordpress.com

We will be posting more details about speakers, housing options, directions, etc. as that info becomes available. Please pass on this link and info to any creatives you think might be interested and benefit from a conference like this. Thanks!

And if you're interested in learning more about VineArts (the art ministry at Vineyard Boise Church in Boise, Idaho who is sponsoring the conference) you can check us out at: www.vineartsboise.org

you can also check us out on Facebook to keep up with what's happening:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vineartsboise/

STUDIO DAY!

one of my favorite things in life is when i get to create in collaboration with other creatives. i love the challenge of working side by side to create something together. the inspiration of varying skills, the compilation of differing experiences, and the cross-pollination of stimulating ideas can help cultivate and grow each others' imagination and art making. 

today was a STUDIO DAY with artist, Lukas Evergreen. Lukas and i have partnered on many creative projects together. people mostly associate us with our public performances as the performance art company, Marten Evergreen. we combine choreographed dance, music, painting, and drama and partner with other artists to create unique avant-garde performances for art events. but we've also spent a lot of time collaboratively painting together in both of our art studios. some of those paintings we've had on display but some have only been seen by us. 

we spent the day in my studio today after not having seen each other for several weeks. we decided to work on a large painting together as a way of reconnecting. we chose a rather large piece of corrugated cardboard to paint on. we used charcoals, soft pastels, acrylic paints, and latex paints as our mediums. if you were to ask us to explain our creative process...well...we had iTunes music playing, we grabbed some supplies from what he had brought and from what i had, and we just sort of went for it. i mean well you see, we've worked with each other so much and are so comfortable together that we were easily able to play off of each others' creativity. it's like we were creatively conversing. i mean we did talk, of course, but the art making became a subconscious way of being able to communicate with each other on a deeper level. it just flowed.

here's some photos and video of our time together today in studio.

Lisa drawing on cardboard with soft pastels

Lukas drawing on cardboard with soft pastels

 Lisa drawing

 Lukas applying latex paint on top of soft pastels

Lisa applying latex paint on top of soft pastels

Lukas painting 

so after about a 6-7 hour time together, here's a sneak peek of what we came up with today. it's not finished. we'll come back to it on another Studio Day to continue working on it. it sure was fun to create in collaboration this way! i can't wait till we can get together again and continue! 

a night of "communion" at envision

last night, at a local gathering for creatives of faith (called ENVISION: which meets to build community and inspire each other in who we are and what we do), i had the wonderful opportunity to share about being a traveling art minister. 

i set up the room in the round with a mock campfire in the middle. i tried to create the atmosphere of those moments we experience in intimate community around a campfire while sharing drink and food and stories and music and parts of who we are with each other. 

this is what i was going for...

okay so it actually looked more like this...

but hey it was inside during the cold of winter with around 35 people, so ya know, i improvised. 

and let me tell you the setting didn't matter at all on the quality of conversation and connection that took place amongst people while we gathered. 

we talked about what it means to minister to each other and what that can look like through creativity.  i brought up the importance of "communion" in community (connecting with others through relationship) which can look like so many things but always has the purpose of love. and we worked together on an art project as an example of that.  

the art project represented how we are all broken & hurting people with inner struggles of life. being in relationship with God guarantees us we are not alone and there is hope. being in relationship with Community allows us the safety to experience the hard work of inner healing and see it lived out daily. when we begin to trust God with our lives and start to give those areas that are hinderances, struggles, heartaches, pains over to him to partner with us for healing and growth...and when we allow him to do that within the safety of trusted fellow human beings, he is able to create some beautiful things in us and others. 

while we created, my friend & artist, Jessie Nilo played some beautiful songs for us on her guitar, continuing the mood of intimate campfire communion...

here is the result of 3 groups made up of broken people (all of us are) working on a new creation together with each other and with God...

photo taken by J Lund

i enjoyed the conversations we had with each other (whether verbally or through the art activity or just through our presence together). we are all creative (made by a creative God). what can we do with our creativity? we were all made for relationship and we were all made to minister to each other. 

thank you to all who attended this month's ENVISION meeting and for partnering and participating in the ongoing conversation that God is having with us.

if you want to learn more about ENVISION and how you can get involved, you can click here.

if you want to learn more about my art travels and how i minister throughout the world through creativity you can click here.

The Art of Jessie Nilo

 My friend, Artist Jessie Nilo will be having an art opening this week on Tuesday night January 7 from 5pm - 8pm at The Coffee Studio in Meridian, Idaho (6360 Saguaro Hills, Suite 100, Meridian, Idaho). 

It's free to the public. Along with the beverages and food that the Coffee Studio sells, there will be live music and lots of opportunity to connect with Jessie and experience her art. 

"crescendo" c.2013 Jessie Nilo

acrylic on board

painted live

Jessie is an accomplished Acrylic Painter and Graphic Designer. She is an Art Teacher at Fresco Arts Academy (in Eagle, Idaho) and the Founder and Director of VineArts (the art ministry at Vineyard Boise church in Boise, Idaho). She has been featured in books such as Kingdom Calling:Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good by Amy Sherman, and is the co-founder of The Creative Church Conferences with author J Scott McElroy. She has been involved in several individual and group art exhibits, she paints live, and she travels the States connecting with artists and Art Ministers throughout the country. She blogs about her experiences as an Art Minister at The Lonely Art Minister and has several instructional videos on YouTube regarding arts ministry related topics.

If you're in the Boise area on Tuesday January 7 and have the chance...stop in to The Coffee Studio to catch Jessie Nilo's art opening. Her original paintings will be on display throughout the month of January. 

an update from VineArts Boise

Here is the latest news from VineArts Boise introducing upcoming opportunities for 2014: Photo by Jessie Nilo

VineArts Update January 2014 It's a new beginning, a fresh start. Maybe a time for reflection and asking honest questions, or for spending some quiet time with God. What are your needs as an creative person? How can we help equip you this year? Our goal at VineArts is to provide opportunities for everyone to grow spiritually and artistically in Christ-filled community. Let us know how we can serve you. Bless you in this coming year! Heart of the Artist Book Study Monday evenings January 6 & 20/February 3 & 17/March 3 & 10 6:30-8:30 PM at the VineArts Studio Cost: $14 for book (purchase at Book Cellar or online) This isn’t just a class, it’s an experience... Join us for this groundbreaking study on being a Christ-filled artist. Explore what it means to serve God with your artistic gifts. Open to creatives of all genres (writing, music, theatre, visual art, dance, etc). Special guests each week from VineArts will give insight into the Heart of the Artist. Sorry, no childcare provided. This study is for ages 16+ due to the contemplative and reflective nature of our topics. Contact: Jessie Nilo and Corinna Stevens jessie.nilo@vineyardboise.org Click here to learn more or to sign up for Heart of the Artist! The Creative Church Conference Save the date! July 25-27, 2014 We're excited for this second international gathering of Christian creatives who desire to see God's glory reflected through the arts in churches everywhere. The Creative Church Conference is a beautiful, encouraging, and connecting experience. Save the date and invite a friend to the 2014 Conference in Boise! The conference will take place all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 25-27 at Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Boise, Idaho. Cost: $75 for the entire 3-day conference. Special rates for hotels also available. Registration begins in two weeks! Miss the First One? DVDs of our 2012 conferences are available for purchase: The Indianapolis DVD set costs $105 for all 7 main sessions plus 8 workshops. The Boise DVD set is $75 for all 7 main sessions and does not include workshops. Please reply if you'd like to learn more about purchasing a set of 2012 DVDs. It's a great way to share and enjoy the practical teachings of passionate artists, pastors, and leaders in the arts while providing funds for future Creative Church Conferences. January Envision A Community of Support for Christian Creatives  Third Wednesdays 7:00 - 9:00 PM (next one: January 15) You're invited to a beautiful Envision experience! This month our main speaker will be Lisa Marten. Get ready to hear some highly missional and relational stories about being a traveling art minister overseas. Sherri Coffield has created Envision, a safe place for creatives throughout the Treasure Valley to come together to worship Christ, be inspired in our calling, and know that we belong. Our Envision members come from many different churches and traditions, and we worship one Savior, Jesus Christ. Our gathering takes place in the VineArts Studio on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm sharp. Please forward this open invitation to any artists of faith you may know. January VineArts Exhibit "Second Chances: Mercy and Grace" (up through Easter) taking art entries January 19, 21, 22 “PEOPLE NEED LOVING THE MOST WHEN THEY DESERVE IT THE LEAST.” —Jim Elliot (a missionary killed in Ecuador while ministering to native warriors; after his death, Jim's family led the warriors to Christ)   Mercy:  The withholding of punishment shown to an offender; abstaining from the degree of strictness or severity deserved; relieving another’s distress or misfortune. Grace:  The sovereign gift of totally undeserved kindness, shown by God to man; an unexpected act of kindness or compassion; undeserved or ill-deserved favor/gifts. Who deserves another chance? God's mercies are new every morning. What greater mercy has ever been shown when He sent His Son to die for us? He is limitless, continually creative when we make choices that get us off track, and able to lead us to a new path. It’s never too late for a do-over. It’s never too big or small an act to show someone else the extravagant love, mercy, and kindness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Download the required entry packet here. More thoughts, scriptures, and quotes about mercy and grace here. Open Studio Remember, our studio is open to the public every Saturday from noon to 4:00pm at the VineArts Studio. Come for free coffee and creating in the chilly winter months, and you can even use our art supplies! Find out more about Open Studio here.

2013: a year of art

Thinking back upon this past year I've come to realize that much took place regarding art in my life. In fact, so much that I've been finding it difficult to accurately write about it all in a newsletter format. So I gathered some photos from various highlights and created some collages that I've posted here. This is in no way a comprehensive record, but it gives a good picture of what my year looked like. 

Marten Evergreen performs for 6 hours!

Marten Evergreen: We are Boise's leading contemporary performance artists. Our work explores relational aspects of human spirituality and identity. As we use our bodies to create art, much like the catalyst of performance art in the 1960's and 1970's, we are re-addressing the original intent from visual two dimensional work into the third dimension. We do this by performing upon a canvas and therefor going from the third dimension back into the second. Marten Evergreen is an advanced ecosystem of artists that collaborate together to explore in performance art. We are Lisa Marten and Lukas Evergreen and we have worked with artists such as Krysta Nebeker, Caid Jones, Jeremy Busack, Gonzalo Valdez, Naomi Psalm, Travis Nelson, and Jessie Nilo. 

Our most recent performance was a 6 hour time duration piece performed live on stage for Art in the Bar 9 at The Knitting Factory Concert House in Boise on Sunday, November 24, 2013. 

The piece was titled "Nicodemus":

As the world spins, we are unavoidably partaking in the inevitable commandment of Love's true identity. That identity, in reality, is a reverse image of what society has pledge to place us in our individual claim as a man or as a woman. 

Performers: Lisa Marten, Lukas Evergreen, Krysta Nebeker

We performed for 6 hours on stage during one of Boise's largest local art shows. Throughout the day other performers such as singer/songwriter Anderson Mitchell and Velocity Pole Art dancers also performed alongside us on stage. 

photo taken by J Metts

We would assume positions and poses throughout the time and hold them steadily, creating a living sculpture, all the while allowing paint to drip from the above platform onto the canvas and onto each other. With each passing hour we exchanged positions slowly interacting with the canvas and eventually with each other. This was our longest and most disciplined piece to date. With no food, drink, rest, or bathroom breaks, we allowed our bodies to become the work of art. The audience could view us at anytime throughout the 6 hours from afar or up close. With each movement, shift, repositioning, the art changed and we changed. 

photo taken by Starry Night Media

photo taken by Starry Night Media

photo taken by J Metts

photo taken by J Metts

photo taken by J Nilo

photo taken by J Metts

photo taken by J Metts

photo taken by Starry Night Media

photo taken by J Nilo

photo taken by J Nilo

Here is the finished two dimensional painting that was created during our three dimensional piece. 

Performing Live at Art in the Bar 9

Myself, Lukas Evergreen, and Krysta Nebeker are once again teaming up as Marten Evergreen to perform live at Art in the Bar 9 being held at The Knitting Factory Concert House in downtown Boise on Sunday November 24th. This will probably be the largest Art in the Bar yet! Come experience the talented work of over 40 local Treasure Valley visual artists, craftsman, and performing artists under one roof. It's the perfect event for your creative holiday shopping! Doors open at 11am and close at 7pm. It's FREE to the public. Full bar with ID. Sponsored by Dead Bird Art & Framing. 

Marten Evergreen will be performing from Noon until 6pm (this will be our longest original live performance ever!) so come anytime during those 6 hours to experience this all new one of a kind avant garde mixed media performance of choreographed music/movement/painting live on stage at the Knitting Factory...for FREE! We'd love to have you join us there. Your presence as the audience helps to make it Marten Evergreen! 

a visual journey (of the heart)

one of the things i find an absolute joy is when i get to connect with other creatives face to face in their own creative spaces. you can learn a lot about an artist when you take the time to get to know them right where they live (and an artist spends a lot of time in their creative space-regardless of if the artist is a painter, a sculptor, a writer, a film-maker, a musician, a cook, an actor, a dancer, a craftsman, a photographer, -and the list goes on. -and regardless of whether or not the artist is actually "producing" or "selling" any art). the goal is more than getting to experience the art that they make. it's even more than learning about the creative process they go through to make their art. the goal is to connect...to know...to feel...to listen...to understand. yes we can connect an artist's art and be completely inspired...but i find it more satisfying when i'm able to connect with the artist's heart. 

yesterday i had the wonderful experience of spending several hours connecting in conversation with an artist who spends a lot of her time in her studio allowing creativity to be the language of her heart. 

Lisa Cheney is a graphic design artist in Boise, Idaho who utilizes mixed media visual art techniques and life journaling to fuse a unique style and voice to the growing genre of visual journaling. she teaches workshops and classes and her work has been featured in several magazines. 

when Lisa journals she lets herself be real upon the pages. her world is full of joy and pain, color and darkness. the pages of her journals and the texture of her canvases are filled with color, words, emotion, and honesty. her work is both beautiful and raw. and i love it all! 

Lisa and i share a lot more in common than just our first name. we share a love for the story. we both have a drive to do the heart work (no matter how hard) throughout the journey, and we recognize the need for grace to let the story come forth (however it needs to). life has layers...and Lisa's art is full of layers. i learned from Lisa that when we allow ourselves to invite others into the layers, we invite the opportunity for more chapters to be written in our story.  

my time with Lisa was filled with homemade books and journals strewn about displaying colorful imagery and writing that tells her life story through art. our conversation flowed throughout the day like one of those curly straws where you can see the liquid moving down and around and through as you happily await it's arrival. and as i exited her studio i found myself longing for another sip. 

i think it's appropriate to say, that when it comes to inviting you in to the layers of her story, Lisa can explain things better than i can...check out her blog and learn more: a visual journey

Envision, NNU, and VineArts Leaders Retreat

I've returned from my month long art ministry road trip around the Pacific Northwest. It was an amazing time of travel connecting with other creatives and art ministers in Seattle, Vancouver BC, Bellingham, and Portland. If you'd like to read about my journey and see photos you can go to my blogsite: www.traveling-artist.blogspot.com for the posts I wrote from the trip. 

It's only been days since I've arrived back, but in between doing laundry, getting some sleep, and processing through my trip, I've already been plugging back into the art community here in the Boise area. 

Envision (Oct 2013):

 Wednesday evening I attended the monthly meeting of Envision. It's for creatives of faith who desire community amongst other artists for encouragement, inspiration, and connection. This month we heard from abstract artist, Connie Sales. She shared her life story with us and invited us to enter into a contemplative time with God through her art. I met Connie a few years back when I first performed at Art in the Bar (an art event produced by Dead Bird Art & Framing, held quarterly at The Knitting Factory in Boise). Connie's raw and profound artwork drew me in immediately. Her work is a window through the pain of life's heartaches to the hope that Christ is. Her work speaks of her journey but it's also a voice of any humans journey. I appreciated her vulnerability then and I continue to appreciate it now. Being at Envision this week was a wonderful way to enter into my re-entry from my travels.

NNU (The Call Conference 2013):

On Friday I joined a team that comprised of a few of the VineArts Leaders, some Envision Artists, and some Fresco Art Students, (along with staff from NNU) to bring a morning of Art & Worship to some incoming students at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. This special kind of collaborative art is something that Artist, Sculptor, Mentor Dean Estes has been bringing to NNU for several years now. Time was spent weeks in advance praying for and preparing 3 large canvases that would be the outline of a collaborative art piece for the 50-60 young adults to work on together. 

 Throughout the morning, Dean spent time speaking to the students about a topic he holds very dear to his heart (how to maneuver through the changes of life). He shared Scriptures and quotes and stories that connect in with the theme of the incoming conference, all the while he invited them to paint on the canvases together. 

 Students were invited to come up and make their mark upon the story. Side by side they experienced what it was like to co-create (with God and with others). 

 When they were completed they were able to see that though they are individuals they really are a part of something so much bigger than themselves. Together in community they have the opportunity to allow their little bit become part of the larger picture. 

 Afterwards those of us who were facilitating the event gridded out and cut up the 3 canvases. The students were randomly given a piece to take with them: a reminder that they are important. I love helping to facilitate these kinds of events. Through creativity, I get to watch people's hearts open up and hear God's heart for them and their lives.

VineArts Leaders Retreat 2013:

 photo taken by Jessie Nilo

I got to spend all of Saturday with my Art Family up in the mountains of Idaho for a VineArts Leaders Retreat. We carpooled up together (a convoy of Art Ministers) to enjoy a day of renewal and filling.

 photo taken by Jessie Nilo

We gathered at a cabin in Crouch, Idaho owned by ministers Jerry & Val Reddix . They minister to ministers, pastors, & missionaries by providing a place of refuge and retreat. Yesterday wasn't a day to plan events or tackle administration tasks for the arts ministry. It was a day set aside for worship, prayer, connecting in conversation, sharing stories, art making, and communing with God and with each other. 

 We had times of worship and prayer together that was deeply enriching to our hearts and souls. 

photo taken by Jessie Nilo

We were able to engage with each other heart to heart. Listening, loving, learning.

And we were able to co-create with God and each other to speak life to others through creativity. 

I value days like yesterday when we set aside the labors of business and the things we do to prefer one another in community. To lead others...it's not just about being in charge or being out front or knowing stuff. It means having a heart that is willing to be stripped and broken. It means being teachable. It means having an attitude of service and humility. It means choosing community when hurts and woundings, insecurities and fears, want us to shrink away into isolation. We were made for community. We are relational beings. But it can be hard. With so much going on in each others' lives, it can be difficult to allow ourselves to be open and to be vulnerable before each other. But I believe that by being open to God ministering to us as individuals and ministering to us as a team it aids us in maneuvering the bumps in the road that we come upon on our journeys (personally, with others, and in ministry). It's a beautiful thing when you get to see your "family" members becoming who they were meant to be. I'm very thankful for my Art Family. They help me gain the courage to be fully me. 

Fill me up Lord that I may be poured out.