CIVA http:www.civa.org/
CIVA: Christians In the Visual Arts. Blessings to you all as you persue the arts for the Glory of God.
Christians In The Visual Arts:
Friends of mine, Carole and her husband Bob, belong to this organization and have attended some of their workshops in New England, giving these experiences highly favorable reviews. The web site has good information on it and would be worthy of consideration if you are interested in the visual arts and the sacred. I have copied some of the information from the webiste below to give you an idea of what you may find there.
The picture above is entitled "Ella Recycles" by Carole Werder. It is life size. Ella has passed on now but her memory is preserved in this lifesize cutout of her as the recycling angel. Carole and I were roommates and art majors in college back in the stone age. Bob, Carol and I used to stay up all night painting in the studio of the old Loveland Hall on the campus of Edinboro University of PA. We all came to the realization that there is no other God but Yahweh about the same time. Carole came to faith first, and helped lead me into faith and then we prayed for Bob. Bob is married to Carole and teaching high school art, Carole is a full time artist and does commissions and has been recognized nationally and had several shows in prestigious galleries. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding, Yay! And after all these years we are still dear friends. Carole was a stay at home mom until God raising her children and had put her painting aside. God called her to begin again and so she did, getting her MFA in painting and going from there. She was worried that after a period of time not painting that she would would have difficulty getting back at it, but that was not to be the case. God has truly blessed the work of her hands.
CIVA biennial conferences address issues of contemporary relevance to practicing artists, educators, clergy, and students. A sampling of themes from the past 16 years only hints at the discussions fueled by CIVA programs:
. . The Function of Criticism
. . The Narrative in Visual Art
. . Sacredspace/Publicspace
. . Past and Present
A distinguished roster of keynote speakers who have led CIVA through these issues includes Robert Hughes, Hilton Kramer, Betty Edwards, Chaim Potok, and Suzi Gablik. Among the Christian scholars who have addressed CIVA are Nicholas Woltersdorff, Jane Dillenberger, Os Guinness, and Anthony Ugolnik. The dialogue which occurs between conference speakers and conference participants exposes both parties to a wealth of new ideas and perspectives.
Lectures, seminars, workshops and worship combined with films, field trips and exhibitions make for a lively event. Conferees bring slides and artwork for discussion, critique, and exhibition. The quality and range of art, complemented by varied programming, stimulating dialogue, and the sincere expression of Christian faith make the CIVA conference a truly unique and exceptional experience.
© 2006 Christians in the Visual Arts. All Rights Reserved.
255 Grapevine Road . Wenham, MA 01984-1813
(978) 867-4124 . office@civa.org
