Frequently Asked How do I become a Spark+Echo Artist? We'll be re-opening our Artists Application soon. For today, jot your name on our waiting list . Our team of curators will look at your work samples and we will reach out if we would like to commission something new for the project. All works in our Bible Illumination project are created new for the project. We are a small team and this is a giant project; please forgive any delay in response. Do you go through the Bible in order? No. We focus on different books or themes each year and also follow the suggestions of our patrons as they “spark” verses. We want artists to choose topics and passages that are particularly interesting to them. When an artist creates work in response to a passage in the Bible, that passage has a special connection to them that can last through their life. How long will it take to illuminate the entire Bible? We started in 2010. Our vision is to have the Bible completely illuminated by 2030 – twenty years in total. Is the project only for visual art? We commission new works of visual art, music, poetry, dance, theatre, film and literature. This includes but isn’t limited to paintings, drawings, sculptures, jazz and instrumental music, art songs, poetry, spoken word, rap, hip-hop, performance art, video art, film, classical and contemporary dance, scripts, short stories, theatre in any style, soundscapes, recipes, and more. What does "Spark+Echo" mean? The Bible is the Spark that we Echo. Do artists get paid to create these works? Yes, artists receive a small honorarium. Artists also retain full rights to their work. Can I use art on this site for my church, project, etc? All work created for Spark+Echo Arts is copyrighted by the artist and featured in our project by a contract between Spark+Echo Arts and the artist. If you are interested in using the work for your purposes, please contact us and we can connect you with the artist for possible permission. Are these artworks for sale? Some works may be for sale directly from the artist. Contact us and we can connect you with the artist. I have a painting that I made in college about Noah's art. Can I submit it? We only commission new works made specifically for Spark+Echo Arts. If you are interested in being considered by our team of curators please apply . What are you going to do with the genealogies and numerical lists in the Bible? Artists started creating responses to some of these passages for our project in 2013. The world is full of all kinds of artists, many of whom would be excited by this special challenge. Every number in the Bible is important, is there for a reason, and is worthy of our thought and intrigue. Each name is a real person connected to God’s greater story. There is so much wrapped up in every word of the Bible that the potential for creative and theological response is limitless. Is this a "family-friendly" project? Yes and no. This is a massive project that will grow to thousands of works of art. Each work is different. Artists come from a range of backgrounds and we give them the freedom to respond honestly. Think of exploring this online gallery like attending a contemporary art museum. Going to the museum is a wonderful family activity; many works may feel “family-friendly” while other works you might avoid with your children. For parents, teachers, pastors and church leaders, as with any culture you consume, this means taking a discerning look at works from the project––and we do preface some works with a note about audience discretion. Keep in mind that a work you may not like may be the spark another person needs to discover the Bible for the first time. Do you censor works? Spark+Echo Arts is committed to commissioning a diverse community of artists and giving them the freedom to respond to the Bible honestly. Out of respect for the artists, our policy is to not censor the work created for the project except in rare circumstances. We do at times, out of respect for our audience, preface works with a note regarding audience discretion. ​ Read more about this topic on our Curation Model page.

Donate The goal of giving the world a new way to encounter the Bible through art is only possible through the generous support of our incredible donors. If you resonate with our mission, would you consider joining us? ​ Your donation supports efforts like: Ongoing commissions of new art Strengthening and evolving the website platform Communicating our messaging further & faster Support for our internal teams dedicated to driving the vision forward ​ THANK YOU for your support, and for being a valued part of this community. Spark+Echo Arts is a GuideStar Gold Candid-Rated 501c3 All Donations are tax-deductible

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How to Get Involved 100%. Without A Doubt. Like, we've never been so sure about anything. This Project needs you. Become a Creator Sign up to join our growing list of artists. We'd love to explore a potential future commission! Sharing is Caring! Who do you know who would love Spark+Echo? ​ Share us on social. Send a friend an email. Give somebody an old-fashioned phone call to share your excitement. Contribute Financially Any amount helps, and regular monthly donations are such a blessing! ​ To date, this project relies completely on the generosity of faithful donors who resonate with the mission. ​ All donations are tax-deductible. Join our Mailing List The best way to stay in the loop of news, updates and future opportunities to get involved!

About Spark+Echo Arts Spark+Echo Arts forms communities of artists who engage with and create in response to the Bible. ​ Through a finely-tuned curation process , selected artists chose a passage, and respond freely and honestly. The process is slowly and steadily building a unique platform that elegantly weaves stunning and thoughtful art with Scripture. ​ We believe that the Bible is relevant to all people in all places. We believe that all artists in all places are image bearers of God. We believe that artists have a pervasive impact in forming culture. ​ We envision a world where: Artists are affirmed in their calling. Artists connect deeply to God and one another. Artists from diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds work with each other. Artists provide new forms of engagement with scripture. Every verse of the Bible will be illuminated with art, music, theatre, poetry, dance, or film by Christian and non-Christian artists from every nation across the world. The Bible once again becomes a common subject of artistic conversation and creation. The Bible is given fresh life and meaning to a generation who engage and respond through visual and interpretive arts. ​ Our Story The project was founded in 2010 in NYC by Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel; artists who love the Bible and the process of creating art in response to it. They wanted to create a community platform where others could have these same kinds of transformative experiences. We feel that something special happens when you simply open the Word and creatively respond to it. So, the project continues that tradition: Give incredible artists a spark to respond to the Bible and trust that remarkable things will happen. ​ Artists that create for Spark+Echo Arts come from a wide range of backgrounds. They are urban, rural, religious, secular, from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, at different places in their careers; they create in every style and discipline imaginable, are deeply familiar with the Bible, or rarely open it. We believe that the Bible is ceaselessly relevant to any person, anywhere. With the help of our patrons and community, we curate phenomenal artists from all over the world, letting Scripture speak through them and their life experiences. Who's Involved Jonathon is a composer, sound designer, and arts leader. He co-founded Spark+Echo Arts with his wife Emily Clare Zempel in 2010 and shaped the project as its Executive Director for ten years. He has toured the country with a solo theatre piece about the Apostle Paul, played in a popular downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, created the family podcast, “ComposerDad vs. Bible”, and released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He and Emily live in the Hudson Valley, NY, with their two boys. Learn more at www.jonathonroberts.com Jonathon Roberts Founder, Board President Rebecca is an artist turned theologian. She has a background in theatre, creative writing, and painting. Favorite performance credits include Grace in Life Without Parole, Lydia in Pride and Prejudice, and Gay Wellington in You Can’t Take it With You. A graduate from Fuller Theological University, she received her Masters of Divinity with an emphasis in Worship, Theology and the Arts and was a recipient of the Brehm Scholarship. She is the founding member of her experimental band, Sound Quilt: a project which interpreted original poems into songs and then music videos. A Southern California native, she thoroughly enjoys visiting NYC. Rebecca Testrake Executive Director, Board Member Matthew is an artist and educator with an MFA in classical acting from George Washington University and an MA in speech communication from Miami University of Ohio. He has more than 20 years of experience as a collegiate educator, teaching a wide variety of courses in communication and theatre, and he continues to coach and mentor developing artists of all ages. Matthew is also the Founder of Lamp and Light Productions with a mission of combining multiple art forms to help people see, hear, and experience the Bible in unique ways. He is an award-winning actor, director, and playwright and has created multiple original performances that he tours nationally. His latest play, What I Didn’t Say, focuses on Parkinson’s Disease and how to strengthen the relationship between patients and medical professionals. Learn more at lampandlightproductions.com. Matthew Moore Relationship Manager, Board Member Whitney is pursuing her passion of being an activist for change in her community as a storyteller, innovative thinker, and aspiring women’s and family health advocate. Growing up in Savannah, Whitney learned leadership skills and innovative thinking as a Girl Scout. She recognized her love of storytelling and creativity through her exposure to museums and theaters. The passion for storytelling lead her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a specialization in Journalism at Savannah State University. As an undergraduate student, she wrote for SSU’s student newspaper, volunteered as the social media strategist for her local farmers market, and became the president of the Mass Communications Student Association. Whitney graduated from Savannah State University with her undergraduate degree in 2012 and moved to Peru, with her daughter, to teach English for two years. In 2015, Whitney moved back to Savannah to pursue a master’s in business administration. In the three years, she was pursuing her Masters, she became a member of the National Council of Negro Women and the president of SSU’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. In 2019, Whitney earned her MBA and in 2022 she earned her MPA. Whitney Keitt Secretary, Board Member Dr. Maria Fee is an artist and theologian exploring ideas of alienation and hospitality. Maria Fee Board Member Collapsible text is perfect for longer content like paragraphs and descriptions. It’s a great way to give people more information while keeping your layout clean. Link your text to anything, including an external website or a different page. You can set your text box to expand and collapse when people click, so they can read more or less info. Alexander Douglas Board Member Matt is a creative professional with nearly 30 years of experience in brand development and marketing asset development. He's operated Big Picture Studio inpendently since 2016. Prior, he served at American Bible Society for 7 years as Creative Director and then as Program Director for Arts & Media Bible Advocacy, leading innovative efforts to engage skeptics with Scripture. Matt Steinruck Board Member Curators Our current and past curators include: Davelyn Hill (Poetry) April Knighton (Visual Art) Matthew Moore (Theater) Michael Markham (Film + Theater) Peter Mawanga (Music) Darryl Ratcliff (Literature) Jonathon Roberts (Music) Emily SoRelle Adams (Dance) Janna Aliese (Visual Arts) Ebitenyefa Baralaye (Visual Arts) Aaron Beaumont (Multidisciplinary) Charis J Carmichael Braun (Visual Arts) Rachel Carvosso (Visual Arts) Chris Cragin-Day (Theatre) Marlanda Dekine “Sapient Soul” (Literature) Elizabeth Dishman (Dance) Laura Eve Engel (Literature) John Estes (Literature) Lauren Ferebee (Theatre) Sarah Gregory (Music) Emily Ruth Hazel (Literature) Laurel Justice (Visual Arts) Jeffrey Leiser (Film) Evelyn C. Lewis (Visual Arts) Evan Mazunik (Music) Shann Ray (Literature) Katie Reimer (Music) Kent Shaw (Literature) Carey Wallace (Literature) Emily Clare Zempel (Multi-disciplinary)

Experience the Bible Illuminated. A modern gallery of honest expression from artists deeply engaged with Scripture. Start Exploring Welcome to this NEW 2024 beta version of our site. Please bear with us as we iron out some minor issues. We hope that you'll check back often – to see the on-going development, and to continue experiencing the Bible through art in your everyday life. The Bible Sparks Inspiration. Enlightenment. Challenge. Interruption. Examination Comfort. Provision. Healing. Satisfaction. Rest. When we encounter it... We listen. We respond. We create. We echo. View Full Gallery In response to Obadiah 1:21, photographer Allison Daniell Moix offers this work as in thoughtful and vulnerable reflection. Obadiah 1:21 A New Language Featured Art View This Art Allison Daniell Moix What Is Illumination? Yesterday's illustrated manuscripts and story-telling stained glass open new avenues of expression to today's culture. Why This Project Matters Melissa, TN "I never imagined something like this could exist. You've transformed how I view my favorite passages." Abby, CA "The discussion and energy that this has generated has been nothing short of phenomenal. I can't tell you what a breath of fresh air this is." John, PA "I've needed something like this for so long to re-ignite my desire and passion for Scripture. The expression of these artists is giving voice to my heart." There are 31,102 verses in the Bible. 28,858 still need illuminated. Our Goal: Illuminate the Whole Bible. Get Involved CONNECT Join our mailing list for news and updates as we grow. CREATE Join our growing list of artists to be selected to illuminate a passage. GIVE We rely entirely on the generous support of our donors. Any amount helps. Donate Today! SHARE Who needs to know about Spark & Echo? Spread the Word far and wide. COPIED! Paste to share in social or email! Copy www.sparkandecho.com Eve's Song Genesis 2:21-24 Caves and Echoes 1 Samuel 24:3-7 2020 Artist in Residence: Marlanda Dekine Job 10:10-12:8 A Clean Heart, O God! Psalms 51:11 Haggai 2 Haggai 2 ALMA No 5 1 Timothy 6:1-21 A Study in Lying Ecclesiastes 4:10-11 Memories Ecclesiastes 9:5-7 Polis Philemon 1:22-25 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Exodus 28:1-5 Efforts Galatians 3:1-5 Known and Over-turn Zephaniah 3

Our Curation Model Through over a decade of commissioning Biblical art in this unique way, we have developed some fine-tuned processes for seeking and evaluating this special kind of expression. While still "more of an art than a science," we are careful, thoughtful and prayerful about the experience we seek to curate both for our artists as well as for our Bible readers. ​ ​ In Brief: We respect the artist, the Bible, and the audience. We ask each artist to approach the task of responding to the Bible with an open mind, to focus on the passage itself, to treat the text and our audience with respect. Likewise, we respect each artist by giving them the freedom to respond in their voice and not censoring their work or process. Finally, we ask our audience and patrons to approach each response with an open mind, with that same kind of respect. ​ Through this approach we will all experience the Bible in a new way: we’ll hear a verse come to life in ways we never imagined, watch world-class artists wrestle with Scripture in powerful ways… thousands of times over. ​ ​ In More Detail: The primary guidance we developed is the three pillars of Respect: for the artist, the word, and the audience. ​ Deeply inherent here is the support for the artist to learn more about the scripture. We work with them to ensure theological integrity, consulting pastoral insight and other academic resources. We also stress to the audience and artist that if they read a verse for the first time and it viscerally comes alive to them and they want to create in that moment, that is a totally valid way to create and also has deep theological and artistic relevance. ​ This is something that makes this project unique. By communicating that culture and approach, we also communicate to both artist and audience that God’s Word IS alive and speaks to us in countless ways. So we try to validate and support the many ways you can respond to Scripture. ​ ~ ​ In addition, we've also defined "respect" as "an artist's respect for themselves." It encourages them to consider and evaluate if the work they're producing for Spark+Echo is matched to the nuance and quality of the full body of art they produce. ​ We're particularly proud of the "Spark Notes," the artist's statement about their own work. “I read the verse and it came alive for me in these ways because of the experiences I've had in my life.” These personal revelations have helped audiences tremendously to align and "settle in" to the art they find. We think those kinds of works are some of the most exciting, because even though we might not see similar things in that verse, we understand that something was there for them. And that makes us want to peer into Scripture even more, through other lenses. What do I see? What is God saying to me? And even what did God say to me through your work? ​ ~ ​ If the work is just challenging for an audience and skews from a “traditional” interpretation, we spend extra time with the artist's statement. Periodically, we include an “editor’s note” to help orient the audience. For additional questions about the project or process, check out our FAQ , or feel free to contact us . ​

About This Project Throughout history and at pivotal moments, the Bible has been translated, updated and revised to speak to the culture and times of that period. ​ Between 1100 and 1600, "illumuniated manuscripts" illustrated the Bible's texts to add a visual element describing the stories on the pages. ​ During the age of cathedrals, stained glass windows were dazzling examples of artistic renderings of Scripture so that even the illiterate population of the day could experience the Bible's message. ​ Artists across history have painted, sculpted and etched the most important narratives of the Bible, inspiring generations and inviting them into the pages of God's Word. ​ Today, engagement with the Bible is on a steep decline. Perceived relevancy is plummeting, and Bible literacy is at an all-time low. ​ At the same time, we live in a world where artistic expression is exploding. The opportunity and availability to create is immense. ​ We believe we're at another pivotal moment in history. ​ We are inviting artists to create expressive art as they engage with Scripture, and inviting people everywhere to experience the Bible through the lens of that art. ​ Spark+Echo presents the Illuminated pages of Scripture for our generation. ​ This is a catherdal for our time.

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Illuminations Gallery (Ex, Genre (Visuals, Writings, Performance, Video, Audio, etc), Passages, Titles, Artists or any other keyword. Gluten-Free Vegan Vegetarian Sugar-Free Plant-Based Nut-Free Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 3 Romans 9:20-26 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 2 Romans 9:20-26 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 1 Romans 9:20-26 Winebibber Proverbs 1:10 Word of Mouth Isaiah 55:1-13 The Call Leviticus 3:16 The Cell Philemon 1:12-16 Spaceship Genesis 4:1-15 Terrarium 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Once to Speak of His Brightness Genesis 6:5-9:17 Posh Girls Luke 15:3-7 Rebuild ​ If Obadiah walked the stations of the cross Obadiah 1:2-4 In the Wake of the Storm Isaiah 59:9-11 Family Dinner John 12:1-11 Garments of Praise Leviticus 3:16 Circling the Waist of Wisdom Proverbs 1:8–9 COMMENTARY ON JOEL Joel 1:1-20 A Husband Eavesdrops as His Wife Confides in a Box of Matches 1 Corinthians 14:33 As Waters Cover Habakkuk 1:6-17 Sacred Light Exodus 13:21 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert Galatians 4:21-5:1 Oil Monster Revelation 13:1-2 Eve's Song Genesis 2:21-24 Caves and Echoes 1 Samuel 24:3-7 Yimbira (Sing) John 16:33 2020 Artist in Residence: Marlanda Dekine Job 10:10-12:8 The Joy and Sadness of Change Ezra 3:11-13 Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 Luke 15:3-7 The Modern Day Queen of Sheba & Queen Esther Proverbs 11:16 Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 Romans 8:29-39 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 Judges 9:7-21 ULEMU Judges 6:1-18 Questions Luke 18:18-30 He Wept John 11:35 This One 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 Nambala Wani Acts 4:10-12 Weight of the Dark Isaiah 60:2 Give Me a Name Acts 8:26-40 Scapegoat Leviticus 16 Moses and The Commandments Deuteronomy 5:6-22 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today Matthew 28:6-7 The Body without the Spirit | 1 2 Chronicles 7:3-4 The Body without the Spirit | 2 2 Chronicles 7:10 What Wondrous Work Is This John 14:12 John 15:20 John 15:20 Honor Thy Father Exodus 20:20 The Body without the Spirit | 3 2 Chronicles 25:2 Load More