smiracle-4th-3.jpg Loading Video . . . Responding to Ecclesiastes 1:8-18; 2:17-26; 3:11; 6:7-12; 8:6-17, 2016 Artist in Residence Stephanie Miracle chronicles the unfolding of her project's final performance for a beautifully unexpected audience. Ecclesiastes 1:8-18 Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 Ecclesiastes 3:11 Ecclesiastes 6:7-12 Ecclesiastes 8:6-17 Artist in Residence 2016: Stephanie Miracle By Stephanie Miracle Credits: Title: “3, 2, 1, the future.” Photos by Dominque Chabot Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2016 2016 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery. Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come? As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it. (Ecclesiastes 8:6-8) It was November 26. A typical monochromatic winter afternoon in Germany, drizzling rain and unpleasantly cold. Huddled together waiting for the bus I stood with my group of ten performers hailing from France, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, and Italy. The city bus arrived. We piled and were transported further away from the city into the winding country side of horse pastures and mustard fields. On our journey we exchanged nervous, excited questions about the place we were going and the people we were to meet. Our destination was a newly constructed refugee welcome center just 20 minutes up the hill from us. It was designed to temporarily house up to 700 refugees before placing them in permanent residential units across various cities all over Germany. Our invitation was to to present was a kind of "welcome" and "here is something to enjoy while you wait" performance. I had been asked to create a piece of choreography for this event back in October when I was contemplating my final post for this Spark and Echo residency. Originally I had set a goal of making two dance films based on the selected passages from Ecclesiastes. One was to be a solo and the other a Fakers Club performance in a public space. My 2nd and 3rd posts are variations on these ideas but for my final posting I no longer felt compelled to push in this initial direction. When the opportunity to create something for the refugee camp arose I decided to shift my focus in this direction for the final posting. Working with the last passage from my selection of Ecclesiastes 8:6-17, I took inspiration from ideas of time, future, power, meaninglessness, misery, seeing, wisdom, understanding, what is fair and unfair, and joy. We arrived at the complex of building several hours before the schedule performance. First step was to get through security. The refugee building was under very strong protection and entrance required a criminal background check plus lots of paperwork. Patience was difficult to muster with so much anticipation surrounding the event. Once cleared we wound our way through a network of buildings to the enormous mess hall characterized by a shiny, stainless steel industrial kitchen and hundreds of pine tables, chairs and matching plywood walls. We cleared an area of the space to create a makeshift stage. Families with young children, men young and old trickled in and shuffled around to find a seat they liked. The performers also found a seat in the "audience" area. All together about 200 people waited in silence, staring at an empty space. Photo from "3, 2, 1, the future." And then orchestral music begins to swell. One by one the performers stand up on their chairs among the audience. The performers call out each other's names and begin pass a glowing blue ball above the audience. The music shifts to Afro-Funk and a wild game of toss explodes. The children go nuts. Seamlessly the ball disappears but the game continues and intensifies with an invisible ball. The performers jump and tumble all through the space, catching and passing the imaginary ball. The music stops everyone freezes. The performers slowly and quietly return to their chairs. The audience is trying to contain the giddiness the sport just stirred up. Two girls begin to whisper to each other across the room. They crawl out of their chairs and meet. The other performers come to find them and carry the two girls overhead. As their conversation continues they are floated above audience heads. A new person is picked up and transported through the space as the discussion continues. The group congregates and bodies assemble together to form a house like structure. One girl explores the house as a thunderstorm soundtrack plays in the background. The house of bodies collapses around her. Out of the rubble it rises again and lifts her up on its shoulders. She find pulls out a small bottle in her pocket, looks at it carefully and begins to blow the bubbles through the air. The children gasp with glee. The performers reach out to gently catch the bubbles and they transform into glass marbles. The clunk of marbles hitting the floor relates the silent burst of a thin soapy sphere. One man begins to collect all the marbles one by one. Momentarily halting the play. Who gets to have the marbles? For a tiny moment time is suspended. The man with the marbles looks around and begins to place one in the hands of audience members. The performers return to their seats and dance miniatures dances with the marble. So small they are only intended for people sitting closest to them. The music quiets and everything returns to stillness. Long after the performance the young and old continue to roll the small marble gifted to them through their fingers. Photo from "3, 2, 1, the future." I have almost no documentation of this final project in the series. The reason being security measures meant that video was completely prohibited and only few people were authorized to take photos. Although we have more photos available we are not allowed to use them because the faces of the audience are recognizable. Because most of our performance was intended to be in, among, and through the audience nearly all of our photos have faces of refugees in them. The photos I am posting here are permissible for use. Like all time-based performances, this piece disappeared almost instantly after it emerged. What lingered were only the smiles and beaming eyes. A feeling of joy hovered. It is hard for me to discuss dances in verbal language because I am more interested in visceral and emotional gut reactions. This is why I was drawn to the passages of Ecclesiastes originally. Because I feel the writers ideas through his language. I feel his frustration and confusion and joy and release. The writing is circular and moving around. Not landing on a final answer. It attempts comprehension but finds that it can't. It can't understand. I feels disappointing, absurd and hopeless. Yet in the end it feel that the writer focuses on joy. While studying this final passage in my Spark and Echo series I was reminded of another verse in scripture. "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do." ( Luke 10:21 ) Photo from "3, 2, 1, the future." After our small performance vanished it was the laughter of the children that remained. And at the end of my year long residency it is the joyful promise that what is hidden and confused and darkened will be revealed to little children that remains with me. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Stephanie Miracle is an American born independent choreographer and performer currently based in Essen, Germany with her husband visual artist Jimmy Miracle. She earned her MFA in Dance at the University of Maryland and a BA in Dance from Belhaven University. She is also a teacher of Klein Technique™ and holds prestigious honor of being a 2014/15 German Fulbright Fellow in the Performing Arts. In 2015 she joined as a full-time dancer with the Folkwang Tanzstudio/FTS. In addition to performing with the company she often works in collaboration with Henrietta Horn (DE), Carla Jordao (PT), Ana Farfan (MX), Paola Ponti, (IT) and Anna Shchkleina (RU). She is the director of Fakers Club, a site-specific performance experiment based on film and serial television. Stephanie's choreography has been described as “iconic and nuanced…with an irreverence that makes you smile unconsciously”(Rick Westerkamp, 2014). Often in vivid technicolor, Miracle’s works are crafted with a cinematic sensibility and follow subtle narrative threads. In addition to creating choreographies for traditional proscenium theaters her unique aesthetic finds special significance in common spaces for example, parking lots, bus stops, woman's prisons, hallways, staircases, and rooftops. in Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Russia, New York City, and Washington DC by various institutions including MetLife Foundation, Exchange Festival, Dance Place, Supernoval Festival, Open Look Festival, Performatica, Belhaven University, ES WIRD SOGAR SCHÖN, Barnes Crossing, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Other awards include the Smith Scholarship Grant to attend ImPulsTanz in 2012, dance artist-in-residence at OMI International Residency 2012, DC Innovation grant in 2013, Bates Dance Festival Merit Scholarship 2013, Goldhaber Travel Scholarship 2014, and NextNOW new work grant 2014. Her collaborative piece “Drafting Plan” was awarded Best Duo at Barnes Crossing Festival 2015 in Cologne and at the 2016 SzoloDuo Festival in Budapest. She is honored to be a 2016 Artist in Residence at Spark and Echo Arts. Website Stephanie Miracle About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016: Stephanie Miracle Part 1 Artist in Residence 2016: Stephanie Miracle Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016: Stephanie Miracle Part 3 Treasure Heart Stephanie Miracle Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Stephanie's project by reading her first , second , and third post as a 2016 Artist in Residence. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Composer Doug Detrick explores the account of Jonah (from Jonah 1-2 ) as it relates to the great American novel, Moby Dick, with his captivating work for jazz ensemble and narrator. Jonah 1:1-2 Ishmael and the Whale By Douglas Detrick Credits: Performers: Ren Jackson, Narrator; Anywhere Ensemble Venue: Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village, NYC Artist Location: Portland, Oregon Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I was reading Moby Dick for the first time in 2013. As a joke, I started “live tweeting” my reading of the book, pretending as if it was one of the mass audience events that people usually treat in this way. My Moby Dick tweets started out snarky. “Ok, fine, I’ll call you Ishmael,” I said. But, as I got further into the book, and I started to realize that I was actually processing this book, understanding the details of the writing and getting to know the characters much better than I’m usually able to, especially for such a long work. In Chapter Nine, where Ishmael sits in a chapel on Nantucket and hears Melville’s retelling of the Jonah and the Whale story, I found the bringing together of these two stories really caused a profound collision of values. Jonah’s great humility makes Ahab’s hubris look all the more like naked aggression. Its an amazing foreshadowing of what’s to come in the novel. When I wrote my text, I wanted to bring out the background of both stories, and talk about why they seem to oppose each other so completely using a blend of journalistic techniques and theatrical character development. The narrator walks a fine line between commenting on the story as an investigator, and as a character from the story. The music works almost like another character, sometimes supporting the narrator, sometimes contradicting him, always amplifying the speaker’s wonder at the depth of intersecting meanings in this collision of stories. I want to offer sincere thanks to Spark and Echo for this opportunity, for their help in producing the premier performance, and for welcoming a non-Christian artist like me to participate in their project; to Ren Jackson for his great work with the text; to the musicians of AnyWhen Ensemble for their continued assistance in executing my diabolic plots; to Keith Biesack of ITGLOWSNYC for donating that amazing wine at the performance; and to Kirk Van der Swaagh of the Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village for offering the use of their wonderful space in Greenwich Village. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Douglas Detrick is a Portland, Oregon-based composer, trumpet player, and arts consultant whose work in these diverse areas is distinguished by its quiet thoughtfulness and its embrace of good ideas from unconventional sources. He was awarded the 2011 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works and Presenting Jazz grants for his work with his chamber-jazz quintet Douglas Detrick’s AnyWhen Ensemble, and the commissioned work “The Bright and Rushing World” was premiered at New York’s Jazz Gallery in 2012 and performed throughout the United States. He is currently the Executive Director of the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, and performs in Oregon as well as touring nationally with AnyWhen Ensemble. As an arts consultant to individual artists and arts organizations, he helps to clarify goals and define strategies for achieving them through fundraising, program design, marketing, WordPress websites, and career coaching. douglasdetrick.com anywhenensemble.com Website Douglas Detrick About the Artist Douglas Detrick Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . 2017 Artist in Residence Lily Maase presents her nearly-completed song cycle, Buried in Wicked Light inspired by Revelations 9:10-20; 11:3-7; Isaiah 8:11; Proverbs 4:23. Proverbs 4:23 Isaiah 8:11 Revelations 9:10-20 Revelations 11:3-7 Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase By Lily Maase This album contains some strong language, references to violence, and allusions to drug use, and may not be suitable for all audiences. Discretion is advised. Credits: Composed, Written, and Performed By Lily Maase. 2017 Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Buried in Wicked Light is a rock opera about standing tall at the end of the world. It is a series of love letters—from the author to herself and others, and from the author's mother to her memory of herself as a little girl. Written in loving remembrance of my father Steve Maase, and in witness to what we lived through when I was young. I am a grown woman now. I wish you were here to see whatever happens next. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lily Maase is a rock, country, jazz and classical guitarist raised in New Mexico, educated at the University of North Texas, and living in Brooklyn, New York. She is contributing writer for Premier Guitar Magazine and has contributed to Guitar World and Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, who recently lauded her as a “master guitar teacher.” She is the founder and owner of Brooklyn GuitarWorks, a workshop-oriented center for guitar and bass guitar education located in Williamsburg. Lily is the lead guitarist, musical director and bandleader with the Rocket Queens all-female tribute to Guns N Roses and the Suite Unraveling (Tzadik). She is the lead guitarist with Gato Loco, and is endorsed by Godin Guitars. Her playing has been featured by Vans.com, Maxim.com, Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, Teen Vogue, and Elle Magazine. Website Lily Maase About the Artist Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Part 1 Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Part 2 Artist in Residence 2017: Lily Maase Part 3 Look Out Below Lily Maase Other Works By Read the complete set of lyrics to Buried in Wicked Light . Follow Lily's project's development throughout the year by reading her previous first , second and third posts. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . The work of musician Justin Keller captures the sense of overwhelming awe found in the heavenly vision as described in Revelation 4:2-8. Revelation 4:2-8 Lion, Calf, Man, Eagle By Justin Keller Credits: Written, performed, and recorded by Justin Keller. 2016 Curated by: Sarah Gregory 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "Lion, Calf, Man, Eagle" I was always fascinated with Revelation when I was a kid. I didn't understand the symbolism (not that I do now), but the images it conjured up in my imagination were astounding. I wanted to capture some of that daydreamy wonder with this song. My normal tendency is to pile lots of stuff onto an arrangement to build it to a climax, but I decided it would be better here to give the listener the feeling of being dropped into this amazing scene that has started long ago and shows no signs of stopping or creating a crescendo. I also went against my initial instinct with the words I chose to set. The "Holy, holy, holy" chorus is the obvious choice, but it's been set to music many times by superior composers. I ran the passage by an editor friend of mine, and he fixated on the "full of eyes around and within" phrase. As it's repeated, it can take on different meanings, which I love. When I first read it, I just imagined these heavenly creatures with many eyes. As I recorded the song and sang and heard the phrase over and over, its meaning shifted according to my mood and what else was on my mind. I hope the listener has a similar experience. A few nerdy notes about the music: I came up with the rhythm section parts by using some serial composition techniques with the numbers in the passage. I love having numbers to help me set limits on my musical choices. The saxophone part was improvised as I looped the backing parts and thought about the passage. Sort of my own musical narration. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Justin Keller Started in Brooklyn in 2007, Land of Leland is the musical project of multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Justin Keller. LoL’s releases include a self-titled EP and a full-length record, Home/Away, which just came out in April on Primary Records. Justin occasionally plays shows with different iterations of the band, from solo to sextet. View more info at www.LandofLeland.com Website Justin Keller About the Artist Justin Keller Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This contemplative piece by composer Pascal Le Boeuf explores the theme the morality of eavesdropping and the following verses: Ecclesiastes 7:21 ESV Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Luke 12:3 ESV Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. 1 Corinthians 5:12 ESV For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? Ecclesiastes 7:21 Luke 12:3 1 Corinthians 5:12 outside listenINg By Pascal Le Boeuf Credits: Written and Recorded by Pascal Le Boeuf Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Ashley Gonzalez Daneman and Benje Daneman 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As an atheist I consider the Bible to be an inspirational work of art. A work of art that has moved enough people to define many aspects of western culture or at the very least, the framework upon which many choose to base their goals, social behaviors and self-conceptions. I am proud to be a part of a project that builds a community through creative expression. The composition "outside listenINg" explores the moral implications of eavesdropping by using piano and string quartet to represent the subject and the eavesdropper respectively. This analogy is accentuated by disparate approaches to recording production in which each part functions as a separate composition: the "subject" a new original work and the "eavesdropper" derived from the string part of an earlier composition ("Calgary Clouds" from the Le Boeuf Brothers' album, "In Praise of Shadows"). The goal of this piece is to guide the listener to question the morality of eavesdropping and how it effects our daily lives. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Described as “sleek, new” and “hyper-fluent” by the New York Times, Pascal Le Boeuf is an EMMY award-winning pianist-composer and electronic artist whose interests range from modern improvised music to cross-breeding classical with production-based technology. Le Boeuf’s most recent awards include his eighth Herb Albert ASCAP Young Composers Award (2013) and a New Jazz Works Commission from Chamber Music America (2011) to be recorded in 2014 by JACK Quartet. In 2012, his music was awarded “Best Electronica Song” and “Best Eclectic Song” by the Independent Music Awards for remixes of his compositions. He was also nominated for “Best Keyboardist” in the 2012 Downbeat International Readers Polls, composed music for the 2008 Emmy Award-winning movie King Lines, and won first place in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. Le Boeuf has released eight albums as a leader; his most recent, King Pony (2014) features collaborations with rock guitarists Billy Norris (Gavin DeGraw), Adam Levy (Norah Jones) and Armand Hirsch (Bobby McFerrin). Previous albums include House Without a Door (2009), In Praise of Shadows (2011) and Remixed (2013) – the acclaimed electronic follow-up to In Praise of Shadows featuring the Le Boeuf Brothers ensemble. The 2013 release of Pascal’s Triangle (Linda Oh, bass; Justin Brown, drums) was described by the New York Times as “reaching for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.” In 2010, Le Boeuf made his Blue Note debut opening for Chick Corea as part of the Blue Note Emerging Artist Series. His many collaborators include the the Myth Quartet, Ambrose Akinmusire, Justin Brown, Harish Raghavan, Ian Rosenbaum and Andy Akiho; choreographers Ernest Felton Baker II and Raymond Pinto; and poet/lyricists Jane Resnick, James Sprang, Emily Greene and Kate Davis. In collaboration with Emmy/Grammy nominated composer David Schwartz of the hit television series Arrested Development, Le Boeuf’s music was featured on NBC’s 2011 drama The Playboy Club. His compositions have been performed and featured by members of Bang on a Can All-Stars, JACK Quartet, Turtle Island Quartet, Sirius Quartet, RighteousGIRLS, Downtown Avengers, Imagine Dragons, Foundry and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. In 2010 and 2011, Le Boeuf was commissioned by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts to compose music for a multi-interdisciplinary performance (music/words/video/dance) at the the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, FL to honor Bill T. Jones, Desmond Richardson, Kerry Washington and Liv Ullmann. Loosely based on writings and themes of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copeland respectively, these compositions highlighted live music performers in conjunction with computer manipulated recordings of the performers, scored recordings of Bernstein/Copeland speaking about music, and directed improvisation based on dance. His unique style and musical inspiration stem from exploring many genres of music, helping him challenge the boundaries of composition. Over the past five years, he has received grants from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, Chamber Music America and the New York Community Trust via the Edward & Sally Van Lier Fellowship Grant. The multi-rhythmic sound of Le Boeuf’s music has reached a diverse range of listeners in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Umbria Jazz Festival. His music can be heard on Universal/Alma Records, Nineteen-Eight Records, ESC Records, FrameMusic and Capri Records. Le Boeuf received his B.M. and M.M. (with honors) from the Manhattan School of Music and double-majored in Electronic Production/Design, and Songwriting at the Berklee College of Music. Principle teachers include Kenny Barron, Garry Dial and Theo Bleckmann. As an educator, Le Boeuf has served on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Summer Program, the Stanford Jazz Workshop and functioned as co-director of the 1990 Institute in Beijing, China. Website Pascal Le Boeuf About the Artist Pascal Le Boeuf Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Resident Artist Emily Ruth Hazel’s new poem in response to the theme of “Lies” and Genesis 2:21-25, 3:1–13; John 3:8; 18:37–38; Ephesians 5:25-33 and Revelation 22:17 as she builds a poetry collection responding to every theme from the year as a 2013 Spark+Echo Artist in Residence. Genesis 2:21-25 Genesis 3:1–5 Genesis 3:7–13 John 3:8 John 18:37–38 Ephesians 5:26–33 Revelation 22:17 Runaway By Emily Ruth Hazel Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, 2013 Artist in Residence 2013 Poetry/Spoken Word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As with the first three themes of the year, which I found myself defining by contrast—Light and Darkness were intertwined, the theme of Fools led me to write about wisdom, and Dancing was set in relief against grief—the theme of Lies inspired me to explore the alternatives, honesty and truth. Under the many layers we wear, there is an opportunity for daring vulnerability and naked authenticity. The truth of who we are, and of who God is, is not as simple or as flat as it is often presented or misunderstood to be; deeper truths are always multifaceted. In “Runaway,” I wanted to take a closer look not only at our human tendency to run away—from truth, among other things—but also at how God has different qualities of a runaway, being hard to tie down and moving unexpectedly. This got me thinking about our human strategies for trying to make sense of our world and of the spiritual realm, and how religion can come close to articulating these things but sometimes misses the point entirely. Since subtle masks and readily accepted myths can be just as dangerous and destructive as overt lies, if not more so, I wanted to offer a poem that could acknowledge a few misconceptions about Christianity and some of the contradictions within the global and historical Church, which are troubling to me. When I began delving into the chain reaction of deception and hiding just a few pages into Genesis, I was surprised to discover a direct connection between that text and the New Testament passage I had already had in mind to respond to (Ephesians 5:25–33), which quotes a line from Genesis about the mystery of marriage. I’m intrigued that the Apostle Paul chooses the metaphor of marriage—perhaps the most complex and intimate of human relationships—to depict the relationship between God and the Church. It was this image that became my starting point for taking off some of the layers. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Emily Ruth Hazel is a poet, writer, and cross-pollinator who is passionate about diversifying the audience for poetry and giving voice to people who have been marginalized. Selected as the Honorary Poet for the 25th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading in Providence, Rhode Island, she presented a commissioned tribute to the Poet Laureate of Harlem in February of 2020. She is a two-time recipient of national Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prizes and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for a residency at The Hambidge Center in 2014. Her chapbook, Body & Soul (Finishing Line Press, 2005) , was a New Women’s Voices finalist. Emily’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies, magazines, literary journals, and digital projects, including Kinfolks: A Journal of Black Expression and Magnolia: A Journal of Women’s Socially Engaged Literature. Her poetry has also been featured on music albums, in a hair salon art installation, and in a science museum exhibition. Emily has written more than twenty commissioned works for organizations, arts productions, social justice projects, and private clients. Currently, she is developing several poetry book manuscripts and writing lyrics for an original musical inspired by the life of the extraordinary singer and Civil Rights icon Marian Anderson. A graduate of Oberlin College’s Creative Writing Program and a former New Yorker, she is now based in the Los Angeles area. EmilyRuthHazel.com Instagram: @EmilyRuthHazel Facebook.com/EmilyRuthHazel Website Emily Ruth Hazel About the Artist Artist in Residence 2013, Emily Ruth Hazel Word of Mouth In the Wake of the Storm Circling the Waist of Wisdom Give Me a Name Homecoming Give Us This Day Undressing Prayer Emily Ruth Hazel Other Works By Explore the other works composed throughout the year in Emily's poetry collection, created as a 2013 Artist in Residence . Explore her works created throughout the year: “In the Wake of the Storm” LIGHT AND DARKNESS (JANUARY 21, 2013) “Circling the Waist of Wisdom” FOOLS (APRIL 26, 2013) “Homecoming” DANCING (JUNE 27, 2013) “Runaway” LIES (AUGUST 8, 2013) “Give Us This Day” HARVEST (NOVEMBER 14, 2013) “Undressing Prayer” MEMORY (JANUARY 6, 2013) Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Artists in Residence spend a year developing and creating a major work in response to Scripture. Click on their names to view their projects. Current Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Arts seeks to develop and support communities of artists who engage with and create in response to the Bible. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 and some internal changes, we decided to pause the Artist in Residency for a year so that we could regroup our resources. Our hope is to continue offering this opportunity in 2021. Previous Artists in Residence 2020 Sapient Soul, Marlanda Dekine (Poetry + Spoken Word) 2019 Lancelot Schaubert (Short Story) 2018 Elias Popa (Installation Art) 2017 Aaron Beaumont (Music), Lily Maase (Music) 2016 Ebitenyefa Baralaye (Visual Art), Chris Knight (Film), Lauren Ferebee (Theatre), Stephanie Miracle (Dance) 2015 Benje Daneman (Music), Jason DaSilva (Film), Melissa Beck (Visual Art), Don Nguyen (Theatre), Christine Suarez (Dance), The Spark & Echo Band (Music) 2013 Nicora Gangi (Visual Art), Emily Ruth Hazel (Poetry) Related Information View More Art Make More Art The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. View Full Written Work Runaway by Emily Ruth Hazel 1 The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. She lives everywhere, a temple built of flesh instead of stone, a body with a mind and a will of her own, her heart not only red but also blue and independent, her spirit both radiant and restless. How far she has wandered, dragging the train of her newly washed dress through sewage-flooded gutters. When she returns, ready to change, grace attends her, fingers gently combing out the tangle of her hair, patiently undoing seven times seventy buttons. But legalism has one narrow foot braced against the Church’s back, two hands yanking taut the laces of a corset made from the bones of faith, that great, endangered mystery that swims beneath the surface. Perhaps this undergirding was designed for the body, to shape and support, but it digs into her skin, pressing her inmost parts to conform to its constraints. Breath held captive, the bride anxiously waits to be untied, Pilate’s questioning of Christ reverberating through her centuries later—What is truth? This far from paradise, knowing good and intimate with evil, how could her heart ever again be naked without shame? What would she look like if she lost the fig leaf lingerie? What if she continued the long walk down the aisle, eyes fixed on her first love, confessing all her uncertainties— would God still have her? 2 Born hungry, we feed each other false hopes like the warm milk of a lullaby. Having outlived the famine years, we think we are finally wise and bite into the red delicious of deception, handing it off to our partners. The growl grows louder. A tribe of exiles and runaways, we are all in the same soup line, but we front as if we’re in the queue to enter an elite club where God is a brass-knuckled bouncer letting in only those who pay or charm their way inside. Angling for VIP passes, we bleach our teeth with white lies, wear pretense like concealer, sweep shades of embellishment in all the right places. We flaunt our faux diamonds and flash our fake ID. Fully knowing who we are, knowing that we can’t afford the cover, the host at the door waves us in and offers us a bowl and spoon. We grab what is given with one hand, the other hand already reaching back to draw the invisible velvet cord across the path behind us: we want to be the first inside and the last to make the cut. 3 Measuring our steps like a barefoot bride who wears a borrowed spoon dangling from her necklace, what is it we are limping toward? Eden is a memory of the scent of apple blossoms. What do we have left, we ask, that we have not created for ourselves? Our fingerprints on everything, by this time, who can tell how much of religion is manmade? The river of life that streams from heaven has been dammed and redirected, human calculations managing the flow, interrupting natural rhythms. From the spinning belly of the same truck out of which that wall was born, poured as a thick, gray river of our own, we have built a semblance of refuge on the shore. Easily sold on the invention of that which is concrete— a substance that grows stronger as it ages—who can blame humanity for mixing with cement our aggregate beliefs? We manufacture cinder blocks of knowledge weighty enough to withstand minor disasters, but never too heavy to lift alone. Stacking rules upon rituals, long ago, we tried to build a tower that would scrape away the blue, leave a keyhole in the sky so we could see beyond, but our tongues divided us; our ladders toppled. Among our tall attempts, we have landscaped a courtyard instead, an echo of the garden we once knew, then sealed it with a glass roof more transparent than our prayers, turning the open space into yet another structure to contain the wind, to cage our fear of what we can’t control. Everything within our reach we have domesticated. But what can we do with a wind that cannot be caught? Close Loading Video . . . The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . In his work, Babbler, composer Jonathon Roberts combines the sounds of his toy Yamaha keyboard with lyrics warning against gossip from passages in the book of Proverbs: Proverbs 1:10; 4:24; 10:18; 11:13; 12:13; 14:7; 14:23; 16:28; 18:6-8, 20-21; 20:19; 24:1-2 Proverbs 18:6-8 Proverbs 16:28 Proverbs 12:13 Proverbs 14:7 Proverbs 11:13 Proverbs 10:18 Proverbs 14:23 Proverbs 4:24 Proverbs 1:10 Proverbs 18:20-21 Proverbs 20:19 Proverbs 24:1-2 Babbler By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Written, Composed, Performed, and Recorded by Jonathon MT Roberts. 2016 Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link It was 1989, I was 8, and my father brought home from Toys R Us a Yamaha Portasound PSS-680 as a keyboard for the family. I loved it. It had 100 different sounds, 100 rhythms, drum pads, and coolest of all, a little synthesizer that allowed you to build and modify your own sounds. After a few years of heavy interest in the keyboard I was wooed by the traditional piano and its 88 fully-weighted keys. It wasn’t until I moved to NYC and joined the great absurdist comedy band The Renaldo The Ensemble that I fully appreciated the Portasound’s potential. For 5 years I carried my axe on the subway and played its crystal clear tones for late night crowds at the Living Room on the Lower East Side. I love just about everything about the Portasound, it’s mini-synthesizer, perfect portamento, the light feel of the keys, 5 octave range, aero-dynamic design, fully printed list of songs and styles on the case itself, MIDI outputs, and of course the demo–whoever composed this endless journey of a song should have been given a Grammy. Now with kids of my own, I don't play out as much. I enjoy the finer moments of home life. One of those is a chance to really explore the Portasound's extraordinary features. Another thing that I've explored more fully is the book of Proverbs. I love just about everything about this book as well. Its pithy comments, rants on wisdom, outlandish metaphors, timeless advice. Thus was born an ongoing project of mine, Portasound Proverbs , a collection of songs that explore two great things in my life, the book of Proverbs and the Yamaha Portasound. The project features sound and percussion entirely played from the Yamaha Portasound PSS-680 and lyrics entirely from the book of Proverbs. This tune, "Babbler," explores verses in Proverbs regarding gossip. By arpeggiating the bubbly sounded of the Portasound I am depicting the deceptive allure of gossip. The singing is focused and intense, and eventually devolves into desperation just like the gossips and babblers describes in Proverbs. The piece hinges on this verse: Proverbs 20:19 (NRSV) A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler. The rest of the lyrics are comprised of or adapted from others quote on gossip from Proverbs including: Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. Proverbs 4:24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Proverbs 10:18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. Proverbs 12:13 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble. Proverbs 14:7 Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. Proverbs 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 16:28 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 18:6-8 The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 18:20-21 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 24:1-2 Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection J onathon Roberts is a composer and sound designer for games, film, theatre, and ensembles. His style grew out of classical and jazz training, and evolved through quality life adventures: touring the country in an RV with a one person theater piece on the Apostle Paul, living in Brooklyn with an improv music ensemble, performing in a downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, and a long stint writing music for the renowned slot machine company, High 5 Games. He has released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He created the popular podcast/web series ComposerDad Vs. Bible , in which ComposerDad accepts intense compositional challenges from a mysterious Bible while out with his kids. He frequently collaborates on music and theater projects with his wife, actor Emily Clare Zempel. They live in Beacon, NY, with their two boys and a tangled box of electrical cords. www.jonathonroberts.com Website Jonathon Roberts About the Artist Loving Arms I Make Tents The Sower Response There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner Weakness The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Remember Me Prayer How Beautiful I Am a Fool The Constant Ecclesiastes Cows Blessing Fools for Christ More Than Rubies Only a Few Years Will Pass Dear Friend Jonathon Roberts Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Artist Nicora Gangi explores the journey of Rahab in this collage by responding to Joshua 2 in the second work of her three-part series: When the Lord Gives Us the Land Joshua 2:1-24 I See Him but Not Now By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2023 Paper Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link There are seven ropes in this image. Four of them represent the ropes that Rahab made use of to lower the two spies down to the ground from her dwelling on the wall of the city, charging them as they departed to go into the hills, hide themselves for three days and then return to the Israelite camp. The other three ropes/cords are a brilliant scarlet indicating the cord Rahab was to tie to her window. A blue band spans the bottom of each image which is an intentional representation of time - the monthly rotation of the moon. All of God’s determined purposes take time to fulfill. The diamond-shaped opening (a tear in the paper) represents Rehab’s gift of faith to see God’s purpose: the coming of The City of God. In this chapter, Rehab states: “ I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us…everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below" ( Joshua 2:9-11 ). I am reminded of Hebrews 11:15-16 where the passage states: “ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.- they were looking for a lasting city whose builder is God .” Rahab saw way beyond the present moment as if the pages of the Word of God could be torn open to give her a glimpse of what God was doing. She could ‘see’ from her vantage point — the promised future for God’s people. She didn't know it, but that promise was later fulfilled in Jesus. It was He who was to reclaim His people and in the end to come again to establish a lasting city. To all this, I say "Amen!" and may His "will be done on earth as it is in heaven" ( Matthew 6:10 ). Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL ). Website Nicora Gangi About the Artist The Mountain of the House of The Lord So Shall Your Descendants Be This One The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 2 The Body without the Spirit | 3 The Sealed Ones Peace with God The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father When the Lord Gives Us The Land The Mountain of the House of The Lord Paneled and Ruins Series The Harvest Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering Memories Lies Fool Dance Your Truth from the Great Congregation Psalm 18 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE Nicora Gangi Other Works By To view the other panels, click the links below: The Mountain of the House of The Lord So Shall Your Descendants Be To see the whole triptych, click the link below: When the Lord Gives Us The Land Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Spark & Echo explores Psalm 126 this in their song, “How to Be Free.” Psalms 126 How to Be Free By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Guitar by Alexander Foote Bass by Jay Foote Mixed by Alexander Foot Mastered by Christopher Colbert Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2013 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This song is both a response to Psalm 126 and in honor of Jonathon’s Grandfather, Al Roberts. In this psalm we see the Israelites rejoicing in their return from exile, and their freedom from oppressors after many years. We see the reversal of tears to joy. It reminds us of Al, who taught the people he knew how to be free. His joy and sense of play were contagious, and it was hard to wear a frown when he was around. The sounds that eventually take over this song reflect that playful quality. We like to see this song as a large party, from its height around midnight, to the last dwindling revelers at 4am. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Yo Sé Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Frogs Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Lyrics: When you saved us from our captors We were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were full of laughter, Our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “Oh lord you’ve done great things for them.” You have done great things for us And we are filled with joy. You taught me how to be free, Free as the river in the spring. Now those who sow with tears, Will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, Carrying seed to sow Will return with a harvest Carrying songs of joy. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Composer and musician Will Healy explores ways in which to survive and overcome oppression through his emotive work reflecting on Ecclesiastes 4:1-2. Ecclesiastes 4:1-2 Ecclesiastes 4:1-2 By Will Healy Credits: Composed and Performed By Will Healy Curated by: Aaron Beaumont 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Given how much has changed over the last 2,000 years, it is always fascinating to read Bible passages that are relevant to the modern world. In Ecclesiastes 4:1-2, Solomon reflects upon sorrow and inequity, and in doing so he reveals a universal truth about being human–we all long for someone to comfort us. To this day, not only is there still the pain and inequality that Solomon is describing, there is also that same desire for someone to alleviate the pain inherent in human existence. Solomon is so pained by this that he praises the dead for being dead. There are certain people and eras that have truly endured the kind of hardship he is describing, and they have often used music to get them through it. The Negro Spirituals of 19th century America are a beautiful example of this–melodies that could serve as a comforter to the oppressed when there were no others to comfort them. In my musical reflection, I start with an imagined Spiritual melody. Because Solomon is addressing the dead and picturing a comforting afterlife for his ancestors, I felt that the music needed an ethereal, somewhat eerie quality. The Spiritual melody is juxtaposed with sweeping, emotive runs as Solomon imagines the dead. As the piece progresses, the melody becomes increasingly distorted, almost unrecognizable. I end with the melody in the highest range of the piano, in dissonant, painful major 7ths. In today’s world, we face many of the same inequalities and sorrows that existed in Biblical times. It is tempting to become nihilistic about them, as Solomon is in this passage. We can look to the shared pains in every era of human existence, however, and learn from the many ways the oppressed faced their oppressors. In many cases that was through artistic expression, especially music. Perhaps through the universal language of music we can reach new understanding between the oppressors and the oppressed, honoring the dead by reflecting upon their words. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Will Healy is a composer and pianist based in New York. Known for his “lushly bluesy” sound and “adroitly blended… textures” (New York Times), he is the artistic director of ShoutHouse, an ensemble of 15 hip-hop, jazz, and classical musicians. After playing trumpet in an Afrobeat band for a few years, he grew interested in collaborating with performers from many corners of the New York music scene. In addition, he is an accomplished pianist specializing in Bach, with a repertoire that includes the complete Goldberg Variations and WTC Book 1. Healy is the recipient of the Richard Rodgers Scholarship at The Juilliard School, where he studies with John Corigliano. He has also studied with Samuel Adler, Steven Stucky, Kevin Puts, Harold Meltzer, Richard Wilson, George Tsontakis, Stephen Hartke, John Harbison, and many others. Recent awards include a 2017 Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an ASCAP Morton Gould Award, the W.K. Rose Fellowship, and prizes in the Juilliard and Kaleidoscope Orchestra Composition Competitions. He was a composition fellow at the Aspen Music Festival in 2013. Healy’s work has appeared at The Apollo Theater, on the NY Philharmonic’s Biennial series,on “New Sounds” with John Schaefer (WNYC) and “Making Music” (WBAI), and the I Care if You Listen Mixtape. His commissions include harpist Nancy Allen, the Great Lakes Chamber Festival, Novus New Music, Kyo Shin-An Arts, Robert Fleitz and Carrie Frey, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. He studied piano for many years with Dennis Malone at the Crestwood Music School. Website Will Healy About the Artist Will Healy Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Poet Judith Kunst brings us this beautiful poem in response to Lamentations 2:13. Lamentations 2:13 See If There Be Any Sorrow Like Unto My Sorrow By Judith Kunst Credits: Curated by: Elizabeth Dishman 2015 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link What entry point could a 21st century Midwestern poet find in an ancient poem attempting to grieve the desecration and dissolution of an entire nation? I wondered if I could find it in the 13th verse of chapter two, where the writer declares his own linguistic lack: loss of metaphor. "To what can I liken you," he says, "that I may comfort you?" Why is the act of setting two unlike things side by side and placing an equal sign between them a comforting act? Without being able to explain why, we instinctively know and practice the comfort of expressing exactly what we feel: Her smile is a boat that can carry me to safety. His look of scorn pierces me like a dagger. I wondered if a poem that used an apophatic structure‚ the rhetorical strategy of describing a thing by describing what it is NOT‚ could help me come closer to apprehending a sorrow so devastating that the quintessentially human act of metaphor-making has been rendered impossible. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Judith Kunst is the author of The Burning Word: A Christian Encounter with Jewish Midrash (Paraclete). Her poetry can be found in The Atlantic, Poetry, Image, Able Muse, Measure, Southern Poetry Review, and other publications. She leads workshops that seek out the intersections of language, scripture, and culture, and she lives with her family at La Lumiere School in northwest Indiana. Website Judith Kunst About the Artist Judith Kunst Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Because everything has been taken, because everything that might have offered itself or been taken for consolation has already offered itself and been taken View Full Written Work See If There Be Any Sorrow Like Unto My Sorrow by Judith Kunst With what can I compare you, Daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, Virgin Daughter Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? – Lamentations 2:13 Because everything has been taken, because everything that might have offered itself or been taken for consolation has already offered itself and been taken, there can be now no consolation of comparison. You are a city but you are not like a city: your buildings are not like buildings, your streets are not like streets, they no longer pave the way for people who no longer act like people. Crying is heard, but I cannot say it is like the crying of lost children, for nothing in it remotely resembles innocence. I cannot say it is like the crying of boiled water in a kettle, for water does not start a fire under itself, nor does water keep boiling when its kettle has been crushed. How I long to say your crying is like that of wild geese, for then I could hear in your sobs some hope of pattern, some syncopation with the rhythms of departure and return. There is not. Any. I write, Your wound is as deep as the sea, and this is such a poorly drawn picture of our tears of our minds thrashing and lost in this enormity of crying that I see: even our language has broken up and been taken away. Close Loading Video . . . Because everything has been taken, because everything that might have offered itself or been taken for consolation has already offered itself and been taken Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Video artist Scott Baye captures the "joy of love" as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians with this playful video piece. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Bubbles By Scott Baye Credits: Video by Scott Baye Music by Jonathon Roberts Video Game by Bubble Bobble Artist Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2005 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This is a scene from the theater piece Project Paul , based on the life and writings of the Apostle Paul, created in collaboration with my brother Jonathon Roberts. This is a playful response to the joy of love, as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians. It was also an opportunity to for Jonathon and I to play Bubble Bobble together. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Scott Baye is a software engineer and video artist living in Green Bay, Wisconsin with his wife Karen and four children. Website Scott Baye About the Artist Scott Baye Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work