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

Erin Mulvehill Psalm42 3 Loading Video . . . Photographer Erin Mulvehill uniquely considers our Summer 2012 theme, "Water," in response to Psalm 42:3. Erin's work aims to explore the human connections and subtle nuances that whisper into the ear of our every day. We are captivated by the ethereal, tragic implication of Erin's photography, especially in her "to be reborn" series (2012), with its perplexing yet warm imagery. Psalms 42:3 Untitled (Mulvehill) By Erin Mulvehill ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Charis J Carmichael Braun 2012 24 x 30 inches ​ Film Photography Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ i found this passage very philosophical, which drew me to it immediately. in my visual depiction of the piece i chose to show a blindfolded girl with her arms reaching toward the skies. this gesture can be one of praise and thanksgiving, yet it can also be one of frustration or defeat. I like the ambiguity of this gesture, as I feel the quote itself is somewhat ambiguous in that it has the ability to read quite differently based on one's personal beliefs. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ erin mulvehill is an artist and photographer currently living in brooklyn new york. she is the founder of ‘the camera project’ ( thecameraproject.com ) and is currently represented by the candela project gallery in munich germany ( candela-project.com ). More of Erin’s beautiful work can be viewed online at icanfreezetime.com Website Erin Mulvehill About the Artist Erin Mulvehill Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Actor Laurie Schroeder Callen brings us two monologues in response to the theme of healing in the doctor-patient relationship as well as Psalm 6:2-3 and Romans 12: 6-8. Psalms 6:2-3 Romans 12: 6-8 Call and Response By Laurie Schroeder Callen ​ Credits: Written by Laurie Schroeder Callen Performed by Philip Callen and Laurie Schroeder Callen Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Michael Markham 2014 ​ ​ Theatre, monologues Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ Heal verb \ˈhēl\ Transitive verb 1a : to make sound or whole b : to restore to health 2a : to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome : MEND b : to patch up (a breach or division) 3 : to restore to original purity or integrity. These private juxtaposed monologues explore a brief moment in time of a patient and her physician. From inside the mind of a suffering patient we hear the thoughts, fears and reflections that consume her as her young, ailing body resists a cure. Listening to the words of this physician, we perceive his limitations, his challenges and the burden he feels in his vocation. And ultimately, we can consider from his perspective that we all require God’s grace to be restored. I immediately connected to the sound of David crying out to God, asking for mercy and relief from his pain, both spiritual and physical. Our wounds and ailments are multi-faceted, multi-dimensional struggles we carry in our steps. Some of them are healed, others are not. Some are managed, treated, dealt with, some are not. Some hover in our spirits every day and one day disappear, and we don’t even really notice. And while we walk around needing healing, there are multitudes of humans who are called to intercede. They are called into hospitals and battlefields and schools and offices so that they can help facilitate the healing. So they can cure. And heal. But when they themselves are the struggling and the wounded, full of doubt and anguish – who will help them heal? Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Laurie Schroeder Callen most recently performed the role of Judy in Daughters of the Sexual Revolution by Dana Leslie Goldstein and Hermione in The Winter’s Tale , both at The Workshop Theater. Selected NYC roles include Lulu in Miss Lulu Bett , Gertrude in Hamlet , Arkadina in The Seagull and, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet , where she met her husband, Philip Callen. Laurie also lived in Europe for several years and trained at the Central School of Speech & Drama in London, earning her Masters in Classical Acting before joining The American Drama Group of Europe with their touring production of Death of a Salesman . Paralleling her life as an artist, Laurie also works as a medical educator and interpersonal skills coach for medical students, residents and physicians and is passionate about improving the doctor-patient relationship through simulation. Laurie and Phil live in Washington Heights, New York City. Website Laurie Schroeder Callen About the Artist Laurie Schroeder Callen Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

Ebitenyefa Baralaye Abram B Big Abram_a-big.jpg Abram_b-big.jpg Loading Video . . . Spark and Echo Arts is pleased to feature the work Abram, a sculpture by artist Ebitenyefa Baralaye. This captivating piece is Mr. Baralaye's reflection on the life of Abram, especially what is told in Genesis 12:2-3 and Acts 7:3. Genesis 12:2-3 Acts 7:3 Abram By Ebitenyefa Baralaye ​ Credits: Artist Location: New York City Curated by: ​ 2011 8.5 x 10 x 21 inches Nickel-plated polished bronze Sculpture Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ This piece was modeled from water clay, fired and then cast in bronze. Its textured surface and gestural form reflects the clay's original malleability under aggressive tactile and tooled handling. It was composed from two main sections that were complimentarily stacked and worked together. In the Old Testament, Abram is ordained by God as the lineage father of all of God's body of chosen people, Israel. He is blessed, sent on a journey to a Promised Land and later receives the name Abraham, "father of many nations." This form loosely reflects: at its top, Abram's faithfully singular focus of mind, further down, the dispersion of his lineage to descendants of many nations, and from mid-section to base, the challenges endured and overcome through his life's steadfast journey. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Ebitenyefa Baralaye is a ceramicist, sculptor and designer. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, raised in Antigua and lives in the United States. Ebitenyefa received his BFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design. His studio bases have included Long Island City, Queens; the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in New York City; and Bloomfield Hills, MI where he is currently enrolled as a Ceramics MFA candidate at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He has exhibited in various solo and group shows domestically and internationally including the 2011 Gyeonggi International Ceramix Biennale in Icheon, South Korea and the 2016 Toronto Design Festival. He has held residencies at the Peters Valley Crafts Center in Layton, NJ and most recently, Talking Dolls in Detroit, MI. Website Ebitenyefa Baralaye About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 3 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 1 David Artist in Residence 2016: Ebitenyefa Baralaye – "Bam Bam" Ebitenyefa Baralaye 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 work of poet and Christian theologian Jerome Blanco holds the tension of devastation in the world with the promise of God's restoration from Joel 3. Joel 3 The Day of the Lord By Jerome Blanco ​ Credits: Photo by Matthew Jones Curated by: Rebecca Testrake 2017 ​ ​ Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ Prophetic passages on God's eventual judgment and restoration of the world can feel very distant for me. As I wrestled with the third chapter of Joel, I couldn't help but think these coming mysteries were lifetimes away, especially considering all the weight of what is happening in the world today. Despite God's dual promises of vengeance and restoration, I wonder about what good those promises have for those suffering now. Are the promises of abundant milk and wine (3:18) satisfying enough? What about the promises of God's vengeance on the wicked (3:21)? The prophecies of Joel certainly deliver a sense of hope, but that hope that comes from a promised future sits in tension with the painful realities of the present. In this poem, I recall the refugees that I met during a brief time I spent in Europe. Many expressed a hope in God despite terrible circumstances, but who were of course also weighed down with unimaginable despair. God was often what kept them going, but they weren't without fear. In the text, I specifically refer to a man I met from Homs, Syria, who spoke to me about both these things. The poem's form is modeled on this not-yet-ness of God's restoration. Excluding the final line, the poem is written in six stanzas of six lines each. Six, here, exemplifies that longing for completion‚ seven being the satisfying number of wholeness in God's creation. The final line acts as a promised seventh line to the final stanza, and as a promised seventh stanza to the poem as a whole. The prophecies in Joel are already in our hands. Christians can hold to the truth that God's promises will be fulfilled. And yet we are forced to wait restlessly for them in the meantime, as we wait for the day of the Lord‚ the day of judgment and restoration that is yet to come. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Jerome Blanco is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and is an MFA candidate at New York University’s Writers Workshop in Paris, where he is studying fiction writing. He was born in Manila but currently calls Southern California home. Website Jerome Blanco About the Artist Jerome Blanco Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art As for the sinners, so they say, the hand of God will someday descend from heaven to pick hem off like forked lightning. View Full Written Work The Day of the Lord Jerome Blanco As for the sinners, so they say, the hand of God will someday descend from heaven to pick them off like forked lightning. The promise for saints: streams of wine, water for life, a heaven-land of flowing milk—but all this a long time from now. Today, we watch good men murdered in the streets, hear cries of wounded women wrecked, see children made orphans at the bomb’s thunderclap. Once, I met a man who feared the Lord, who hailed from hell-torn Syria and showed me pictures of his rubble home—nothing left but stones on stones. I trust in God, he said with hope in the words of the prophets. But the weight of exile can bring a man’s shoulders low, pull his head down towards the foreign ground—like he might sink into the earth, slowly first, then suddenly, like a shot. When I go, I swear, he is ankle-deep. What good the promised justice eternities away, that a man’s short life cannot stretch to reach? What help is heaven milk while killers dance in dusty Homs? If God withholds the wine, then it had better be sweet, overflowing so that it pours back in waves, cascading over all the years that my friend is made to wait. When God smites with his left, I’d like to see his right dig deep, pulling the buried from the dirt, raising them high like the acacias in the Lord’s green valley Close Loading Video . . . As for the sinners, so they say, the hand of God will someday descend from heaven to pick hem off like forked lightning. Download Full Written Work

Nicora Gangi Psalm 18 Loading Video . . . We are delighted to feature this image of Psalm 18, a vivid collage by renowned visual artist Nicora Gangi. Psalms 18:1-17 Psalms 18:29-50 Psalm 18 By Nicora Gangi ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2011 ​ Paper collage, digital media ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ David gives praise for all of the deliverances God has given him. He takes comfort that his integrity is restored. He gives to God the glory for all of his achievements and encourages himself with the expectations of what God would further do for him. To create this collage I used magazine clips to illustrate the colors which were inspired by the different themes of this psalm: holy faith, love, joy, praise and hope. 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 I See Him but Not Now 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 I See Him but Not Now 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 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE Nicora Gangi Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

serpentspeaks.jpg Loading Video . . . Premiered on May 28, 2010, The Serpent Speaks by James Hall, is a composition for jazz sextet + two actors, setting Robert Siegel's poem of the same name. The piece reflects on the fall of man in Genesis 3. Genesis 3 The Serpent Speaks By James Hall ​ Credits: Music by James Hall Text by Robert Siegel Musicians: Emily Clare Zempel, voice; Jonathan Roberts, voice; Jacob Teichroew, saxophone; James Hall, trombone; Ryan Ferreira, guitar; Ike Sturm, bass; Ziv Ravitz, drumset; Mike Truesdell, percussion Venue: St. Peter Church, Manhattan Poster design by Christopher Domig Artist Location: Brooklyn, New York Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2010 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ I first read Robert Siegel's The Serpent Speaks in 2007, as my love of poetry was just being sparked. Though I was immediately interested in setting the poem to music, it wasn't until receiving a Fellowship at the Trinity Forum Academy that I had the time and resources I needed to realize the project. My setting of The Serpent Speaks blurs distinctions between composition and improvisation using a mixture of verbal cues; traditional, and non-traditional notation. The style blends free and contemporary modal jazz with spoken word. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ James Hall is a trombonist and composer from Nebraska based in New York City. A versatile musician, his projects have spanned jazz, classical, latin, and popular music in the US and Europe. As a composer and bandleader, James was named a finalist in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Competition, won three ASCAPlus Awards for composition, and was a featured performer/composer at the 2012 Chelsea Music Festival . As trombonist in Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra , he has performed at B.B. Kings', S.O.B's, MassMOCA, The Kennedy Center, The Blue Note Jazz Festival, and has appeared in the pages of Rolling Stone Magazine. He has appeared on several recordings with Postmodern Jukebox , with whom he has toured Europe and the US. James' trombone playing earned third place, runner-up, and honorable mention in the Antti Rissanen , J.J. Johnson , and Carl Fontana International Jazz Trombone Competitions, respectively. James' first CD as a composer/bandleader was released in October 2013. Entitled " Soon We Will Not Be Here " by James Hall Thousand Rooms Quartet, the body of work sets contemporary poems by NYC-based poets to 3rd-stream chamber music. His sophomore release, "Lattice," is currently in post-production. James holds degrees from the Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Wisconsin and Aaron Copland School of Music in New York. His teachers have included Luis Bonilla, Hal Crook, Michael Dease, Nick Keelan, Ed Neumeister, and Fred Sturm. Photo by Bill Wadman. Website James Hall About the Artist Of Blood and Water James Hall Other Works By View the Full Score Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Poet CM Davidson struggles with the theme of "poverty" and Isaiah 58:6-11 in his work for Spark+Echo, Yoked. Isaiah 58:6-11 Yoked By CM Davidson ​ Credits: Artist Location: Southern California Curated by: Chris Davidson 2013 ​ ​ Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ The passage from what's called "Third Isaiah" suggested a process as natural as photosynthesis: Fast by action, in this case, free the oppressed and give what you (as a people) have to those among you who need it. The result will be God's favor, restoration, and greater abundance than you already enjoy. Walter Brueggemann provide conceptual grist for the poem. He writes, of this passage, It turned out that the "facts on the ground" in restored Jerusalem were modest and shabby when contrasted with the lyrical anticipations of Second Isaiah.1 This helped me think of the narrator as someone who, in the midst of his comfort and security, feels ill at ease, dislocated. This is a common theme for literature of the last couple hundred years, but it was new to me to think that the source of that dislocation is that the privileged are the invisible ones, not the poor (verse 7). The existence of poverty and injustice doesn't divide us from "the other" but from our brothers and sisters, from‚ it seems banal to write it so directly‚ ourselves. It should be said that what attracted me to these verses is not equivalent to what the poem expresses. As all poems do, this one found its own path. 1 Walter Brueggemann, An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ CM Davidson’s work has appeared in Zyzzyva, Green Mountains Review, Zocalo Public Square, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. He lives in Southern California with his wife and sons. He sporadically keeps up a blog, 52songs.blogspot.com . Website CM Davidson About the Artist CM Davidson Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Woke this morning two snoozes past the alarm 's first call. Showered. Dressed. Breakfasted on a bowl of puffed rice and milk and three cups of coffee. View Full Written Work Yoked by CM Davidson Isaiah 58:6-11 Woke this morning two snoozes past the alarm’s first call. Showered. Dressed. Breakfasted on a bowl of puffed rice and milk and three cups of coffee. Asked my wife for Kaiser’s number, since my shoulder aches. Gathered things in my bag and drove in my car my son to school, myself to work, where I wasted time online, talked on the phone with a colleague, entered a budget by deadline. From those who live under the overpass I pass daily, I’m told I’m concealed, and from the imprisoned and hungry with nothing to wear I’d wear myself, I’m concealed. My body I’m told is distorted by nourishment, my shirt, shoes and pants hide me from my kin. I’m told the sadness I feel everyday will be a light by which to see, if I act, that our sadness, people, I’m convinced it’s more than just me, is a latent garden, a spring of water, a continual, renewing spring of water, light and water bringing, through action in leaves described and unlearned, food for the table. This is the promise, dejection the goad. Our parents in exile sang to each other songs of a land like this— their hope was in it, and we have it. Close Loading Video . . . Woke this morning two snoozes past the alarm 's first call. Showered. Dressed. Breakfasted on a bowl of puffed rice and milk and three cups of coffee. Download Full Written Work

We Wait Judith Barcroft Loading Video . . . The movement and color in this painting, "We Wait," by Judith Barcroft capture the sense of eager anticipation in response to 2 Peter 3:13. 2 Peter 3:13 We Wait By Judith Barcroft ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Michael Markham 2018 20 x 24 inches ​ Acrylic Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ I have been in the theater for over 50 years, and there is nothing more exciting and mysterious for me than that moment, waiting in darkness, as the curtain is about to go up, and reveal a whole new world! My painting of the audience waiting illustrates our waiting for what is promised; a theatrical moment in God's time! Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Judith Barcroft was in her first art show at the age of five at the Virginia Theological Seminary where her father was studying to be an Episcopal priest. Judith studied art at the Borghese Gallery in Rome and at the Art Students League of New York where she won a merit scholarship and served on the board. She won a certificate of merit for outstanding work in collage at the Salmagundi Club. She is especially interested in spiritual art, and her work illustrating Lauds in the Book of Hours will be on display at the Church of Heavenly Rest in New York beginning January 10, 2019. Judith is also an actress, having appeared in seven Broadway shows, over 100 regional productions, and 12 years of television. Website Judith Barcroft About the Artist Judith Barcroft Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Composer Sidney Marquez Boquiren explores the theme of healing through passages from Ecclesiastes, John, and Revelation in his work folia ligni. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 folia ligni By Sidney Marquez Boquiren ​ Credits: Composed and Performed by Sidney Marquez Boquiren Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2014 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ folia ligni takes as its inspiration three sets of Biblical verses: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; John 14:27; and Revelation 22:2. The work itself is a diptych that consists of meditations on the verses from Ecclesiastes and the Gospel of St. John, written for piano, with the title ("leaves of the tree") taken from Revelation 22:2 which is the verse that undergirds folia ligni : "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." It is this healing of nations and (by extension) of peoples that I tried to get at, not in the sense of a direct depiction of some process of healing but more as a sort of struggle to achieve this healing, a striving to reach "a time of peace." Et in terra pax. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Sidney Marquez Boquiren is a composer-performer who grew up in the Philippines and Saudi Arabia but has spent most of his life in the United States. He collaborates with artists on various projects that include opera ( Independence Eve with Daniel Neer); Biblical illumination ( folia ligni for Spark and Echo Arts); and multi-media ( The Gretel Project with Lauren K. Alleyne, Catherine Chung, and Tomiko Jones). As a pianist, he performs regularly with Rhymes With Opera and pulsoptional. A MacDowell Fellow, Sidney is currently the Chair of the Department of Music at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, where he teaches music theory and composition. He is also a cantor and sings in the choir of The Church of St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan, New York. Website Sidney Marquez Boquiren About the Artist Sidney Marquez Boquiren Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . The compositions in Kris Allen's jazz suite reflect on the hope and strength that carry us through difficult situations in reflection of Proverbs 28. Proverbs 28 Proverbs 28 Suite By Kris Allen ​ Credits: Composed by Kris Allen. 2016 Alto and soprano saxophone by Kris Allen Tenor saxophone by Frank Kozyra Piano by Jen Allen Bass by Matt Dwonszyk Drums by Jonathan Barber Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2016 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ My quintet, featuring myself on alto and soprano saxophone, Frank Kozyra on tenor saxophone, Jen Allen on Piano, Matt Dwonszyk on bass and Jonathan Barber on drums first debuted these pieces on June 26th, 2016 during the Jazz Vespers service at St. Peter’s Church in New York City. I very much enjoyed and welcomed the challenge of adding a little thread to the larger work that Spark and Echo has instigated. It was especially interesting to spend a lot of repetitive and meditative time in Proverbs, a book of the Bible that is not exactly famed for drama, romance or emotional poignancy; I’d wager that comparatively few musicians have found their inspiration here over the millennia compared to the Gospels, the Psalms, or many other scriptures. I chose to compose in response to the 28th Chapter of Proverbs. I was originally drawn to this chapter because of it’s repetitive themes of leadership; describing the signatures and effects of both wicked and righteous leaders. Of course with the American presidential primary season in full swing, ideas about leadership (especially fearful ones!) tended to dominate our cultures collective consciousness during the time of this composition, and I was certainly not immune! In addition to many admonitions to just and equitable personal and business practices, Proverbs 28 contains many vivid images of the misplaced potency of a wicked or evil person given power over others – “like a roaring lion or a charging bear” (v. 15). However, there is wisdom in this chapter that goes far beyond the specific issue of political leadership, and calls us all to take all of our fearful and apprehensive thoughts and fears captive to a trustworthy God. The three movements of the suite respond to and creatively play with the major ideas that resonated with me personally in these passages. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Saxophonist, composer and recording artist Kris Allen was born and raised in the Hartford Connecticut area. Kris began musical studies at an early age, but his desire to seriously pursue a life in jazz music was catalyzed through his apprenticeship with legendary alto saxophonist Jackie Mclean, first at Hartford’s Artists Collective and later at the Hartt School of Music in Mclean’s African American Music Degree Program. He has gone on to perform at major jazz venues throughout New York, the US and worldwide, and forged a clear conceptual and aural identity as a composer, arranger, and educator to match his powerful saxophonic voice. His latest release, Beloved is his second album for the Truth Revolution Recording Collective, following his critically acclaimed debut recording as a bandleader Circle House (2012). Kris has enjoyed a long career as a sought-after sideman, working in the groups of Illinois Jacquet, Gerald Wilson, Andy Gonzales, Jimmy Greene, Helen Sung, Winard Harper, Andy Laverne, the Mingus Dynasty, Avery Sharpe, Andy Jaffe, Earl Macdonald, Noah Baerman, Jen Allen, Ike Sturm, Gary Smulyan, Jazzmeia Horn, Rogerio Boccato, Kendrick Oliver’s New Life Orchestra, the Curtis Brothers and Mario Pavone among others. As a composer, Kris has been honored with numerous awards and commissions and has collaborated with dancers, poets, and visual artists, as well as musicians from across diverse genres. A dedicated educator, Kris is the Lyell B. Clay Artist Artist-In-Residence in Jazz at Williams College, having previously held positions at the Hartt School, Trinity College, Southern Connecticut State University and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. He has been a Teaching Artist for Litchfield Performing Arts since 2001, and conducted clinics and master classes at institutions nation and worldwide. Kris is a Vandoren Artist and plays Vandoren mouthpieces, reeds and ligatures exclusively. For more information please visit www.krisallenjazz.com Website Kris Allen About the Artist Kris Allen Other Works By MOVEMENT 1 : "LET’S NOT HIDE JUST YET" Proverbs 28:28 I chose to begin the suite with a contrafact (new melody over a pre-existing chord progression) of Herbie Hancock’s composition “I Have A Dream.” In performance my group typically plays Hancock’s piece and “Let’s” together in one amalgamation of theme and variations. I wanted to reference Martin Luther King Jr. to invoke commonly held notions of leadership at it’s best, as well as his specific vision for society, which seems lately to be suffering a new wave of attacks. My title “Let’s Not Hide Just Yet” is a call to myself and others to remain connected, involved, and in dialogue, and to resist the urge to flee (Canada seems to be the most popular destination referenced) or withdraw in light of ominous national and world developments. I wanted the music to aurally embody a sense of determined strength amid turmoil. MOVEMENT 2 : "TREMBLE ALWAYS" (FOR NANCY BUTLER) Proverbs 28:14 Closer to home for me, the Spring of 2016 has been colored with concern (that surpasses that of the election cycle) by the illness of my pastor, Nancy Butler. Nancy has ALS and is losing control of her body at a quick rate. Even in illness and faced with a hastened end in sight, she continues to model Christ-likeness to me and so many. Nancy trembles before God in a way that helps others to delight in doing the same. Nancy continues to blog at End Time Stories: Stuff God Did Near the End of Pastor Nancy's Life . The piece emotionally attempts to represent the spiritual discipline of solitary prayer that is such a huge part of who Nancy is and a source of so much fruit in her life. Part of this piece references an original hymn of mine, a setting of the verse “Be still and know that I am God" ( Psalm 46:10 ). MOVEMENT 3 : "LACK NOTHING" Proverbs 28:27 I don’t believe we ought to read a prosperity prescription in: “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing” (v. 27)! Rather, I think that the folks described by this verse are making two choices: first to give, and then to assume a grateful posture and worldview in which they trust God to provide for their needs. Second, to strive to re-interpret present situations in ways that coax out evidence of blessing, joy, and non-paradigmatic abundance. The piece swells gradually into an exclamatory texture, using 12-tone melodic and harmonic techniques to represent feelings of completion and infinity. 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Loading Video . . . Iv Amenti's 'silent film' contemplates the juxtapositions of reality and dreams, foolishness and wisdom found in Ecclesiastes 5:3. Ecclesiastes 5:3​ A Silent Movie: in Poem and Stills By Iv Amenti ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2017 ​ ​ Visual Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ Ecclesiastes is one of those books of the Bible that has lodged itself firmly into my psyche. It’s commentary about the boundaries of our humanity, within life and death, time and seasons, and what powers we possess to exist within them, resonates with me on various levels. This year it was particularly relevant because I turned 40, and not just 40, but 40 with a vengeance. If you haven’t crossed this bridge yet, let me tell you, there is something quite definitive about it. I found myself looking at the time that has passed, and the time I have left, you know? If I do the same 40 years I have already done on this earth, I will be brushing against my mortality, and that is an enlightening feeling. What have I done with my time? What will I do with what’s left? Ecclesiastes in its entirety, sobers my mind on what is possible. It takes pressure off as it eludes to the omnipotence of God’s plan and how we must simply show up, ready to work, in order to see the plan unfold. As a girl growing up I was most familiar with Ecclesiastes 3, that speaks specifically to everything having its season. All my life I have methodically gone about how to shape each of my seasons. Something in me has always desired the life of a late bloomer. I made personal choices to hold off on my career so I could grow roots with a family first. I also wanted to take time to get to discover what life looks like as a pioneer, charting my own path. Call me for coffee or tea so I can tell you about my experiences with college and jobs, and what it looks like to stand firm in my own dream to be an artist. Which brings me to my chosen Bible verse, Ecclesiastes 5:3 “ A dream comes when there are many cares, and speech marks the words of a fool.” My project, A Silent Movie: in Poem and Stills , takes a look at a girl busy in her world of dreams, led by a poetic narrative that deconstructs her thoughts on Ecclesiastes 5:3. The project itself is a storyboard for a silent film, – “silent film” being used as a metaphor for the absence speech to communicate words. This was my play towards the reference of speech marking the words of a fool, which during this age of politics, and 24 hour access to social commentary has become our social norm. Interwoven between the images of the girl, (portrayed by me), is a poem which examines her personal relationship with her dreams, her intentions to manifest them, her desires to advocate for humanity through her work, and her words of encouragement for her fellow dreamer. Set in three parts, I sought to visually convey the dreamscape, while rooting my words firmly into the reality of our time. During the process I felt moments of a utopian writer synergized with the original author of this book. I imagined what it must have felt like to be feverishly endowed with spirit, and see a vision so wide as Ecclesiastes. I imagine that all of us that have a vision permeating our being such as the author, must share it. I appreciate the author’s wisdom in knowing that if we are fertile with a dream, so must we be in our willingness to make it happen. Often times, when we are in this place, there is very little time to brag or boast the process, there is only time to do, with brief moments of reflections and edits. This is my ode to such wisdom. The storyboard is shot in the Bishop Arts District located in Dallas, Texas. I first saw this area in back 2015 where there was the most enchanting store with a really cool storefront that had all of these inspirational words and sayings painted on benches and mounted on its walls that beckoned any passerby to take a picture next to it. When I saw it, I knew I had to do a photoshoot there. Fast forward two years later and additional more open space art forms popped up around it, and so did this assignment! I operated as the director and co-photographer on this piece. The shots are not overly professional, but they are personal, and so is this story. As said in the film, I am a native dreamer, and now at 40, after proclaiming for myself that I have the right to be a late bloomer, I have decided that it is my time. I also accept the wisdom not only just of this passage, but of the entire book of Ecclesiastes, to know that as long as I show up, ready to work, that I will surely see the plan specifically designed for me unfold. Amen Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Iv Amenti is a Creative Social Practitioner residing in the city of Dallas. As a professional dancer, storyteller, writer, actress, and vocalist, she partners with communities to create storytelling opportunities using her various artistic mediums. She prides herself in presenting the performing arts as a platform for social commentary and community engagement in a way that creates voice and identity for communities. She studied theater at the University of Texas at Arlington and is an AmeriCorps alumni who received intensive service training on how to enter into communities, administer asset mapping, and build on those assets in a way that empowers underserved neighborhoods. Through arts and service she has developed a sustainable practice in creative social engineering. Well known for thinking outside of the spectrum when it comes to designing and executing projects, her practice has extended into the likes of the TRANSLATION Project, TWU’ Lend Us Your Voice, BC Workshop’s Activating Vacancy, SMU’s Arts and Urbanism’s Complex Movements Cohort, Bricks and Bones performance Cohort, and St. Philips School and Community Center, to name a few. She is the sole creator of the annual !Felabration Dallas!, a music tribute celebrating the life of famed Nigerian Musician and Activist Fela Kuti. A 16 year veteran on the Community Arts Program roster of Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs,2015 Cultural Vitality Award Recipient, and self-proclaimed master collaborator. Website Iv Amenti About the Artist Iv Amenti Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Part 1: Deconstruction of a Dreamer View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Part 1: Deconstruction of a Dreamer Download Full Written Work