Loading Video . . . This unplugged piece by singer-songwriter Andrew Rose Gregory laments a stubborn fidelity to poor choices and unhealthy habits in response to Obadiah 1:1-5. Obadiah 1:1-5 The Dream That We Made By Andrew Rose Gregory ​ Credits: Composed, Guitar, Vocals by Andrew Rose Gregory Recorded, Mixed by Andrew Rose Gregory Curated by: Sarah Gregory + Rebecca Testrake 2018 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ Each of us lives on the edge of disaster. Reading the beginning of Obadiah is staring straight into the catastrophe that pride, hubris, and jealousy can wreak upon your life. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Andrew Rose Gregory is a songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. He is best known as one of The Gregory Brothers, the creators of the viral YouTube sensations 'Auto-Tune the News' and 'Songify This!' Their videos have over 1 Billion views on YouTube. He has also released four solo records and two EPs. He is currently in studio finishing his next solo album, 'Orion,' his first full length since 2011. Website Andrew Rose Gregory About the Artist Andrew Rose Gregory Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

The Lawless Man The Ageless One Rglenn Thessalonians Final Small Loading Video . . . This digitally illustrated poster by artist Ryan Glenn weaves together a bundle of important details to portray the singular voice offered in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-10. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-10 The Lawless Man, the Ageless One By Ryan Glenn ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2018 ​ ​ Digital Illustration Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ This passage of Scripture takes us to a dark day in human history, accompanied by the best news there is. Evil trembles within us all and roams the earth, too, with a fast-approaching deadline. The machinations of the darkness and his dominion are not only real but even now overtaking the kingdoms of earth. Yet, like the rock-hewn feet of Shelley's " Ozymandias " languishing in the desert of the past, so this real reign of evil, imagined here in stone edifice, shatters at the touch of the voice of the I AM. The steps of his altar are emblazoned with the eternal cry of the evil one, famously encapsulated by Anton Lavey , and his gesture a mockery of true peace. The moon sigil perches on his head like a crown of darkness, and his demeanor is political in affect, with all the trappings of human-made leadership. Above his head, though, the infernal number is overshadowed by the Christus Victor. We are reminded of the searing light of Truth, the glorious and terrifying hope in the One who spoke the heavens and who spoke peace to those far and near by His blood. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Ryan Glenn is a writer and artist living in Dallas, Texas. He enjoys digital illustration as a medium of choice for his personal work, and is always learning more about himself and the world in the process. He desires to follow and serve Christ with his talents. He resides in a 110-year-old house with his wife Jess and black lab Bruce. Barefootmonstur.com FerventStudio.com Website Ryan Glenn About the Artist Ryan Glenn Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Responding to Isaiah 5, Lancelot Schaubert's short story causes readers to wrestle with the concept of justice as we identify and distance ourselves from the characters therein. Isaiah 5 Watchtower By Lancelot Schaubert ​ Credits: Background Photo by Jewad Alnabi on Unsplash Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2022 ​ ​ Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ I wanted this piece to capture the ambiguity of future judgment and even the impermanence of it as all justice through Jesus is restorative and not retributive: a wasteland isn't an abyss, isn't nothing. A wasteland is simply laid fallow. In fact, the Heath is one of the biggest images in England for pre-cultivation, the sort of thing the Spirit might hover over like the primordial chaotic waters of creation. In this respect, even in the judgment of the verse, there's hope: from tilling to tilling to tilling. Sowing to sowing to sowing. Eventually you'll hit harvest, even if it takes a sabbath of sabbaths to fallow and find. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Lancelot has sold work to The New Haven Review (The Institute Library), The Anglican Theological Review, TOR (MacMillan), McSweeney's, The Poet's Market, Writer's Digest, and many, many similar markets. (His favorite, a rather risqué piece, illuminated bankroll management by prison inmates in the World Series Edition of Poker Pro). Publisher's Weekly called his debut novel BELL HAMMERS "a hoot." He has lectured on these at academic conferences, graduate classes, and nerd conventions in Nashville, Portland, Baltimore, Tarrytown, NYC, Joplin, and elsewhere. The Missouri Tourism Bureau, WRKR, Flying Treasure, 9art, The Brooklyn Film Festival, NYC Indie Film Fest, Spiva Center for the Arts, The Institute of the North in Alaska, and the Chicago Museum of Photography have all worked with him as a film producer and director in various capacities. Website Lancelot Schaubert About the Artist Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 1 Posh Girls As Waters Cover Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 Stripped to the Bonemeal Metaphysical Insurance Claim 0075A: The Delphic Oracle Philadelphia Bloodlines Lancelot Schaubert Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Zeke wanted good grapes. Not the cheap kind we use to make jams or table wine, good grapes. Great wine: the sort you bring out first at a wedding. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Zeke wanted good grapes. Not the cheap kind we use to make jams or table wine, good grapes. Great wine: the sort you bring out first at a wedding. Download Full Written Work

collected-thoughts_chris-knight_featjpg.jpg Loading Video . . . For a couple of summers, I worked as a private investigator, mostly just recording the comings and goings of people into an office building. Someone was suing someone else, and my job was to create a record that they either were or weren’t doing the things they said they were. What I offered was knowledge, information that could be used to make a point or draw a conclusion. But there were always limits to the information I could provide. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Ecclesiastes 1:8-13 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 2 By Chris Knight ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2016 2016 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ June 13, 2016 For a couple of summers, I worked as a private investigator, mostly just recording the comings and goings of people into an office building. Someone was suing someone else, and my job was to create a record that they either were or weren’t doing the things they said they were. What I offered was knowledge, information that could be used to make a point or draw a conclusion. But there were always limits to the information I could provide. In the film I’m developing, those limits are slipping away. If it were possible for a person’s memories to be recorded, accessed, searched, we could know what they knew. Everything they knew. That kind of knowledge wouldn’t only be sinister — it would be an unprecedented historical opportunity to see, hear and understand what everyone alive has seen, heard and understood. The people who did it could describe themselves as the keepers of the greatest library the world has even known. What might begin as a voluntary way to ensure you leave your mark might quickly become compulsory, to make sure no data is lost. I’ve written what I think are going to be the two central scenes for the film — well, one scene and one sequence. The film is about a woman who doesn’t want to remember, doesn’t want to be remembered as she was. On the other side are the technicians whose job it is to record her history. I’m still not sure how these scenes will fit together. To begin with, they both take too long to get where they’re going. But more importantly, while I think they stand well next to each other, they need to integrate in some way. I’d like to avoid a simple cross­cut, since I think that would weaken the one long conversation. The conversation itself is having to do too much expository work, so another scene to establish the world and the rules might likely help. And right now things happen, but there’s no real trajectory to anything. So yeah, a plot would probably be a good next step. Read Chris Knight’s working script here . Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Chris Knight is a director and writer based in New York City. His short films and feature scripts have been selected for a variety of film festivals across the country. Website Chris Knight About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 1 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 3 Carried from Jericho Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Chris Knight Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Chris' project by reading his first , third and final 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 . . . This fantastic and unsettling creative piece from author Jeff Martin responds to Titus 1:5-14; 2:9-15; 3:8-14. Titus 3:8-14 Titus 2:9-15 Titus 1:5-14 Slow Belly By Jeff Martin ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2018 ​ ​ Creative Writing Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ Poor Titus. Think about what he’s been asked to do in this letter – find job candidates who are not only holy and just, but who are also blameless (“a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God”). It’s a tall order at best, a laughable one at worst, since how many people can say unequivocally that they’re entirely without blame? It got me thinking about what that job application would look like in our HR-driven modern era, and the fact that the very first question would necessarily have to be, “Are you blameless?” The other requirements are equally demanding: Are you holy? Are you just? Are you righteous? In other words, exactly the kinds of questions that the truly holy, just, and righteous would probably never answer yes to. It was both interesting and frightening then to write a story about someone who would answer yes to those questions and fully believe he was in the right in doing so. I say "frightening" because it strikes me that it's precisely this reaction – assumed, but unexamined, righteousness – that's brought our political discourse these days to a full stop, a stop the vast majority of us, myself included, are likely complicit in. Political sentiments aside (if that can be done these days), it’s a strange story for sure. What I wanted the narrator to have the experience of, but never understand – the understanding is for the reader – is that he can believe himself to be holy and just all he likes, but God is still going to remain maddeningly mysterious, maddeningly unexpected, always near, always far. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Jeff Martin co-directs the UVA Young Writers Workshop and has been published in New England Review , Alaska Quarterly Review , and No Tokens Journal , among others. Find more of his work online at readjeffmartin.com . Website Jeff Martin About the Artist Winebibber Jeff Martin Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Bishopric Application Posting Number: 19213 Are you blameless? View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Bishopric Application Posting Number: 19213 Are you blameless? Download Full Written Work

Kristiekoll Whats Underneath 1 Loading Video . . . "What's Underneath" by New York City artist Kristie Koll is a response to the hope expressed in Romans 5:5. Romans 5:5 What's Underneath By Kristie Koll ​ Credits: Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Jonathon + Emily 2011 30 x 48 inches Acrylic and tracing paper on canvas ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ 'Hope does not disappoint' from Romans 5:5 is where this painting began and is hidden in the early layers. This passage contains a promise that I continually need reminding of. As I worked on the painting, it moved away from the original direction and was gessoed over and started anew. Still some of the earlier work showed through. The layers with tracing paper and blue acrylic was highly intuitive and straight from my soul or center. "What I found most interesting is this piece had the most conscious scripture and focused prayer and was the work 90% of people engaged with in a recent open studio event. They stepped into it as if they could see the hope through the layers of tracing paper and gesso." -Kristie Koll Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ New York City artist Kristie Koll uses unlikely materials to create complex and captivating works of visual art. Website Kristie Koll About the Artist Kristie Koll 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 Meg Freitag explores the duality of the human experience through her poem which illuminates Genesis 6:5-9:17. Genesis 6:5-9:17 Once to Speak of His Brightness By Meg Freitag ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Kent Shaw 2016 ​ ​ Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ I find myself going back again and again to this idea of duality, and how one can feel despair over the state of the world, regret over choices they’ve made, disappointment over unmet expectations, etc., and yet still experience moments of profound joy, gratitude, delight simultaneously. A person can do a horrible thing and still be loveable. A perpetrator can also be a victim. People are burdened with conflicting desires all day long. The desire to be cared for versus the desire to be free, for instance. Or the desire to be respected versus the desire to be liked. I’ve long been preoccupied with the Noah’s Ark story. About God commanding the deluge, and what happens to Noah and his family after the flood. I think it’s an incredible narrative with incredible imagery. But it’s also deeply unsettling. There’s so much going on in this part of Genesis that is so confusing, even unfathomable at times, particularly the moments in which God seems to contradict Himself. I wonder if perhaps coming to terms with the irreconcilably dual nature of selfhood and desire is necessary for all acts of creation. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Meg Freitag was born in Maine and currently lives in Austin, Texas. She has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA from UT’s Michener Center for Writers, where she was a finalist for the 2015 Keene Prize for Literature. Her work has appeared in Tin House, Boston Review, Indiana Review, Day One, and Narrative, among others. Website Meg Freitag About the Artist Meg Freitag Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art How do You let your children Go like that, every which Way into the world Like chess pieces Set to a terrible music. View Full Written Work O n c e t o S p e a k o f H i s B r i g h t n e s s By Meg Frietag ( o n e ) How do You let your children Go like that, every which Way into the world Like chess pieces Set to a terrible music. How Do You just stand there And watch them pedal their bikes Away from you, downhill At breakneck speeds. Tiny softShelled crabs so numerous as to seem Like a single, disorganized organism, Clamoring all over The tops of each other Trying to get to the best air. How do You let them bury Each other in the black Suede of the sea? The first time I rode in an airplane, I felt as if I was somehow getting closer to You. I felt like my prayers For my friend Joanna, who had been hit By a car and broken Her back, would be louder In Your ear. But the higher we went, The farther I realized You were. It didn’t Even occur to me, then, That she might die, or to worry about her Never being able to walk again. I just wanted her to be well Enough to accompany me To the waterpark. I wanted to go to her House and play Operation. She was the only person I knew Who still had all the bones And organs that went to the game. That summer, I listened to the Jewel CD on repeat, singing along Alone in the sunroom of my grandparents’ Pensacola house. Picture A child, small for her age, drenched In a large new vibrato. Picture the shivering Lizards adhered to the window Screens, picture how green. And the rain That came each evening, roaring Sheets of percussive music. I thought then Of the Old Testament God, so notoriously shortTempered, still figuring Himself Out. For the longest time I couldn’t Reconcile him with You. You, Who I spoke to at night when I was afraid I might do something to accidentally conjure The devil and needed reassurance. You with the dovelight That trailed behind You Everywhere you went. How Do the two of You decide When it’s time to reach Down, pick someone Up by the scruff of his neck? The clouds turn to brick Red scabs as the sun sinks, the streetLights flashing on Like minnows. I watched The movie My Girl. It felt like a hole Had been punched through The world when the boy Was stung to death by bees As he tried to retrieve The mood ring his best friend had dropped In the woods. I felt myself projected Into the body of the girl who loved him, When she finally lost it At his funeral Because he wasn’t wearing His glasses. ( t w o ) And in real life, there was Snowflake. They called him that In seventh grade because of how Pale he was: his birch- White hair, his see-through eyelashes. The veins in his arms like radio Wires. I swear they did But when I saw him again, years later, He didn’t know what I was talking about. You’re confusing me With somebody else, he said, And I never mentioned it again. Something happened to him In Afghanistan. Orange dust Rose around him So dense I couldn’t see him Through it whenever he tried to talk To me about his time there. What does one do When they are suddenly void Of all desire? Like they couldn’t grab Hold of a want If their life depended on it. I have been Before to this place, but have always made it Back in time. Desire, this bright Spot we carry by its handle Like a lantern as we move Forward. Without it We are blind as animals that live Their entire lives underground, living The small way, with their mouths Full of dirt. Long ago, The Earth was covered In a fine white fur. Animals Slept out in the open and ate Grain from the palms Of our hands. You learned the hard way That something white won’t stay Clean for long. The bacchanalian Stench became so thick We had to line our nostrils With camphor oil just to sleep At night. You took down Everyone’s number, said I will be back For you later. No one believed You, That’s how hollow the sounds Of Earth had become. But You Showed them. I think Snowflake killed people And he was violent with me, once. I didn’t speak A word to him In the three years leading up To his death. And yet I still remember him as mostly A gentle person. A boy with crooked Wire glasses and filthy sneakers, Who had panic attacks Every time he thought About what would happen Once the landfills filled up. A summer Morning, scored by garish, Unkind light. Blue Jays scatter from the yard Like marbles, every which Way, as I cross To the compost. I know It’s in their best interest, but I wish You’d not taught the animals to fear Us. Everything Is always getting smaller As it moves away. Do you see Me, how alive I am? Growing Old as a saint down here In my little skiff. Caught Between a desire to be loved— Deeply, permanently— And a desire To be weightless. A foil Wrapper in the soup-warm sea, Gleaming Like a beacon every now and again. When the light strikes just right. Close Loading Video . . . How do You let your children Go like that, every which Way into the world Like chess pieces Set to a terrible music. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . The Spark+Echo Band brings to life the wild imagery of Isaiah 6 in their lively song Ruined, featuring nimble flute and piano underscoring Isaiah's text. Isaiah 6 Ruined By The Spark & Echo Band ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2010 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ Six winged angels flying to your lips with a live coal, ravaged fields and ruined cities‚ÄìIsaiah 6 is full of dramatic imagery. It's a vivid story filled with uncertainty and atonement that takes some time to sink in. This is the text that inspired "Ruined." The recording is from the Spark+Echo Band's debut album. 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? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Frogs Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

collected-thoughts_chris-knight_featjpg.jpg Loading Video . . . I’ve always loved stories. As a kid, I carried books with me everywhere, reading in the car, disappearing under racks of clothes while my parents shopped. I lay on the floor in front of the TV for hours, re-watching my favorite movies on loop, soaking up mindless cartoons, watching another dumb sit-com with a book pressed close to my face. Stories were a way to meet new people, to break into their lives, to learn about the world I was still too young to experience. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Ecclesiastes 1:8-13 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 1 By Chris Knight ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2016 2016 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ March 14, 2016 I’ve always loved stories. As a kid, I carried books with me everywhere, reading in the car, disappearing under racks of clothes while my parents shopped. I lay on the floor in front of the TV for hours, re-watching my favorite movies on loop, soaking up mindless cartoons, watching another dumb sit-com with a book pressed close to my face. Stories were a way to meet new people, to break into their lives, to learn about the world I was still too young to experience. As individuals, as a culture, stories are the tools we use to define ourselves. We remember our victories and our failures. The things we’ve done, the people we were with and the things that matter to us. They let us outsource our memories, preserving our experiences, our identities against our inevitable disappearance. Or at least, that’s what we hope. But the Preacher of Ecclesiastes reminds us not even our stories will last. They will all be forgotten. We will be forgotten. In the central line from the passage I’ve chosen, the Preacher writes, “There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.” So then, who will to do the work of downloading us? Where do we go once we’re copied? And what if we change our minds? I’m still not sure where the story I’m writing is going. But I know that’s where it will start. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Chris Knight is a director and writer based in New York City. His short films and feature scripts have been selected for a variety of film festivals across the country. Website Chris Knight About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 3 Carried from Jericho Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Chris Knight Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Chris' project by reading his second , third and final 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 . . . The phrase “a chasing after the wind” occurs five times within the passages I have selected. This short dance video was created in reflection to that phrase. My creative process is about responsiveness rather than execution. In my first post for this residency I wrote out a clear artistic goals for myself. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. 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 Part 3 By Stephanie Miracle ​ Credits: ​ 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 ​ September 19, 2016 The phrase “a chasing after the wind” occurs five times within the passages I have selected. This short dance video was created in reflection to that phrase. My creative process is about responsiveness rather than execution. In my first post for this residency I wrote out a clear artistic goals for myself. But over these several months I can see that my work takes a less direct path. For all of the work in progress videos I had intended to use locations near my home in Essen, Germany; but while at an artist residency in Ghent, NY I spent several days collecting video of me dancing in the fields. After looking at the material I began to see a connection to the texts in Ecclesiastes and it sent me on a journey of questions: Is chasing after the wind a bad thing? Is it meaningless in that is cannot see what you are after?> Is it meaningless because it is un-catch able? What or who is the wind? Is the wind strong or gentle and thin? Should the wind move us? In this video I am seeking after something, something that is not seen. My movement is often passive, not extremely vigorous. I see that I am grasping at something. I move the camera in search of “it”. The days I worked in the fields the air was thin. I did not have much to clutch. I did not feel the wind on my skin or through the trees. Where did you go, wind? from Stephanie Miracle on Vimeo . 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 Treasure Heart Artist in Residence 2016: Stephanie Miracle Stephanie Miracle Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Stephanie's project by reading her first , second , and final post as a 2016 Artist in Residence. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;the more knowledge, the more grief. (Ecclesiastes 1:14-18) Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied. What advantage have the wise over fools? What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others? Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 6:7-9) Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Comedian Paul Schissler explores the unseen side of the comedian's life in response to Ecclesiastes 4:13-16. Ecclesiastes 4:13-16​ A Comedian's Bedtime Story By Paul Schissler ​ Credits: Written and Read by Paul Schissler Curated by: Michael Markham 2017 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ There’s a side to comedy that the audience doesn’t see. A side that’s not filled with laughter. So often people question what it’s like being a comedian -– how hard it is, what’s the motivation, what’s the goal? You work obsessively on something that results in mostly failures, setbacks and self-doubts. It’s incredibly lucky to “make it” in comedy, and often feels futile. Like chasing the wind. This bedtime story is an honest look at the roller coaster feelings inside a comedian -– hope, determination, joy, self-doubt, hopelessness. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Paul Schissler is a NYC comedian and co-founder of Comedywire.com . Paul’s been part of the NY Comedy Festival and seen on The Steve Harvey. Website Paul Schissler About the Artist Paul Schissler Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art A troubled young boy was looking for joy and so he laughed. When he laughed at mean comments and poked fun of himself-- he escaped the heartache, the teasing, the toils. View Full Written Work A Comedian's Bedtime Story By Paul Schissler A troubled young boy was looking for joy and so he laughed. When he laughed at mean comments and poked fun of himself-- he escaped the heartache, the teasing, the toils. He was in charge. The pain he had, created laughter. Laughter had conquered his pain. This young boy loved the thrill of making others laugh. It made them feel good and so for him too. A win-win. When there was conflict, he delivered a joke. Upon seeing tears, he would do a funny dance. Anger? He huffed and puffed and made funny faces. Humor was his sword. The more laughter he made, the more they wanted to be around him. Laughter was contagious for all. "Give us more laughter, do your faces and dance," he heard more and more. And that 's what he did. He grabbed a microphone and stood in front of a light, that way eve more could experience him and delight. They told their friends and their friends told theirs. Soon a great big audience was laughing, all just for him. The troubled young boy had become a man of great jokes‚ repeated and loved by people, filling their hearts. Bigger stages, brighter lights, illuminated his laughs; it attracted more people and inspired others to take part. One unhappy girl, in the crowd that was laughing, found joy in these jokes. She saw visions of grandeur and wanted a stage of her own-- bright lights and a microphone. Then all of the happiness, praise and laughs, would be all her own to have when she wants. She wrote her own jokes, and it made others happy. "Tell us some more," people cheered after her shows. Her laughter was new, her jokes were exciting, and people were tired of watching the old troubled man night after night. "We like the new laughs and the way she makes us feel. She will be our new laugh giver who gives us a thrill." The man of great jokes stepped off of his stage; he believed in his laughter no more and was filled only with rage. Though older now, the troubled young boy was still inside. He had never escaped, he was always just along for the ride. "What was the point if only to be forgotten? Chasing the laughter but now it 's all gone." The troubled old man took his place in the crowd. He smiled outside but had no joy in his heart. The people around him were laughing as one. Down by his side a boy grabbed his arm. "Mister, one day all these laughs will be mine, I 'll have a stage, lights and a microphone to make me shine." Close Loading Video . . . A troubled young boy was looking for joy and so he laughed. When he laughed at mean comments and poked fun of himself-- he escaped the heartache, the teasing, the toils. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Will Shine interprets the passage of Job 28:20-28 through rhythm, composition, and performance. Job 28:20-28 The Rhythmic Search for Wisdom - Job on Drums By Will Shine ​ Credits: ​ Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2019 ​ ​ ​ Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link ​ Where does wisdom come from? What does it sound and/or look like? Navigating through life, its highs and lows is a task that no degree of strength or intellect is truly ever sufficient for. It would seem then that to be ‘wise’ is to know how best to respond in the midst circumstance. I think this is what Job is all about. We can certainly speculate about the universe and perhaps even glean some minute amount of insight–Job reminds us that ‘fear of the Lord’ or said another way, understanding your smallness and simpleness is wisdom; departing from evil (when complacency and distraction become idols) is understanding. Read the passage below and then watch/listen to the video. Let the textures of the drumming remind you of the text and let the visual on the screen provide a focal point for meditating on this most important question: Where does wisdom come from? Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection ​ Will ‘Honey Pockets’ Shine comes from a musical family and was ‘made to play drums’. Will’s dad, a professional guitarist and band leader often joked (hopefully) that the only reason he had a kid was because he needed a drummer he could rely on. All joking aside, Will became that reliable drummer and, by age 8, began playing local festivals and talent shows in the San Diego area. Will eventually went on to study music and ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University where he developed as a drummer, guitarist, bassist, vocalist, and worship leader. After he left college as a musical-Swiss-army-knife-of-sorts, Will recorded and performed his own music and frequently sat in for other artists around Southern California. In 2011, just after releasing his first solo record Here, There, and Everywhere In Between , Will moved to Hawaii where he served as a music teacher and worship leader on the island of Oahu. Will kept playing and took on numerous students in these years, most of whom were aspiring drummers. He released a second solo offering, Pacific Sessions, in 2014. During this time, Will also sat in for Hawaii-based artists such as Mailani Makainai, Trey Terada, the Seumanu brothers, Kyle Furusho, Sammy Johnson, Tenelle, I.A., and Pou Jackson (to name a few). Will moved back to California in 2015 to attend Fuller Theological Seminary. He was immediately asked to join the All Seminary Chapel Staff where he’s most frequently served as the drummer for weekly chapels that stream online around the world. Will met his wife at Fuller and they currently reside in the LA area. These days, apart from being a full-time worship leader and the programming director for the non-profit ‘ The Power of Song’ ( http://www.thepowerofsong.org ), Will is the music director and drummer for both Adi (Aditya Rao) and Corey Ferrugia and does fly-dates with George Williamson/ ‘Westfall Gold’ events. Amidst all this, he’s currently working on new solo material! You can check Will out on his Instagram @Honey_Pockets . Website Will Shine About the Artist Will Shine Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art ​ View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . ​ Download Full Written Work