Loading Video . . . Creative writer Lancelot Schaubert brings us this inventive mini-series as he weaves together a small newspaper in response to a collection of Scripture passages. This first offering focuses on the theme of "lost" as found in Luke 15:3-7. Luke 15:3-7 Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 By Lancelot Schaubert Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 Creative Writing Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The theme of lostness comes up a ton in this section of the paper: and of how to find your way back. I wanted to hold that theme up to the light in as many unorthodox ways as possible. The Dragonsmaw daily is a paper circulating on LOMEDAY of the month of BLAGUROEDD 47 in the year 1109 P.T. on Gergia, one of the Vale Universe ( short story series here ). It may seem like a high-shelf sort of entry for the average reader, something that takes a herculean effort to embrace in terms of the suspension of disbelief or secondary belief in my created world. However, I think it's quite easy: if you'll trust me, it'll read as a wonderfully foreign paper from a wonderfully foreign world. It's ephemera: something like an in-world artifact I happened to pick up from a newsboy who was hawking EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA copies in order to have enough ₮ to get his sister through the week on an onion (actually it's more like a leek) based soup. She beat the fever, in case you were wondering. But I brought it back from Gergia and gave it to my friends at Spark and Echo that it might supplement the stories I've written here and elsewhere about these fantastic worlds I travel so frequently. For those that have followed along in any capacity, this paper tells of events taking place prior to the events in the Moon Boys series from my artist residency and quite far in the past from the other commissions here at Spark and Echo. It occupies the region around the Imperial Crescent in Gergia (top left of the main land mass on that false map I drew of the world) . Each of the events recorded in this paper feature major workings in the region. All together I wanted to bind up the themes of extinction, of power dynamics, and of being lost and found into one piece. So I stitched together three commissions in a more unified form than normal. Of course some parts of the paper will remain out of reach for some time — like any foreign country, Gergian customs and economics and politics only make sense after you've lived there for quite some time. But one day the times, dates, seasons, and currency will make perfect sense to you. And then the dread realization of what the paper really reveals will come all too clear, as clear as a Bell Hammer. 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 | 2 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 Watchtower Stripped to the Bonemeal Metaphysical Insurance Claim 0075A: The Delphic Oracle Philadelphia Bloodlines Lancelot Schaubert Other Works By As with most shared newspapers, some of the pages have been pulled out and are out of order, so you will have to piece them together as the project is released. You may find the other parts of the project at Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 and Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 . You may also view the entirety of the project, here — as a brand new newspaper. Related Information View More Art Make More Art Five months ago, Vritra — ill and desperate — crashed headlong into the loadbearing wall that Stornheist shares with the North Gate and ever since our surrounding lands grow nothing, bear nothing, receive nothing, and hold no measure of moisture. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Five months ago, Vritra — ill and desperate — crashed headlong into the loadbearing wall that Stornheist shares with the North Gate and ever since our surrounding lands grow nothing, bear nothing, receive nothing, and hold no measure of moisture. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Blues band Kenyon Adams & American Restless sing the Psalms as Blues. Here they bring to life the wails of Psalms 25 and 91 through "Shame", a song written by Noah Lekas. Psalms 25 Psalms 91 Shame By Kenyon Adams & American Restless Credits: Words and Music by Noah Lekas Musicians: Kenyon Adams & American Restless, featuring Noah Lekas Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2012 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link About the song, by Noah Lekas: I really liked the idea of contending with God for His name’s sake – as if to say, “I know I am not worth helping, but You have to help me because of who You are.” So the song is sort of exploring that and this idea of being completely out numbered and surrounded in a Psalm 91 Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The personal histories of Kenyon Adams and Noah Lekas (American Restless) have converged at the crossroads of the blues, where black music of the American south meets the Midwest, much as it did during the 1950's as many southern blacks (including Muddy Waters and Little Walter) head north from their share-cropping communities to seek job opportunities and play for dollars on the city streets. The blues was never nihilistic but presented a gut-wrenchingly honest spirituality which was, in it's deep concern for the human situation, both theologically and philsophically concerned. The music of Kenyon Adams & American Restless seeks to represent these aspects of the blues in our post-post modern setting in which we live among a generation which, while being privileged & educated to an unprecedented degree, is perhaps more confused and discontented than any in recent history. To this picture and in this scenario we wish to contribute our own "cries" out to God in solidarity with all who struggle to reconcile inner longings with the besieging cruelty of the mundane. Website Kenyon Adams & American Restless About the Artist Kenyon Adams & American Restless Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Contended And Retain Linda Smith, Contended Linda Smith, Retain Loading Video . . . The work of artist Linda Smith celebrates female forms while reflecting on the attention paid to women in Numbers 27:6-7. Numbers 27:6-7 Contended and Retain By Linda Smith Credits: Curated by: Michael Markham 2019 Mixed Materials Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link In my newest body of work, I have created different 3-dimensional shapes. Using organic materials such as pig bladder, gauze, hemp, pantyhose and various fabrics, I weave together multiple womblike forms using a variety of processes including burning, alternatively exposing and concealing the interior. My objective in working with such varied physical properties and materials is to create a world of weightless spheres that provide a temporary haven from outside elements. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Linda Smith is an artist and art educator who helped start a non-profit with her partner Prossy Yohana while living in Kigali, Rwanda, called the “ TEOH Project ”, which provides cameras and art classes to children in Rwanda, Ghana and Bronx, NY. She has been commissioned by the UN to provide photographic classes to survivors and former perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. She earned an MFA from the University of Connecticut. Her work has been exhibited in the United Nations, Embassies and Universities. Instagram: @laughing_linda Website Linda Smith About the Artist Linda Smith Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

See Brian S Chan 1 Loading Video . . . Pastor, author, and painter Brian S. Chan's work See reflects the theme of "poverty" from Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 18:35-43. Mark 10:46-52 Luke 18:35-43 See By Brian S. Chan Credits: Artist location: Los Angeles Curated by: Brian Dang 2014 13.5 x 12.5 inches Charcoal and Acrylic on Paper Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I think of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, who had not seen anything for many years or perhaps his entire life. Thought of as stricken by God, this beggar was impoverished not only in money but also in social acceptance. I picture the real poverty of this man was indicated by his weathered and worn face after years of begging in the streets under the sun and surviving in harsh conditions – a poor lifestyle that would’ve easily aged a man. He showed his faith in Jesus by crying out to him in spite of the public’s scorn. He called for Jesus to have mercy on him. “Mercy” was his cry. Perhaps this poor man understood that his poverty was not just physical but spiritual. When Jesus asked what he could do for him, Bartimaeus did not ask for unlimited money, a castle on a hill or the pleasures of royalty, for those would’ve seemed too small in comparison to what he actually asked for! He asked for something that could only from the vast resources of God – sight. It was understood then that the only being that could make the deaf hear, the mute speak or the blind see was God. This kind of healing was a direct act of the Creator, the one who made the ears, mouth and eyes. The healing of blindness not only meant physical sight but the implication of mercy, forgiveness and acceptance by God. So as I contemplated this incident, I captured the very moment of Bartimaeus receiving the lavishing miracle of Jesus, the moment he experienced the riches of divine glory pouring over him and his eyes began to see. As the darkness faded, the first thing he saw was his Savior Jesus. What must he have felt or thought? Red traditionally represented the blood of Christ, signifying God’s ultimate grace. The nature of the gift to Bartimaeus was founded on grace. Bartimaeus did not work for it or earn it. He simply believed that Jesus was the second person of the triune God who had the power to lavish such a gift on an undeserving man. Gold traditionally represented divinity, signifying that Bartimaeus received a divine gift from the riches of God’s hand. I’m touched by the comedic and wonderful twist at the end of the story. Jesus told him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” That is, you can go live your life now with your new sight. But Bartimaeus did not go away from Jesus. He followed Jesus. Discipleship was prompted by the lavishing of rich grace by the Son of God. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Brian S. Chan is a Church Planting Pastor of Re-Create Church in Los Angeles; professor at Biola University, teaching a theology/philosophy of beauty; author of The Purple Curtain: Living Out Beauty in Faith and Culture from a Biblical Perspective ; BA in psychology & BA in sociology from UC Davis, ThM in historical theology and MA in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary, and DMin in philosophy from Talbot School of Theology; married to Ellen and foster father of two baby boys. Website Brian S. Chan About the Artist Brian S. Chan Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . 2016 Artist in Residence Chris Knight presents his completed film "Collected Thoughts," inspired by Ecclesiastes 1:8-13. Ecclesiastes 1:8-13 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight By Chris Knight This film contains brief moments of violence and strong language, and may not be suitable for all audiences. Discretion is advised. Credits: Title: Collected Thoughts Written and Directed by Chris Knight Starring: Jason Griffith, Erica Newhouse, Philip Callen, Michael Markham Produced by Luciana Alamo, Chris Knight, Michael Markham 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 I grew up in the South, which in New York City where I live now, is sometimes considered unusual. A magnolia-scented strangeness hangs over the region. People ask what Alabama is like in ways I would never consider asking about Iowa or Oregon, like it's uncharted territory, somewhere not just off the grid but beyond it. When they do, I explain that I ate the same Bloomin' Onions, sat in the same movie theater darkness and rode shotgun past the same indistinguishable suburban homes. The suburbs are the same everywhere, and the secessionist mix of ignorance and anger I know they're really asking about is everywhere, too. But I know what they mean. Something about the South is different. Our greatest writer said, "The past is never dead. It's not even past," and it's true there. We learn to bathe in our past, to resent it and revere it, to hate it and re-enact it and never ever to escape it. We feel, and are reminded of, our nation-rending selfishness born of greed and inhumanity. We built monuments to warriors fallen in the service of an ignoble, revolting cause, and we imagine that our connection to the past makes us somehow more substantial. Ecclesiastes reminds us that our past will not save us. It's a book about impermanence and failure. It reminds us that everything under the sun will be forgotten. The riches we gather will be scattered, the towers we raise will fall. It asks us to find small comforts while they're available because oppression and fear and the yawning grave are coming for us. In this most hopeless of years, filled with dead heroes and decayed ideals, I chose as my inspiration a book quite literally about hopelessness. So I made a film about hope. The hope that we might be remembered while our failures are not. The hope that we aren't the people our worst actions reveal us to be. That we are better than what we have been. Because that's the promise of the Bible: that there's something beyond this hopeless world we find under the sun. That there our sins can be scrubbed from our fetid souls, and we will be preserved, clean and upstanding. That we will be redeemed. Almost one hundred and fifty years ago in the American South, the men whose monuments I visited on class trips instituted an era of horrific violence and rapacious looting across the region. They set out to make the South great again by disenfranchising the newly freed slaves, installing corrupt, oligarchic leaders and using the power of the state to destroy anyone who resisted. They called it Redemption. The arc of the moral universe does not bend toward justice. It bends under our own hands, in whatever directions we choose to bend it, and we are craven, spiteful and vicious. We lose ourselves in daily routines and petty jealousies and fail to see the principles we've betrayed and the devastation we've brought down until we're standing in the rubble. Eventually, the villains always win. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes knows all this, but he knows something else, too: "There is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime." We can't change human nature, our thirst for power over each other, our eagerness to turn away from the pain we cause and get back to the mundane tasks we have to do. Like Randall in the film, we tell ourselves we must be doing the right thing because we're doing what makes our own lives easier, what advances our own needs. But in the midst of it all, maybe sometimes we can glimpse each other stumbling around in the howling night and perform a small mercy, to shed some light on their path and push away the darkness, if only for a moment. And the struggle to do that is worthwhile in itself, even if it is hopeless. Especially when it is hopeless. "That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done." Corruption, violence and fear suffuse the world that we live in. We can't escape them, and in this world under the sun they will never be beaten. But we can fight them. We can work to see the people in our lives who need our help. And we can try to be better tomorrow than we were today. History may not remember us, but at least we will know what we did. 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 2 Artist in Residence 2016: Chris Knight Part 3 Carried from Jericho Chris Knight Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Chris' project by reading his 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 . . . I read a devotional recently that touched upon our disposable culture. We are all too familiar with this in regards to our use of products, ever growing pace of production, and consumption of physical objects. Exodus 28:1-5 Exodus 28:29-30 Proverbs 19:20-21 Isaiah 50:7 Hebrews 12:2 Romans 7:15 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 1 By Melissa Beck Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2015 Installation, Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link March 30, 2015 I read a devotional recently that touched upon our disposable culture. We are all too familiar with this in regards to our use of products, ever growing pace of production, and consumption of physical objects. However what fascinated me beyond that was the connection to disposability in the more intangible things, our relationships and commitments, which is something far more consequential. A quote from the devotional: “…Many times true commitment in relationships is seen as optional. Marriages struggle to survive. Long term employees are discharged just before retirement for cheaper options….It seems as if nothing lasts.” I began thinking about commitment versus disposability as well as temporal versus permanent. I find it interesting how we often opt for temporal or disposable commitments to each other, to our goals, to our convictions, to our Lord. Yet at the same time, we were made for eternity, we believe in loyalty, we long for committed relationships and need them. However no one is exempt from this struggle of keeping promises or not letting commitments fade out. It is a constant battle within us. For me personally, reading this devotional hit home as I realized that I often make commitments to myself and to God that I don’t keep. So often I decide to face my fears and complete a project, focus on developing a good habit, or even something more invisible as being aware of my own selfish attitudes. While I believe heartedly in these good things, I find that after a brief time of establishing a commitment I have long forgotten about them or feel less convicted and let them slip into the periphery of my life. Why is it that we so often dispose of what we truly deem as of utmost importance? For this yearlong residency with Spark and Echo Arts, I will create a series of works that will explore the struggle and beauty of this battle we each face. Each piece will be tied to a Bible verse or verses that I personally feel holds the heart of this reality and yet inherently explains universally what we all face in some way. I have spent the past few months both being inspired and wrestling with how to connect my own artwork with the Bible and how to bring that forth to speak to an audience. After many late nights of trying to pin down vague inspirations and contemplating the feelings around these concepts, I’ve honed my ideas into four concrete pieces. These will come in the form of sculptures, performance, video, and a documented event. Although I am setting out to make these specific works, I anticipate things will change, but even in that lays some truth about making commitments and what time does to that. More on this will be explored later. I am very excited to see these ideas become reality, to move from my personal warehouse to the public sphere, and to experience dialogue with others of how these works relate to personal lives, communal living, and the specific stories we each carry. Disposable Commitments, Melissa Beck “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15) This first piece, while simple is a pertinent way of sculpturally manifesting this idea of “disposable commitments.” Porcelain china dishes are stacked in a plastic bag, taking the place of disposable foam plates. Two similar yet vastly different entities juxtaposed. Dishes that are long lasting, intended to be used over and over have been cheapened to mere disposable plates. What was intended and made to last a lifetime has become temporal and discarded. As a sculpture artist, I am drawn to objects and things in the visible world that when arranged in a certain way or setting reflect an invisible truth or reality. It helps me to see what is beneath the surface in our lives, but is most definitely there. I could have used any objects, but dishes reminded me of a marriage. Permanent not disposable dishes are a traditional gift at weddings because they symbolize two becoming one for the long haul. In this commitment is a lifetime promise to not just experience and create dreams together but also to do the mundane daily life of eating meals, cooking, cleaning, entertaining guests, and continuing routine together year after year. Yet this ultimate commitment, which is esteemed as the most committed relationship two people can have, is often reduced to less. It is cheapened, abandoned, severed and lost. Even in our loyalty to friends or goals, sometimes they start out as permanent in our minds and souls, but somewhere along the line they seem to fade, blending into the periphery of our lives and being cluttered among other discards. In photographing this piece, I found that the stack of dishes amongst trash blends in quite easily. The colors mesh with the environment and yet there is something odd about these china dishes inside a plastic bag. It isn’t right. It isn’t right because we know these plates like our commitments were made for more and yet we constantly battle to keep ourselves from doing the very things that cause us to discard of our commitments. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Melissa Beck ’s work explores elements of the everyday redefining the familiar in unexpected ways so as to reawaken our eyes to what is often overlooked. She is an emerging artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Melissa grew up in Los Angeles and San Diego. She achieved her MFA in sculpture at Pratt Institute and graduated in 2013. Her dream is to create large-scale public artwork and to become an art professor. When Melissa isn’t making art, life for her consists of freelance sewing and display work, nanny-ing, dancing, laughing with her friends, visiting the California sun and taking life one step at a time with her Creator. Website Melissa Beck About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 2 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 4 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Breadth Melissa Beck Other Works By View Melissa's second , third , fourth and final posts to follow the development of her 2015 Artist in Residence project. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Letting the text 'speak' to directly inspire his creative process, composer and musician Ezra Haugabrooks wrote, performed, and recorded this song in response to Joel 2:1-11. Joel 2:1-11 Joel By Ezra Haugabrooks Credits: Lyrics, Music, and Performance by Ezra Haugabrooks Curated by: Aaron Beaumont 2017 Pop Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I picked the King James Version (KJV) to find inspiration for melodic material for my work. This translation is a personal favorite of mine because the challenging nature of the language leaves me filled with a sense of awe, which I felt especially in the first 11 verses of Joel 2. However, the New International Version (NIV) helped me conceptualize a sense foreshadowing in this passage. I formed the lyrics of my song from a blend of the KJV and NIV. So, once I created an arch to join the two versions of the first 11 verses, I fit the words to the melodic and rhythmic structure previously established from my work with the KJV. Personally, I have the most fun developing the harmony of my music. A few nights one week, I went to the local university with my four year old son. There, I messed around with the piano to see what might come out of my improvisational playing in association with the melody and lyrics. After I developed some ideas, I populated them into a digital audio workstation (DAW). There, I built a simple beat to help me rap-sing out the lyrics before doing a final recording over the finished beat in studio. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ezra Haugabrooks has performed throughout the US and abroad as a composer, violist, pianist, singer and conductor. He started producing music in elementary school and has been writing since high school. He has completed a degree in viola performance at Andrews University. Ezra plans to continue writing music and growing the nonprofit chamber orchestra that he founded: BADO . He currently lives in St Petersburg, Florida with his son, Noah. Website Ezra Haugabrooks About the Artist Ezra Haugabrooks Other Works By Read the composite scripture lyrics for " Joel ." Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Response", a composition by Jonathon Roberts for saxophone quartet and baritone, directly sets the Apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4. 2 Corinthians 2:1-4 Response By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Music by Jonathon Roberts Text by Apostle Paul Musicians: Chris Clouthier, Allison Davis, Mark Determan, Kim Reece, saxophone quartet; Jonathon Roberts, voice Artist Location: Wisconsin Curated by: Jonathon + Emily 2005 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Depending on what he thought people needed to hear, Paul used different ways to speak to the people he served: love, discipline, humor, anger. We see in this passage a tender, regretful, sad side of Paul as he alerts the Corinthians of his change of plans. This piece was original composed for vocalist Charlie Christensen and then expanded as part of Project Paul , a theatre piece on the life of Apostle Paul. 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 There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner Weakness The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Babbler 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 . . . In her new monologue Alfred, Gwen, and Steve, theater artist Jean Ann Douglass reflects on the theme of eavesdropping and Ecclesiastes 7:21. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Alfred, Gwen, and Steve By Jean Ann Douglas Credits: Artist Location: Brooklyn, New York Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2014 Monologue Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Some of my most formative experiences involved hearing things that I wasn’t supposed to hear. I’ve overheard things that were painful to hear. I’ve overheard things that helped me understand people more deeply. This passage struck me because it admonishes eavesdropping, not because of the intrusion on other’s privacy, but because the honest things that people say about you when they think you’re not listening might be painful to hear. It also touches on power dynamics, and implies that people who are lower in status will always say bad things about people with higher status behind their backs. That may be true. Power is complicated. I wanted to explore the act of purposefully eavesdropping, especially when you know that you will hear things that hurt. Things that are personal. There’s a part of me that wishes I could hear everything that people say about me when I’m not around, and I know that desire is dangerous. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jean Ann Douglass is a performance artist whose original work has been seen at The Kitchen, CPR—Center for Performance Research, DUMBO Arts Festival, chashama, Monkeytown, Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, Lost Horizon Night Market, Marian Spore, FringeNYC, New Orleans Fringe Festival, and in rental trucks all over the country. She has collaborated on projects at 3LD, Trinity Rep, The Flea, Bushwick Starr, and on various streets and rooftops in Brooklyn. MFA: Performance and Interactive Media Arts (PIMA), Brooklyn College. BFA: Dance and Theatre, Tulane University. Website Jean Ann Douglas About the Artist Jean Ann Douglas Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art I bought the wig and mustache when we moved offices. The interior designer thought it would be a befitting status symbol if I had a private bathroom in the corner office. View Full Written Work Alfred, Gwen, and Steve by Jean Ann Douglas Ecclesiastes 7:21 I bought the wig and mustache when we moved offices. The interior designer thought it would be a befitting status symbol if I had a private bathroom in the corner office. In the old days, I would carry flats and patterned thigh-highs I would never wear into the bathroom, hidden in my shoulder bag. After I had changed, it was always a matter of minutes before I'd hear something worthwhile. Sometimes it was just teary calls to husbands and patient instructions for nannies. But then two people would greet each other while washing their hands and just talk about their work day. It was the kind of chat everyone became too scared to have with me back in the 90s. That stall was where I'd get my best ideas: where the women piss and shit and sigh unguarded sighs. My wig's name is Alfred. My mustache's name is Gwen. She's named after my grandmother. Alfred isn't named after anyone. My two friends and I now visit the Irish pub on the corner every Friday. The company thinks I work from home, thinking executive thoughts. Blaggard's thinks they have a shy retiree that nurses a hot toddy fifty-two days a year. When work lets out, I've already established myself at the center stool of the bar. My employees file in at 5:01 and fill in around me, the last stragglers to leave the office getting stuck ordering their vodka sodas next to the weird, quiet, old man. I learned the first day that Alfred and Gwen weren't enough, and they were joined by Steve, my tinted glasses. An old man at the bar is inconspicuous, unless he's silently crying womanish tears as jokes fly around him, coworkers letting off steam at the end of the week. Close Loading Video . . . I bought the wig and mustache when we moved offices. The interior designer thought it would be a befitting status symbol if I had a private bathroom in the corner office. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Aaron Beaumont's new song explores the psychedelic nature of Peter's vision in connection to his introduction to Cornelius as described in Acts 10. Acts 10 Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) By Aaron Beaumont Credits: Written, Performed, and Produced By Aaron Beaumont. 2016 Backup Vocals: Amanda Wallace Curated by: Sarah Gregory 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Acts 10 is an incredible – and incredibly wacky – story. Intense heat, a meditation sesh on a seaside rooftop, culminating in a trance in which exotic animals appear out of thin air THREE times. It might be raving mad or psychedelic – either way, Peter definitely looks kind of like a person who, I confess, I would take pains not to sit by on the subway. This made me wonder, “What WOULD this story look like if it happened today? What would I have done in Peter’s shoes?” That’s the basis of Narwhal and Ocelot… that, plus, the irresistible opportunity to (as a theater writer and all around word-play dork) come up with a bunch of rhymes for “ocelot,” which I’ve never had an excuse to work into a lyric (and it was still a stretch) #lifegoals . Here, Joppa becomes L.A., my beloved former home and a place not especially scared of a little casual afternoon rooftop meditation (possibly paired with hot yoga). Also, Peter’s dietary restrictions – so L.A.! Having grown up a vegetarian, I get it, and still dabble. For instance, I too would abstain from eating narwhal and ocelot, probably even if I thought it was the Lord’s bidding? And therein lies the crux of this story for me: it isn’t simply that Peter gets this zany vision, but rather, that he also acts on it, traveling to a whole new city to rendezvous with an officer from foreign occupying forces. Highly taboo. And from what I understand, the outcome of all these absurd, weird decisions was (likely) the first non-Jewish Christian community. I, for one, as a healthy skeptic, given to perhaps excessive rationalization, would probably have dismissed this vision out of hand (perhaps even as a byproduct of the “shellfish that I ate”). But then, as an artist, and moreover, as a human, I’m constantly challenged to act on a tenuous vision – to organize my life around a conception of reality that is frequently at odds with the actual reality I’m confronted with. In a recent interview, Todd Rundgren says something to the effect that he’s an idealist, and boldly believes in a bright future for humanity – and as a result, he often finds himself kind of angry at humanity for regularly challenging this organizing principle. To me, the Acts 10 story illustrates the conundrum perfectly: the problems of perception and apprehension, and the elusive, complicated, sometimes absurd, and often frustrating nature of chasing a vision. This time, it works out for Peter. But what do we do with all the days when the crazy, transcendent rooftop vision isn’t accompanied, and affirmed, by an ensuing knock at the door? Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aaron Beaumont has toured the U.S. and Europe as a pianist and songwriter and been invited to share his work in wide-ranging venues from the Sziget Festival in Budapest to KCRW Santa Monica to the Tribeca Film Festival to off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village to the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. L.A. Weekly wrote that Aaron's music brings "a new life to the ancient music-hall/pop piano-man tradition, with clear-headed songs of genuinely witty lyrical oomph and, most of all, a historically informed musical depth – all delivered with style, grace, wit and elan, of course." Aaron wrote one song, arranged two others, and served as a piano performance coach for the feature Permission (Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis, 2017 Tribeca Film Festival), which premieres worldwide February 2018. He also contributed two songs to the forthcoming series Dan is Dead (Drake Bell, Maker Studios) and two songs to the indie feature film Alex & Jaime (2017 Roxbury International Film Festival). Aaron contributed an original co-write (“17”) and several arrangements to Gil McKinney’s 2017 debut album, How Was I to Know, which reached #1 on the iTunes jazz chart and #8 on the Billboard jazz chart. He also co-wrote “Good Love” for Briana Buckmaster’s 2018 debut album (#1 iTunes blues, #3 Billboard blues). Other recent TV and film placements include original songs written for Cedar Cove (Andie McDowell) and Where Hope Grows (Billy Zabka, Danica McKellar; Dallas Film Festival, Roadside Attractions). Aaron has composed original scores for films and theatrical productions, including All the Lovely Wayside Things; Tall, Dark, and Handsome; Heart; Until We Have Faces; Shrew; The Fire Room; the Breakfast Show with Adam O; Companion; and Beyond Imagination, winning best score and sound design at the Hollywood Fringe Festival for his work on Fugitive Kind’s production of The Fire Room by Ovation Award-winning playwright Meghan Brown. In 2016, Aaron wrote a commissioned work for the Spark & Echo Arts project, and in 2017 Aaron created a larger scale work as an Artist in Residence. Aaron also works as an in-house arranger, producer, composer, and mix engineer for the Gregory Brothers / Schmoyoho, whose original music has earned them a gold and platinum record and nearly one billion views on YouTube, along with myriad collaborations on other platforms. Recent Gregory Brothers collabs include the Justice League film (ft. Gary Clark Jr.), Weird Al Yankovic, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bassnectar, Alex Wassabi, LaurDIY, Markiplier, Slow Mo Guys, Todrick Hall, J. Fla, The Resident (Fox Network), and the International Olympic Channel. Songs Aaron has worked on with the Gregory Brothers have received over 175 million plays on YouTube. In 2015, Aaron participated in the Ultraviolet Music and Arts Festival in Los Angeles as a featured artist and presenter, and performed with his band The Mots Nouveaux for the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Rockwood Music Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Aaron wrote the music and lyrics to the original musical, Behind Closed Doors, which sold out every performance at the historic Hayworth Theater, received multiple Broadway World L.A. Award nominations, and played for thousands of festival goers on the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. Behind Closed Doors was selected to participate in the New York International Fringe Festival as a national show, enjoying a mostly oversold run at off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village. Aaron was selected as a finalist as a composer and lyricist for the Fred Ebb Foundation / Roundabout Theatre Company Fred Ebb Award for musical theater songwriters, and received the Hal Gaba Scholarship for Excellence in Lyrics from UCLA/Concord Records. Aaron is currently developing new musicals with playwrights Meghan Brown, Andrew Crabtree, Peter Berube, and Cassandra Christensen, and a one-woman show with soprano Lorelei Zarifian. Lorelei and Aaron’s first musical triptych, Midtown Antoinette, was featured on NPR-affiliate WFIT in March 2016 and debuted as part of the Florida Tech / Foosaner Museum French Film Festival. Aaron also occasionally helps produce the outrageous bingo raves phenomenon, Rebel Bingo, in New York and Los Angeles, as featured in the L.A. Times, Guardian, and BBC , and recently played a run of five capacity shows in the downtown L.A.’s Globe Theatre as part of 2016 Night on Broadway. Aaron has collaborated as pianist, musical director, and/or co-writer with a panoply of music buddies, including Jason Manns, Gil McKinney, Sara Niemietz, Tim Omundsen, Dave Yaden, Nicholas Zork, Aaron Roche, Nick Bearden, Emma Fitzpatrick, Amanda Wallace, Shane Alexander, Ben Jaffe, Brett Young, Courtney Bassett, Eden Malyn, Luis Selgas, Aly French, Sam Heldt, Karma Jenkins, Emily Iaquinta, Lynette Williams, Meshach Jackson, Roy Mitchell-Cardenas, Kamasi Washington, Chad Doreck, J.T. Spangler, and Katrina Parker. He claimed several distinctions as a young classical pianist, including two-time Wisconsin Academy Musician of the Year, Andrews University Concerto Competition Finalist, and the British Royal Conservatory of Music Award of Highest Distinction for Piano Performance at the Newbold Creative Arts Festival. He currently serves as co-chair of the Carnegie Hill Concert Series in New York, featuring leading interpreters of classical and New Music from around the globe. In 2015, Aaron founded SongLab, an online songwriting community for emerging songwriters. The inaugural SongLab Series welcomed GRAMMY-winner Dave Yaden as special guest. In addition to working with other artists, Aaron performs as one-third of the pop trio, The Mots Nouveaux, alongside vocalists Emma Fitzpatrick and Amanda Wallace. The band celebrated their latest album release with a residency at Hotel Café, a six-month residency at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, and residencies at Rockwood Music Hall and Sidewalk Café in New York. They were invited to join the lineup for the Broke L.A. Music Festival in downtown Los Angeles, where Lyynks music hailed their set as the “greatest revelation” of the festival, one that “really thrilled the crowd” of thousands at the Lounge Stage (GroundSounds.com). The Mots Nouveaux recorded a new EP in Spring 2017 with co-producer Peter Barbee / Among Savages, with forthcoming tracks slated for 2018 release. Aaron released his debut solo project, Nothing's Forever (Not Even Goodbye), featuring the first ten songs he wrote, on Milan Records (Warner-Ryko) in 2008. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing the piano, traveling, eating, writing songs, making coffee, drinking coffee, collecting records, going for brisk walks, being near coffee, and composing extensive autobiographical sketches in the third person. Website Aaron Beaumont About the Artist Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 1 Lightness of the Pines Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont Aaron Beaumont Other Works By Read: Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) lyrics Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Two, Oil on Canvas, 10 x 20 inches Lifted, Charcoal on Paper, 14 x 17 inches Loading Video . . . Abigail Barr explores the theme of "Community" from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 through two different works of oil and charcoal. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two and Lifted By Abby Barr Credits: Curated by: Matt Talmage and Renee Bergen, Pop-Up Curator 2012 Two: 10 x 20 inches. Lifted:14 x 17 inches. Two: Oil on Canvas. Lifted: Charcoal. Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Growing up in a strong evangelical family, my faith and art are deeply intertwined. I think of spiritual concepts in terms of visual images, and often the inspiration for my art comes from what I am learning or meditating on in my walk with the Lord. This project was no exception. I keenly felt my own insufficiency for the task and wrestled with the image throughout my time working on it, but ultimately I found my faith strengthened as I experienced the Lord inspiring and guiding me faithfully through the process. I have always loved creating illustrative work that suggests story, as well as using people as subject matter. For me, figures are a powerful way to tell a story and show emotion in my work. The passage I chose to illuminate (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) speaks deeply about the importance of relationships and community, of keeping yourself woven into the fabric of lives around you. Correspondingly, I wanted the two figures I drew to be joined inextricably as one whole unit, and yet distinguishable as separate entities, pushing and pulling on each other and displaying dynamic unity. I hope the image illustrates the power of bearing one another's burdens and carrying one another through hard times, even though this may be difficult and messy. We can only succeed by looking to the One who bore all our burdens perfectly, and continues to lift us up when we fall. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Abby Barr grew up in Hampton Roads, Virginia as part of a large, artistic family. She has been drawing and creating artwork as long as she can remember. Since her early teenage years, she has shown and sold her work, as well as fulfilled commissions. After graduating from high school, where she recieved four years of private classical art instruction, she went on to study Theology and Philosophy at Grove City College (2007), where she also consistently pursued art classes outside her major. Her mediums of choice include pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, watercolors, ceramics and collage. Abby has travelled and lived around the world, for both work and pleasure, and moved to Manhattan in 2011. She currently doodles and sketches in Harlem or at a shared studio near Columbia University. Website Abby Barr About the Artist Abby Barr Other Works By Abigail was chosen by our Pop-Up Curators, Matt Talmage and Renée Renata Bergan during a Spark & Echo concert at Pete’s Candy Store . Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." This love song is inspired by the Bible's writings on eternal life, true lasting love, and the beautiful night time sounds of spring peeper frogs near the house I grew up in in Wisconsin. The Bible passage that appears directly in the song is Matthew 6:19-21, and the concept of dying to ourselves from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31) is also prominent. Other biblical concepts include the influence of nature and spiritual forces on our lives, the lies we believe, and the hope of eternal life (see Psalm 136:1, 1 John 2:25, Jude 1:21). Matthew 6:19-21 Frogs 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 "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." This love song is inspired by the Bible's writings on eternal life, true lasting love, and the beautiful night time sounds of spring peeper frogs near the house I grew up in in Wisconsin. The Bible passage that appears directly in the song is Matthew 6:19-21, and the concept of dying to ourselves from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31) is also prominent. Other biblical concepts include the influence of nature and spiritual forces on our lives, the lies we believe, and the hope of eternal life (see Psalm 136:1, 1 John 2:25, Jude 1:21). This song was written at my childhood home after a break-up with a long-time girlfriend, Emily Clare Zempel. Year later, Emily and I reunited in NYC and got married. I sang this song at our wedding reception, and later, we recorded it as the Spark+Echo Band and toured it around the country. It used to be a sad song for me, but now it's a love song between us. -Jonathon Roberts 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 Ruined 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