Arts

Arts Partners Mentor the Next Generation

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 19:18:33 +0000

By Henry Lucey-Lee, National Director of Arts Ministry

Arts Partners Mentor the Next Generation

As an arts student, Daniel never expected to walk through an art gallery accompanied by an experienced scholar and writer like Walter Hansen. He was even more surprised when Walter asked for his opinion on the stimulating art that surrounded them. Walter was genuinely interested in Daniel’s work, and his ability to listen well to young creative people was the motivation behind this meeting. Their relationship and friendship continued to grow through similar conversations.

The arts influence culture in a profound way, and young artists need to learn more than just trade skills in their media. Our arts schools often prepare students to be proficient at pursuing their art work, but leave them unprepared emotionally and spiritually for life after graduation.

Furthermore, arts students with irregular, demanding, and performance-oriented schedules often find it difficult to fit into traditional ��ñ�� communities. They face high expectations to succeed academically and live with pressure from studio professors who tell them what to do. For these reasons, connecting students like Daniel with mentors like Walter is significant.

The Making of the Arts Partners Group

The ��ñ�� Arts Partners Group is a group of professional Christian artists who volunteer their time and resources to develop young Christian artists so they may flourish both as experts in their work and as influential culture-changers.

Karen Mains, a writer and former ��ñ�� Board Chair, spearheaded the creation of the ��ñ�� Arts Partners Group out of her love for discipleship, along with the help of many friends of former Arts Ministry Director Dick Ryan. These friends enthusiastically volunteered themselves to mentor Arts Ministry students in order to create opportunities for students to engage in conversations about life and art.

For the past five years, ��ñ�� Arts Ministry has connected members of the Arts Partners Group with students in Chicago’s School of the Art Institute (SAIC), Roosevelt University, and Columbia College. These connections motivated a variety of activities with the volunteer Arts Partners. Every few months, members of the group host dinner meetings for students in their homes in downtown Chicago. One member, a professor of music at Northwestern University, hosts monthly prayer gatherings in his studio. Another member hosted a festive Christmas party. Many of the professional artists have attended the students’ musical performances or gallery showings.

All of these events have a bottom line commonality. They all create a Christian community for the students in which their well-being and development is encouraged. These spaces provided by the Arts Partners allow students to engage in conversation about how art, life, and faith intersect. In addition, these volunteer mentors understand the students because of their shared identity as Christian artists. This spiritual support system inspires students to break beyond the technical mold and step into their arts departments as the salt and light of Jesus.

The Next Generation of Leaders

Dick Ryan observed, “I believe we are in the beginning of a revolution across the country. Arts communicate feelings and a sense of well-being. God wants to send art students out into the world to talk about His truth and beauty and justice.”

We want to be a part of God’s revolution in the arts. Our vision for ��ñ�� Arts Ministry is “to develop serious artists, with a serious faith, to lead witnessing communities inside their art department or art school, and then go on to be influential leaders in the arts world.”

By successfully connecting arts students and volunteer arts professionals, the Chicago model is a template for other top arts departments nationwide. In line with our vision, we hope that similar relationships and communities can develop future generations of influential arts leaders within the Christian community.

Next Steps

Interested in becoming an Arts Partner? Contact Henry Lucey-Lee, National Director of Arts Ministry for the next steps.

News Keywords

Acceptable Notes

AD-16225 — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:50:52 +0000

News

Abi Christian

Acceptable Notes

Solitude can be a way of life for many student musicians. They spend long hours alone in a practice room and sometimes compete with peers for practice space, performances, and uncertain careers. When ��ñ�� student Alex Cap left the College of New Jersey for a summer music program in North Carolina, he expected to put in the long hours and hard work at the piano. He didn’t expect to find a thriving Christian community—or that God would use him to encourage others spiritually, as well as musically.

A Timely Connection

During his first few days on the program’s campus at Brevard College, Alex found himself sitting in a crowded cafeteria next to two students discussing Basileia, an ��ñ�� leadership training conference that Alex also had attended. He introduced himself and met Esther Shin, who had organized the summer’s Christian fellowship.

Esther had attended Brevard’s music program the year before; and knowing few people, she put up a flyer advertising a time for Christian fellowship on Sunday nights. Seventeen students showed up. The community named themselves Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone), and this past summer grew to almost 50 students. As Alex learned about this group, he thanked God for connecting him with these students and prayed that God would use him over the summer.

Working as for the Lord

Soli Deo Gloriawas looking for leaders to start six small group Bible studies. During the school year in New Jersey, Alex led an ��ñ�� Bible study for other musicians. The experience prepared him to lead in Soli Deo Gloria. His small group began studying Colossians 3 and talked about how people's hearts and actions change because of Christ. When several non-Christians joined the fellowship, Alex realized the need for a seeker-friendly discussion on Christian faith.

“I wanted to give seekers the opportunity to ask whatever questions they had on their mind without the fear of being judged, feeling singled-out, or being overwhelmed with Christians giving them answers,” said Alex. Alex and a Christian friend met with a student who recently became a believer and a young woman interested in learning more about Christianity.

They discussed how the Christian faith does more than produce “good” people—choosing to follow Christ is about being in a right relationship with God, which sometimes requires a shift in perspective. In the music world, the emphasis on perfection can be oppressive. But as Christians, musicians can acknowledge their humanness. Their fingers may stumble, but they remain loved by God and their offering of music is still beautiful and acceptable.

“In the practice room and in the concert hall, I try to remind myself to focus on why I make music,” said Alex. He doesn’t play for improvement or fame, but refers to the passage the small group studied in Colossians. “I want to practice as if working for the Lord, using this gift that He has given me and sharpening my skill so that I can more effectively use it for His glory,” said Alex.

No Matter the Place

At the end of the summer, Alex gave the young woman a Bible and encouraged her to read the Gospel of John. He plans to stay connected and be available for more questions. As he reflected later, Alex said, “God was able to use what little I thought we had for a lot of good.”

Students like Alex who were willing to serve made a positive impression in the program. As an outreach event, Soli Deo Gloria organized a concert, and students shared stories of their own faith or how the faith of composers inspired the pieces the audience heard. As a result, many non-Christians were invited into spiritual conversations about God and music, 25 Bibles were given away by a local church, and two students made decisions to follow Christ.

As another school year begins at the College of New Jersey, Alex hopes his experience at Brevard will help him as he mentors new Christians in the ��ñ�� chapter. ��ñ�� students may have taken an academic break over the summer, but they continue to ask God to use them wherever they are.

You can make a direct financial donation to support ��ñ��’s work at The College of New Jersey by following this link.

News Keywords

music

College of New Jersey

Brevard College

Basileia

Arts