Starving Artists

Today I read a chapter in Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz about church and it got me really excited. At the end of the chapter, Donald explains that one of the four things that makes him love his church, Imago-Dei, is that it supports the arts...

Peter started an 'artistery' where artists live and create art, teach art, and encourage people to be creative. Peter recently held a gallery opening in a local coffeehouse, and all the art was created by people who attend Imago. Artists feel at home at Imago. I even led a short story group where we wrote short stories and then had a reading under Christmas lights and candles over at the artistery. I think there are artists at a lot of churches who don't have an outlet, and by creating an outlet, the church gives artists a chance to express themselves and in return the church gets free stuff to put on their walls. Creating an arts group at a church is a great idea.

I agree, and I am really excited about the possibilities of integrating art into our outreach in Olomouc, Czech Republic. We could invite teens (or people of any age really) to join our 'art club' (we need a better name though) to learn together about creating art—whether visual, written, or whatever. We could occasionally convert our offices into a gallery to share the artwork of our participants and invite people from the community to experience our work, much of which I am sure will have to do with Christian spirituality. Perhaps we could even submit some of our creations to the art galleries in the town center of Olomouc. One possible project is for everyone to depict their interpretation of a visually rich text of scripture. And, of course, each person will be free to do their own projects. Can y'all think of other ideas and possibilities?

While I'm talking about art, I might as well display some of my own. Embedded in this entry are pictures documenting an installation project, Breathing Room, from my final semester in undergrad. It included seven porcelain asthma inhalers and six self portraits involving my inhaler and breathing, displayed within an 8' x 8' x 24' room. Here is the artist's statement that accompanied the installation...

Breathing Room, by Mitch Anderson

Asthma inhalers are of great personal significance. I am dependent on inhalers in order to breathe properly: to catch my breath after exercise and merely to be able to go to sleep.

Of greater personal significance is God. In God, and in God only, we live and move and have our being; he gives us our breath, the breath of life. He restores our souls day by day. Just as I am dependent on my asthma inhaler for breath, so are all of us dependent on God for breath, and life, and everything else. And, just as my inhaler renews my ability to breathe, so God renews us daily; he provides the necessities of life. Beyond our basic needs he gives us our abilities that we may use them to help others and to glorify him. Due to the skills and intelligence God has given we are able to accomplish amazing things; we are able to advance in technology and medicine and produce wonderful blessings, such as inhalers for asthmatics like myself.

It is all about point of view. One can look at an inhaler and praise man for his superior intelligence or praise God for sharing his. The realization that God is the creator, giver, and worker comes at different times for different people, and never for some. Breathing Room is a metaphor for this journey, a baptism of sorts. The road is not necessarily comfortable or easy, but at the end peace comes and life goes on—but it is changed.

Sharing my faith through this project was an amazingly fulfilling experience. I also appreciated the communal aspect of getting the project done: many of my friends gave many hours to help with its completion. In postmodern society we are starving for meaning and expression and community. I hope we can find such starving artists in Olomouc.