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Top 2016 posts feature artists, musicians, playwrights and authors

29 Thursday Dec 2016

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This past year has been a busy year for Christians in the arts, complete with new works by new artists to new works by veteran artists. My personal favourites include: Faye Hall’s ART begets ART (which combined text and art), Mike Janzen’s Nudging Forever CD, Lost & Found Theatre’s production of Pocket Rocket, Barrie Doyle’s latest novel The Lucifer Scroll, the debut of the CBC comedy series Kim’s Convenience base on Ins Choi’s award-winning stage play and artist Josh Tiessen’s first monograph: Josh Tiessen: A Decade of Inspiration.

While these posts were my favourites, a few others gained the attention of my readers and became their favourites. So, in chronological order, here are the top read Arts Connection blog posts of 2016:

February 9, 2016

More “Hot Apple Cider” to warm the soul

Like a cup of hot apple cider warming the body on a cold day, the Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon anthology will warm the soul.

The fourth in the Hot Apple Cider series, the latest volume contains 67 stories – some true, some fiction and a few are poems – all based around the theme, and subtitle, of “finding love in unexpected places…

 

February 17, 2016

Artist’s book a visual look at her inspirations

When interviewing artists for the Arts Connection radio show, I usually ask them “where do you get the inspiration for your art?”

Winnipeg-based artist Faye Hall’s new book ART begets ART is a 40-page answer to that question….

 

March 15, 2016

Film will move viewers close enough to hear God breathe

With the words “We waited until the last of my children arrived before taking my father off of life support…” Jason Hildebrand’s portrayal and Mike Janzen’s piano breathe life into Greg Paul’s words in Breathe…

Breathe… is a film version of the stage play co-created by Hildebrand and Tom Carson with music by Janzen. Inspired by Paul’s award-winning book, Close Enough to Hear God Breathe, the play explores the “story of a man who never heard ‘I love you’ from his father, searching through the characters of his life to find – ‘I love you’.”…

 

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Singer/songwriter Ali Matthews plumbs the depth of her spiritual experience for new CD

“I have travelled this road/I have wrestled these fears/I have carried this load/And cried a sea full of tears/Though I may rise, though I may fall/You are my hope, You are my all/Forever this be my song and my story/To God be all of the glory.”

With those touching words, and equally touching keyboard backing, Ali Matthews opens her latest CD: So Shall We Love: Songs of Worship and Faith…

 

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Young artist chronicles a decade of work

Artist Josh Tiessen has packed more into his 21 years than some of us have packed into two, three or four times as many.

The Stoney Creek, Ontario resident was born in Russia to missionary parents, moved to Canada and has traveled internationally…

 

New year a time of promise, wonder, excitement

14 Thursday Jan 2016

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january-calendarA new page. A clean slate. A blank computer screen. An unpainted canvas. An unfilled calendar

For those of us in the arts, these phrases – new page, blank computer screen or unpainted canvas – take on a different meaning. Instead of representing a metaphorical new start, these phrases literally depict the start of our creative process.

Last year I began setting goals instead of making resolutions, some of which were vocationally related. Some I accomplished (finish The Fall of Niagara, begin the outline/treatment for The Fall of Tecumseh and continue work on the Stone Churches Project). Others weren’t (start a Love Inspired historical romance, start the outline for a book on the intersection of faith, arts and Canadian culture and find funding for the Arts Connection broadcasts on 94.3 Faith FM). One vocational project I hadn’t planned, but completed, was co-writing and seeing the Audience of One Christian Theatre Company production of the musical Meet You at the Manger.

I’ve continued this practice and created a list of vocational goals for 2016: find a publisher for The Fall of Niagara, continue the first draft of The Fall of Tecumseh, complete the photography and research for the Stone Churches Project, work on an other play for the Audience of One and look at the start-up of an event photography business.

The concept of goal-setting can seem to fly in the face of the creative spirit.

To some, the concept of goal-setting can fly in the face of the creative spirit. Until a year ago, I was more like the boy who shot an arrow at the side of the barn and painted the target around the arrow. Some targets were missed, but others were hit. And that encourages me. My experience last year showed that goals can be as motivating as an editor’s deadline.

As artists who are Christian, spiritual growth may not be among the list of vocational goals, but I hope it’s a life goal. Topping my list of goals in 2015 was the desire to maintain a consistent devotional life with daily prayer and Bible reading. The one-year chronological plan through the YouVersion smart phone app was key to meeting the last part of that goal.

Working on my 2016 goals, topping the list, again, was a desire to grow spiritually through prayer and study. As the calendar turns a page and I’m reminded of God’s faithfulness to me, I pledge my faithfulness to God. I don’t know what this year will bring—happiness or pain, loss or gain, health or illness—but I know that God will be in the midst of it all, carrying me through whatever happens.

My new year’s wish is that your blank slate, unwritten page, unpainted canvas, empty computer screen will be filled as God breathes His creative spirit into your life.

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Portions of this column appeared in the January 2, 2016 edition of the Guelph Mercury column “Make the spiritual a priority in your new year.”

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Post-interview chat leads to new Christmas musical

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOne of the joys of my work is the chance to meet with all sorts of interesting people. And also never knowing what will be the outcome of one of those meetings.

One of my latest projects, a Christmas musical titled Meet You At the Manger began as a conversation with Audience of One Christian Theatre Company artistic director Kim Pottruff. She had come to the Faith FM studios to take part in an Arts Connection interview. In the conversation that followed, I found out the new Guelph-based amateur theatre company was looking for new material.

My interest in theatre goes back to high school where I was part of Ridge Players, a community theatre company that, by the time I landed in the chorus, were producing shows like Oklahoma, Carousel and Fiddler on the Roof. I was also involved in a number of church productions and when I started attending Lakeside Church, I became part of its now-defunct drama team and landed the role of Caiphas in Lakeside’s production of Dust of the Rabbi.

This production is a fresh look at the Christmas story

 

Along the way, I’d written a few unproduced sketches and even a full-length play – something I mentioned in the conversation with Kim. Whether I offered or she asked, copies were sent to her in the hopes that one would be produced.

She wasn’t interested in any of the ones I sent. Instead, she asked if I could write a Christmas musical. I knew I take a shot at writing the script (or “book” as commonly known in musical theatre circles). But it had been a while since I’d tried songwriting. Still, I said “yes.”

Skipping to the salient parts, I wrote the book and took a stab at the lyrics. Kim honed the lyrics and came up with the music. Et voila, a musical was born:

Ro’i never wanted to be shepherd. Sharar never wanted to be an innkeeper. When they were childhood friends, neither expected to become each other’s sworn enemy. Meet You At The Manger follows Ro’i’s and Sharar’s lives from their boyhood escapades and adult animosities to their reunion at the manger in Bethlehem. This production is a fresh look at the Christmas story and its impact on the lives of those who encounter the Babe of Bethlehem

The journey, to date, has been exhilarating and challenging. And we’re only at the halfway point. Kim and I will meet later this week to go over last minute details before next week’s pre-production meeting. Then, from September 10 to 12, auditions will take place before rehearsals start later that month.

What’s been going through my mind lately is: “this is really happening.” And a mixture of trepidation and triumph. I’m still anxious about what the audience reaction will be once the curtain goes up on opening night. But I’m excited that there will be an opening night.

I hope to see you there.

For more information about auditions, check http://www.audienceofoneguelph.ca/productions

 

Revisions, revisions

22 Wednesday Jul 2015

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Sorry, this week’s blog is being postponed due to revisions.

I recently discovered the need to move my website from its current host to another. So that’s what I’m in the process of doing – as well as incorporating this blog into a revised website.

With that change and the deadlines for a few major stories looming, putting a blog post together has been moved down the priority list.

Keep watching this space for the new artsconnection.ca website and blog. Once everything has been migrated, designed and ready to run, I’ll let you know.

In the meantime, thanks for you patience and keep traveling the intersection between faith, arts and Canadian culture.

For Todd Stahl “Art Ache” was more than art…it was prophetic

27 Wednesday May 2015

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40 Days in teh Man Cave cover

Art gives the artist a voice in society, whether the artist is holding a mirror up to what they see or rebuking what they feel has gone awry.

One of Todd Stahl’s pieces of art turned out to prophetic.

Stahl’s print “Art Ache” forms the basis of one of the devotions in his debut book 40 Days in the Man Cave. The story behind the print begins in 2010 writes Stahl on his website:

One night while I had some free time, I went for a walk. That particular day I was extremely stressed so I asked God to show me an idea in order to draw something significant. Before I even got to the end of my driveway I believe God gave me a distinct visual image of a heart with a band aid across it. I could picture the idea in my head instantly.So back inside I went to start the painting…

I believe God gave me a distinct visual image of a heart with a band aid across it.

At the time I thought I knew the reason why God gave me the visual. In my mind I surmised it was the fact that many people in life have very deep hurts. Pain that requires a band aid.  Aches that need time to heal. I also assumed the dark colours I chose were due to the fact my own my heart had become hardened and crusty. Feelings of bitterness were pushed way down deep in my own life.

Fast forward four years to when Stahl, whose full-time job is as a firefighter, began feeling ill. Eventually he was diagnosed with a heart problem which ended up requiring surgery. Writes Stahl:

We will never forget (Dr. Robert Kiaii’s) explanation as he took a pen, opened a pamphlet with the diagram of a heart and began to explain the main issue with my heart. While describing in detail he circled around and around with a pen the exact area where the mitral valve was on the lower left side of the heart. Dr. Kiaii also discussed how there are fine ‘cords’ which open and close the valve and mine in particular he noted had come apart and were all loose and flimsy like a parachute. He explained that since the valve did not seal properly my blood would not receive enough oxygen, therefore resulting in all the symptoms I had been feeling. Lastly, other doctors had told us that I may need a replacement valve while Kiaii explained he felt confident he could repair my valve robotically. He even went as far as to say, ‘it is almost like attaching a strong band aid on your valve’!

I know a few artists who create prophetic art – art that tells forth the word of God. Stahl’s story is the first, that I can remember, of prophetic art that foretold an event. Stahl took the art with him into the operating room and the ICU, using it as an opportunity to explain the “amazing story.

“God had a plan and the story became so much bigger than just a piece of paper and some paint,” writes Stahl.

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You can hear an Arts Connection interview with Todd Stahl on 94.3 Faith FM on Monday, June 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET.

If you aren’t able to tune in, the broadcast will be eventually be archived at www.selawministries.ca.

And you can read Stahl’s story of “Art Ache” on his website: http://www.toddstahl.com/the-significance-of-art-ache

Demystifying the artistic process

21 Thursday May 2015

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Art is hard.

Let me put that another way: creating art is challenging.

The vast majority of arts’ consumers – readers, music lovers, gallery attendees – only see the results. Few know of the struggles artists face taking a piece from conception to completion. This is one of the reasons, when I interview artists on the Arts Connection broadcast (shameless plug: Mondays at 9:30 p.m. ET on 94.3 Faith FM and archived at www.selawministries.ca), I specifically ask them about the process: Where did the idea come from? How long did it take? What was the  most challenging part of the process? What part was the most satisfying?

While the answers vary, they help the artist demystify the process and make the creation of art more understandable and accessible to the consumers of art.

For example, I have a musician friend who has been working on a CD project for the past three years. I’ve witnessed the challenges that have arisen, the frustrations faced and the anticipation of a near-completed project. When the CD is finally released, most of the people who will listen to it won’t have the faintest idea of the figurative blood and literal sweat, toil and tears that went into the CD’s creation. All that will matter is whether or not they like what they hear.

Social media has helped pull back the curtain that separates the artistic process from the finished creation. A novelist friend frequently posts updates on their social media feed about the progress of their latest novel. A landscape artist I’ve interviewed posts photos and videos that show the progress being made on current projects. And I’ve frequently posted updates about the progress on a novel I’m working on.

Demystifying the process also helps artists avoid the standard small talk comments which follow the “‘What do you do for a living?’ ‘I’m a writer, musician, etc.'” opening: “I was thinking of doing that at one point but I decided i needed to get a real job” or “I’m thinking of taking up writing once I retire.”

But there will always be those who think creating art is easy and anyone can do it. Smart phones and programmable digital cameras have made everyone think their Ansel Adams. Desktop publishing programs and print-on-demand publishers have created a plethora of Margaret Atwood wannabes. And the list continues based on the various technologies available such as video editing software, etc.

For those of us who are dedicated to our craft, we know how challenging it can be. We know the long hours devoted to creating a work. We know the pain of staring at a blank canvas, an empty computer screen or an unmarked music score as we wrack our brains for the correct colour, word or note. But we also know the satisfaction of a completed creation – or at least a creation we’re now releasing to the public because we know a piece is never really completed since there’s always a tweak here or there that can be made.

So let’s put paintbrush to canvas, fingers to keyboard, chisel to stone, eye to viewfinder, hand to instrument and create art.

No matter how challenging it is.

Exploring Jesus’ journey from Gesthemane to the tomb through art

06 Monday Apr 2015

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For the second year in a row, Guelph’s Lakeside Downtown invited about a dozen artists to use their talent to depict the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. One of the unique things about Lakeside Downtown is the number of artists – writers, poets, painters, musicians, storytellers, graphic designers, etc. – that are part of the  congregation.

This year, about 500 people walked through the downtown church plant of Lakeside Church (http://lakesidechurch.ca/) and experienced the various interpretations of Jesus journey from the Garden of Gesthemane to the tomb.

By way of disclosure, Lakeside Downtown is my home church. And my part in the Art of the Cross event was to create a photo journal of what was going on. I’m posting a few of the photos here and the rest can be seen on my Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/kbv3swh)

Phil Irish 1Elora artist Phil Irish created this depiction of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. Most of the pieces of paper with lips on them came from those attending the event. Phil provided the paper and lipstick and those attending provided the lip prints – making this an interactive piece. For me, it made me wonder if I could, or have, betrayed Christ as easily as Judas.

Community Choir 3The Art of the Cross event was the debut of the Lakeside Downtown Community Choir. Comprised of members of the congregation and the community, the choir provides an opportunity for people to share choral music no matter their faith, or non-faith, background.

Community participationA large cross, made from kraft paper, took up a good part of the floor in the Lakeside Downtown’s gym. Those who came, adults and youth alike, were invited to create their own interpretation of either the event or the Stations of the Cross, making it a truly interactive time of meditation and reflection.

Phil Irish - paletteThis shot of Phil Irish’s palette, for me, sums up everything about the event and my experience as a writer and photographer. It represents the chaos of the artistic process, from the discordant sight-reading of a new piece of music to the mixing of color for a painting. But out of this chaos, through practice, practice, practice – be that rehearsing a section of a piece over and over until it rings out in harmony, painting over a section of a canvas, experimenting with exposures and f/stops, or working on the umpteenth draft of a story – that chaos begins to form a cohesive work of art.

And those cohesive works of art can touch people in a way nothing else can. It can stir emotion. It can evoke questions. It can bring healing. But most of all, and especially in an event such as this, art can reflect to us the cross of Christ.

Lost & Found Theatre’s “Kimberly Akimbo” is funny, poignant and deeply moving

20 Friday Mar 2015

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Lost and Found Theatre - Kimberly Akimbo

One of my pleasures is live theatre and the Lost & Found Theatre company’s latest production, Kimberly Akimbo, is one of the reasons for my love of theatre.

The Kitchener, Ontario-based company doesn’t describe itself as a “Christian theatre company” even though most of the company’s core cast are Christians. But the works they choose to produce frequently resonate with Christian values and definitely look at the challenging and redemptive aspects of human relationships.

Kimberly Akimbo does just that. Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire’s play introduces us to a mother (Christy Ziss) about to give birth to her second child and worried about about diseases she’s never been diagnosed with; a rarely sober father (Andy Pogson) who constantly makes promises he never keeps and 15- turning 16-year-old, Kimberly who tries to navigate the turbulent waters of a budding teenage romance, a dysfunctional family (that also includes an aunt with a sketchy past) and her own mortality.

Cast as Kimberly, is Kathleen Sheehy portrays a teen who struggles with a rare condition that causes her body to age faster than it should. Faced with an uncertain future, she also has to cope with her parents avoidance (bordering on denial) of her condition despite her desire to live a normal teenage life. When her aunt Debra (Jennifer Cornish) shows up with a get-rich-quick scheme, Kimberly’s world falls apart as simmering family secrets boil to the surface in heated arguments and accusations.

And when the family secrets no longer remain secret, instead of ending the dysfunction, it serves to drive the wedge between Kimberly and her parents in deeper, forcing her to forge her own path and find her own happiness.

Thrown into the mix is a Jeff (in a stunning professional debut by Alten Wilmot), a geeky wannabe boyfriend who uses anagrams portray his true feelings. Using a school project as a ruse to get a chance to talk to Kimberly, the budding romance survives awkward silences, their own dysfunctional families and Kimberly’s overprotective father.

Kimberly Akimbo is funny, poignant and deeply moving, often in the space of a single line. It’s a must see.

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Kimberly Akimbo runs until March 28 at the Registry Theatre (122 Frederick St., Kitchener). For ticket details go to http://www.lostandfoundtheatre.com. (Warning: Coarse Language, 13+)

And check out Lost & Found Theatre’s Radical Hospitality initiative where a limited number of tickets for the Saturday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 24 will be available at no cost.

Is the message more important than the medium?

12 Thursday Mar 2015

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Here’s a conundrum: how do you critique “bad” art without coming off as someone who doesn’t understand that the “message” is more important than the work?

Let me define a couple of words in that sentence first:

“Bad” is being used in the context of art that still needs work. Art that probably could have used a bit more skill or technique before being presented to the public. Or art that simply doesn’t make the grade.

“Message” is being used in the context of the Gospel message and/or general biblical message.

I’ve often found myself in this conundrum. When I was worked at a secular newspaper, I had to attend the performance of a local, amateur musical theatre group which specialized in Gilbert & Sullivan musicals. This particular performance of “The Pirates of Penzance” was truly terrible. Most of the singers were past their prime and if you can’t hit the notes, G&S musicals are unforgiving. Fortunately I didn’t have to write a review, but just report on the fortitude of the players in producing the play.

I’ve also found myself in this situation as a Christian journalist, and now blogger. Theatre performances that just didn’t hit the mark. Books that could have used better writing or editing. Musicians whose songs could be better written or CDs better produced. In most cases, I’ve tried to be gracious in my comments, often biting my tongue to keep my more cutting opinions from being voiced.

Occasionally I’ve found a few people with whom I could share honestly. In many cases they’ve actually recognized the shortcomings and have learned lessons to be used for the next time. And the conversations we have about improving the art form have both been encouraging and enlightening.

Most of the time, though, when I’ve voiced criticisms, I’ve be accused of missing the importance of the message in the medium. I’ve been told it’s not important the book be better written or the play be better performed. People have been exposed to the Gospel and that’s all that matters.

The implication is that God can use art in spite of the quality, or lack thereof. There’s truth in that philosophy. E.g. God used an ass to get his message across to Balaam (Numbers 22: 21 to 41). Therefore God can use bad art to get across His message of salvation.

But why should He have to? When I look at the scriptural record describing the construction of the Tabernacle or any of the versions of the Temple, I see artisans who were so humbled by the responsibility that they produced the best work they possibly could.

My intent has never been to be curmudgeon or to disparage the art or artist. But I believe we can all strive for excellence in our art. Any choice to be satisfied with less than excellence dishonours God and dishonours our art.

Guitarist’s musical vision shines forth on new CD

17 Tuesday Feb 2015

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Jay Calder - Vision cover

For me, the test of a CD’s quality is how long I keep it in my van CD player. Jay Calder’s new CD, Vision, has passed that test.

My first experience with Jay was at a Couple’s Night Out event in Kitchener a few years ago. Jay was the “warm-up” act for the evening, which featured Alberta humourist Phil Callaway as the keynote speaker. I was awestruck by Jay’s intricate guitar playing and have been a fan ever since.

It’s a challenge to describe Jay’s music because much of what he does is unique in the musical world. Jay’s a solo artist who uses finger-picking, harmonics, open tuning and percussive strikes to make it sound like there’s more than one person playing. The closest comparator I can think of is Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) pioneer and virtuoso guitarist Phil Keaggy. But even that pales because Jay charts his own waters with his music.

Vision is a compilation of original songs, including the rollicking “Seer’s Jam,” the latin-infused “Sincelejo” and “Norah’s Grace;” and adaptations or arrangements like “Be Thou My Vision,” “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “Breath on Me Breath of God.”

My personal favorites are “The Cupbearer Forgot” based on the story of Joseph’s imprisonment (Genesis 40), “A Longing Fulfilled” and “Silent First Joy Night” a seamless weaving of “Silent Night,” “The First Noel” and “Joy to the World” into one incredible piece.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention veteran producer Roy Salmond’s influence on this CD. Jay describes Roy as “a Canadian treasure…and a monster musically,” assets which shine forth in the quality of the CD’s production.

Instrumentalists often get shortchanged because their music isn’t seen as being radio-friendly for most Christian stations. This is a shame because, as is the case with Vision, the music lifts the listener into the presence of God without lyrics getting in the way.  Get a copy of Vision and let Jay Calder’s music lift, encourage and edify you. You’ll find yourself coming back to it time and time again. I know I do.