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I know I wander off
every now and then, but
I can’t find CIVA any more!
(Christians in the Visual Arts)
What Happened
???
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I missed the
virtual Promises exhibit,
and now the link to it
doesn’t work
!!!
I tried scanning
through the Facebook
photos and got a few hits,
then I wondered if I should
post what I found in case
someone else is looking
for the content
.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If anyone has rights to this exhibit
and believes it should not be shown
online, let me know and I’ll remove it.
My only goal is to show the work
that disappeared into
the interwebs
…
The following is
everything I have been
able to retrieve so far
:
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The submission deadline for our virtual Advent exhibition “Promises” is quickly approaching.
About the Exhibition:
In the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to reveal that Mary’s child would save His people from their sins. The child Jesus would fulfill the promises God had made in the law and the prophets. A silent saint, Joseph is faithful. The Bible records no words spoken by him, only that he responded with action and obedience to what God revealed to him. In Joseph’s humility and obedience, he also fulfilled promises – welcoming Mary and her child into his family. During Advent we remember the promises of redemption and salvation, and Joseph reminds us that we can participate in those promises through the everyday choices we make.
Image: The Dream of Saint Joseph, Daniele Crespi, c. 1620/30,
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wein, Vienna
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There’s only 1 week left to submit to our virtual exhibition, “Promises”. Submissions are free for CIVA members and all mediums are welcome to submit including video, textile arts, sculpture, digital art, and mixed media (to name a few).
Image: The Holy Family, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, c.1660
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Come celebrate Advent virtually with other CIVA members at our virtual Advent Party & Artist Reception on Tuesday, December 6! This online event features our freshly launched exhibition Promises along with its juror Dr. James Anno (from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) and the selected artists in a special edition of the beloved Late Late Show. There will be time to mingle with the during this festive evening. The only difference between this and an in-person party is you’ll have to provide your own holiday beverage.
This event is free for CIVA members.
Not a member? Join today at civamembership.org
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Our virtual Advent exhibition “Promises” is open.
Out of over 150 submissions Dr. James Anno has chosen the strongest works representing diverse styles and mediums – painting to sculpture, figurative to abstract.
Congratulations to all of the selected artists!
The exhibition will be shown online through January 7, 2023.
Visit bit.ly/civa-promises-exhibition to view the entire exhibition gallery.
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“Alpha Omega” by Steve Prince (@onefishstudio) is included in our “Promises” exhibition.
“In Alpha Omega the relationship between Mary and Jesus is evident but their lives are reflected in every mother and child that has entered a beautiful, perilous, awe-inspiring, and uncertain world. The promise the mother makes to the child to rear them, teach them, train them, love them, and admonish them, is amplified by the promise that God provided for us all in that He will love and never forsake us. The mother is adorned with a headdress that symbolizes the weight of the world on her mind as she teaches her child how to navigate this sometimes-treacherous world. The house bends but does not break under the pressure of the world and it becomes one of our first sacred spaces beyond the mother’s womb.”
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“An allegory of Eve and Mary” by Leah Mitchell (@leahmitchellart) is included in our “Promises” Advent exhibition.
“This work takes symbols historically associated with two different women, Eve the mother of humanity and Mary the mother of Christ. The ivy and the serpent speak to Eve, partner in the fall, while the lily and the halo speak to Mary, chosen to bear the redeemer. The promise is in the very conflation of the two women, the seeds of the solution to the problem of sin were sewn at the very beginning. Even as God proclaimed the “curse” the pain of childbirth, the promise of the Messiah, birthed by a woman, was latent.”
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Longtime CIVA member John Cobb designed “Author of Life” for a Chapel in Blanco Texas dedicated to “Our Lady of Guadalupe”. His work is included in our “Promises” Advent exhibition.
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“Covenant” by artist Sandra Ceas (@sjceas) is part of our virtual Promises exhibition.
Created with scripture, acrylic, gold leaf, and salt, this piece is representative of “A covenant is made to preserve us eternally as does the salt of the earth.”
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Member Carey Robertson’s painting “It was a magnificent empire.” is part of our “Promises” Advent exhibition.
“This work is in response to how God promises that if we build our lives on a foundation of His word that we can withstand all things. If we don’t our “house” will wash away as if it were built in the sand.”
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Artist Phil Thompson tells us about “Make Straight”, his sculpture included in our “Promises” exhibition.
“This piece is based on Isaiah 40:3-5 and attempts to illustrate the sinful geography into which John the Baptist would preach about lowering the mountains and raising the valleys that obstruct the relationship with God. Humans can not negotiate this fallen terrain without the Holy Spirit revealing the way. Isaiah’s prophecy promised that the glory of the Lord would be revealed to mankind and John’s preaching confirmed the journey into salvation would be made possible through Jesus. The straight, stainless bar represents the gracious gift of Christ which is the way to the Father.”
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Artist Nathan Fan describes his piece “Portrait of Joseph the Worker (after Guido Reni)”.
“St. Joseph is celebrated as a humble father, husband, and worker. These are not glorious titles. This image intentionally has him portrayed as tired, haggard, and worn down, but still raising his hand as if to bless his infant son, the baby Jesus. Joseph bears all his burdens humbly, which is the essence of a man of patience because he is a man of his word; because he is a man of promise. Joseph is typically portrayed as forlorn in Western art, but even so, he is a man who continues to hold true to a promise made to him by God.”
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Member Ronnie McClure’s (@exhilarationimages) piece “Ray of Hope” was selected for our “Promises” exhibition.
McClure’s inspiration for this piece comes from scripture. He states that “Jesus repeatedly promises to send us the Holy Spirit as suggested in this ray of light.”
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“We are held within the flow of His presence in all moments.”
Member Sherie Harkins (@sherieharkins) is a painter and art instructor from Massachusetts. Her oil on canvas piece “Rising on the Breath of Heaven” is included in “Promises” our virtual Advent exhibition.
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“Sacrificial Lamb” by Barry Motes is included in our virtual exhibition, Promises. He talks about the meaning behind this oil on canvas work:
“Abraham demonstrated extreme faith in his willingness to sacrifice his only son, seemingly contradicting God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations. My painting is a contemporary interpretation with the son lying on bed sheets with benign superheroes. He is bound and the father holds a lighter. The bedpost is shaped like a sword. The comforter bears the image of the Angel of the Lord and a substitutionary ram is seen outside the window.”
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Member artist Sarah Hempel Irani explains the inspiration behind her sculpture included in our virtual Advent show, “Promises”.
“I imagine that St. Joseph’s hands looked very much like the hands of my own father, which are calloused and worn, cut and stained from years of hard work. Then I imagined a man with such hands hearing the news that those very hands would soon hold a newborn. What’s more, for St. Joseph, that tiny baby would be the Incarnate God!”
Image: St. Joseph, the Carpenter, Sarah Hempel Irani
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“The Samaritan Woman” by member Eva Crawford (@evacrawfordart) is part of our “Promises” Advent exhibition. She explains that this clay pottery with Urushi lacquer tells a story about Jesus’ love.
“The Samaritan woman was broken and alone. She collected water in the heat of the day because she was friendless and didn’t want to face the shame of living with a man after having had five husbands. Jesus asked her for a drink from the well. He asked to drink after her which was scandalous. He spoke theology with her and revealed his knowledge of her marriages and now partner. She marveled at his words.
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Jesus introduced himself to her making her the very first person to know his identity. Jesus transformed this woman into an evangelist with a voice. He not only acknowledged her, but he made her beautiful. This exchange is full of the promise of the way Jesus loves us. He longs to not just fix us, but to make us new creations where our scars tell our stories of restoration.”
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“The Space Between” by member Kirsten Van Mourick (@vanmostudio) is part of our “Promises” Advent exhibition. When asked about her oil work, she states:
“Nothing has made me truly consider where my hope rests, like having to trust my maker with the life of another. It is one thing to believe God’s promises for myself, but when I look into my son’s chocolate brown eyes and tell him that there is someone who loves him even more than I, (how can that be?) and who has a plan for him, and who wants him for eternity, I see the wonder of it all anew. Thanks be to God!”
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Our virtual exhibition Promises closes in just a few days. We’d like to thank all our juror, Dr. James Anno, for his time and talent in putting the show together.
View the show at bit.ly/civa-promises-exhibition
An expert of European Renaissance and Baroque art, James Anno serves as associate curator of European art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). Prior to joining the MFAH in 2019, he held curatorial posts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, Italy. Among the exhibitions he has curated are Flesh & Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum (2019-2020); Glory of Spain: Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum & Library (2020-2021); and New Light on Old Masters: European Art from Houston Collections, 1300-1700 (2021-2022). Dr. Anno received his PhD from Washington University in St. Louis.
Image from the Museum of Fine Art, Houston (@mfahouston)
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We are overjoyed to have gathered with so many CIVA members and friends during our virtual Advent party this evening. Thank you to all who attended and to those who gave their talents to the event. It truly was a wonderful evening of fellowship, prayer, and art.
This piece is included in our virtual Advent exhibition, Promises.
Image: A House for All, Steven Homestead (@scubahomie)
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If your “Promises” artwork is missing,
I will cheerfully add it here.
Please send an image!
mailto:olson.jack@gmail.com
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If anyone knows of a community
similar to CIVA’s membership,
please leave a comment.
I might like to join
!!!
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ADDENDUM
I was able to use the
Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)
to find the CIVA announcement
that was posted before the
website became defunct
Here it is
:
After closely monitoring several key performance indicators over the past four years, CIVA’s Board of Directors decided to cease programming and finalize 501(c)3 dissolution paperwork by the end of 2023
Several factors contributed to the Board’s decision, including rising compliance, operating and personnel costs, and a challenging fundraising environment. Additionally, numerous other organizations sprouted up as the art and faith conversation became more widespread over the last decade. Many of these organizations grew from connections to CIVA. The Board applauds these organizations and believes they are evidence that CIVA achieved its mission of advancing the visual arts within the church and bringing the art and faith conversation into mainstream culture. This is worth celebrating.
The Board believes CIVA’s history is worth preserving for future research. CIVA’s historical archive will be housed at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. It will be made available for scholars to explore in 2027
http://www.civa.org/find-your-fit
During this season of transition, CIVA encourages you to find your fit by plugging into one or more of these like-hearted 501(c)3 organizations. In addition to exploring these organizations, we encourage you to seek out Christian fellowship within your local church and community.
Artists in Christian Testimony International (ACT)
Assisi Arts Community (Pittsburgh)
Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art (ASCHA)
The Brehm Center at Fuller University
Calvin Institute for Worship and the Arts
Christos Collective (Colorado)
Duke Initiatives in Theology & the Arts
Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts
Inspiro Arts Alliance (formally OM Arts International)
The Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre for Art and Spirituality
St. Croix Catholic Iconographers Guild (MN)
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