Jumpstart your creativity on Wednesday, January 11, 6:30-8:00 or 8:30pm.
Try a workshop in visual arts, devotional poetry writing, or worship song writing.
RSVP below.
Devotional Poetry Writing
Discover how to enrich your devotional life by writing poetry. You’ll learn new tools and practices for engaging with Scripture by penning your own poetry. This workshop will include hands-on writing time, as well as the opportunity for small group sharing and mutual encouragement. Minimum age: high school. This workshop concludes at 8:30pm.
Facilitator: Andrew S. Backer 
enjoys writing poetry devotionally and finds it a place to witness the beauty of the Lord and respond in worship. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Higher Education and Student Development at Wheaton College.
Assistant Facilitator: Helen Wieger enjoys creative writing and has been nurturing a group of creatives for the last several years. She leans toward penning poetry and creative prose.
Visual Arts
Janice Skivington Wood is a painter, illustrator,
and former art teacher. She has collaborated with various artists to develop liturgical art that adorns Resurrection, including the large Jesus icon, the great doors, paintings depicting Old Testament scenes in the narthex, and more.
Emily Verdoorn uses anything from 
pen and pencil to teabags, inks, thread, or homemade dyes to explore the world of her everyday life. Her work often begins like a quiet conversation with places, spaces and the natural world.
Worship Song-Writing
Visual artists and poets at Resurrection are invited to contribute to the new RezArts Gallery, a wall dedicated to rotating exhibits of original work.
The Space
The RezArts Gallery is located on the West wall in RezCafe, spanning 14 feet high and 40 feet long. On Sunday mornings, RezCafe is packed between services with churchgoers socializing over hot coffee and tea. Throughout the week, middle and high school students fellowship here, children’s classes gather, and others meet in the window-lined space. This bustling area will be enhanced by rotating exhibits by Rez artists on the Gallery wall.
The dimensions of our Gallery limit our ability to display dozens of pieces. Artwork may be displayed in a total of six to eight columns of two rows each, depending on the size of pieces in each exhibit.
Gallery Vision
To encourage, teach, and inform the Church through original artwork.
To provide a space for artists at Rez to communicate pieces that lead our congregation and visitors to worship and contemplate.
To provide talks in the future with visiting artists that offer opportunities for engagement and discussion with our congregation and others about art and worldview.
Gallery Goals
Offer rotating exhibits year-round with opportunities for submission from artists within the church.
Exhibit themes focus largely on the liturgical season: Advent/Epiphany, Easter, Ordinary Time.
Supplement the church-wide RezArts Festival (Nov-Jan) to encourage year-round creative expression within the congregation.
An Experimental Process
The RezArts Gallery is in an experimental phase and is a learning process for those overseeing curation and display. Due to our first-time use of the RezCafe wall with new hanging hardware, we do not yet know what fits and works well. Acceptance of a submission will be based on its reflection of the theme, plus multiple factors, including the limited space, how each piece coordinates with other art submissions, and its ability to be displayed with the new wall hardware. Artists should be aware that acceptance or non-acceptance of submissions for exhibit depends on these various factors, and not particular standards of artistic excellence for an individual piece.
We are now inviting submissions of original artwork and poetry for the Pentecost Water Exhibit.
Invitation to Submit for Pentecost Water Theme
During the season of Pentecost (May – November 2024), the RezArts Gallery is featuring a series of three themes found in the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: fire, water, and wind (Acts 2). Pieces submitted for each theme will be displayed for approximately two months.
Water
Water, like fire, can bring both life and death. We drink water, bathe in water, and nurture gardens with water. We need water to live, but we cannot live in water. Submerged, we drown. Floods wreck homes and crops. Thousands die in shipwrecks each year.
The writers of holy scripture engage with water as more than a straightforward material reality.
Water is a symbol of life: a life-giving river flows from the new temple (Ezekiel), from those who believe in Jesus (John 7), and from the throne of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1-2).
Water is also a symbol of chaos and death: the earth before creation was chaotic waters (Genesis 1:2); in the flood, these chaotic waters again covered the earth and brought death (Genesis 6); at the Red Sea, the waters destroyed the Egyptian army (Exodus).
We invite you to engage artistically with water in creation, scripture, and church tradition. Enter the tension of contradictory symbols. Sit in awe of the ocean and the God who sets boundaries on that ocean. Rejoice in life-giving streams. Remember your baptism.
Below are a few prompts to get you started. You are free to use one or two of these or to follow another path. We encourage you to collaborate with other artists as you engage in this process.
Creation
For one day, pay attention to all the water you encounter
(eg. drinking water, puddles, dew, swimming pool). What is its temperature? How much is there? Is it still or moving? How do you or others around you interact with the water—do you drink it, avoid it, wash in it?
How do you see God’s character reflected in his creation, water? What is water teaching you today about yourself, God, others, and the world around you?
Keep a notebook by you and make notes or sketches. Let these notes be the basis of a poem or visual art piece.
Scripture
From the first to the last page, the Bible is full of rich imagery and symbolism around water.
Consider one form of water (eg. the sea, rain, or wells) and explore biblical imagery associated with that form. You can use a concordance or an online tool such as https://us.stepbible.org/ to do a word search.
Alternately, choose a section of scripture with a couple forms of water and ponder the similarities and differences in the meaning of those waters (eg. Genesis 1-2; John 4-7; Revelation 21-22).
Church Tradition
In the Narthex are ten paintings of ten Easter Vigil readings created by Janice Skivington Wood and Laura Tabbut. Walk slowly from painting to painting (the sequence starts with Creation at the south end of the narthex). Note the presence or absence of water in each painting. An Easter Vigil service moves from the readings into baptisms. After you look at the final painting (at the north end of the narthex), enter the sanctuary and touch the water in the font.
Reflect on what you have seen, heard, and touched. You might return to one of the paintings, or you might sit by the font for some time. You might meditate on the liturgy for Holy Baptism, especially the Thanksgiving Over the Water (see page 5) in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer.
Based on your reflections of a painting or scene, consider writing an ekphrastik poem “a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art.”
Let art spring from these meditations.
The Water Exhibit will be displayed on the RezArts Gallery wall from Sunday, July 28, to mid/late September.
Deadline:
Submissions must be submitted online by Saturday, July 13 below.
Visual artwork and framed/mounted poetry must be delivered in person to the church office between Sunday, July 14 8am-1pm, to Thursday, July 18. Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9-4:30pm, and Friday 9am-1pm.
Future exhibits will include water and wind during Ordinary Time, Advent, and the RezArts Festival (a church-wide celebration of the arts; theme to be announced in mid-November).
Current Exhibit
Enjoy the current Pentecost Fire Exhibit on the RezArts Gallery Wall until Sunday, July 21. It features seventeen original poems and artwork based on the theme of fire in creation, Scripture, and the traditions of the Church. We invited artists and writers to contribute using the prompts below.
Fire
Candles, charcoal grills, bonfires. The glowing, dancing, crackling flames draw us near, and we bask in warmth and light. But not all fire is inviting. Some fires we treat with great caution: controlled burns, potters’ kilns, welding torches. They are dangerous, yet these fires bring needed transformation: seeds are released and ground cleared; pottery hardens and glazes set; metal is joined to metal. Other fire – house fires, wildfires – we experience as devastating and destructive.
Scripture is full of references to fire: burnt offerings, incense, fiery judgment. God often reveals himself through fire. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush and led his people through the wilderness as a pillar of fire. On Pentecost, his Spirit descended on his disciples as flames.
This Pentecost, we invite artists and writers at Resurrection to engage with the theme of fire in creation, Scripture, and the traditions of the Church. We welcome both individual and collaborative works. The artistic process is often one of engaging questions, mysteries, and liminal space. We invite you to note your wonder, awe, questions, and desires as you explore one or two of the following:
- Creation
Observe a fire. You could light a candle, sit by a campfire, or watch a video of a crackling fireplace or wildfire. As you observe the fire, notice all your senses. What do you hear? What do you see? Smell? Feel? What does it remind you of? What words would you use to describe it? - Scripture
Explore how the Bible portrays fire. You might start with Exodus 3:2 and 13:21-22, Matthew 3:10-12, and Acts 2:3. How do these passages connect with your experience of fire? How do they connect with your experience of God?
(If you want to dig deeper, you can find hundreds of references to fire in the Scripture! You could use a concordance or do word searches for “fire,” “burn,” “smoke,” and other fire-related words in a resource such as STEPBible.) - Church Tradition
Reflect on a way the Church incorporates fire in worship, for example, through lighting the Paschal candle or burning palm branches for Ash Wednesday. What do you find beautiful or puzzling about these practices?
Your artwork need not incorporate all, or any, of these prompts! Nor does it need to provide a literal representation of fire. You might consider incorporating ash in a painting, using fire-like colors, or writing with a rhythm that evokes roaring fire. As Aristotle said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
Feel free to explore rather than focus on finding answers and portraying them. We pray you enjoy the process of co-creating with the Master Artist and Creator.
We are now inviting submissions of original artwork for the upcoming Advent Exhibit. Future exhibits will include the annual RezArts Festival (a church-wide celebration of the arts; this year’s theme to be announced in mid-November), Holy Week, and Ordinary Time.
Advent Exhibit
Advent, meaning “coming,” marks the beginning of a new church year and centers around waiting. The Church today observes Advent as a four-week period to prepare for our celebration of the Incarnation at Christmas. You will notice during the four Sundays of Advent that the colors on the altar, banners, and clergy vestments change to purple. Purple is the liturgical color used in seasons of preparation. It symbolizes both royalty (the birth of the King) and contrition.
As Jesus’ birth is in the past, today we are not waiting for his first coming, but for his second coming. In this way, we join historical Israel in her longing for the Messiah to come and set everything right, to establish his kingdom forever. The Israelites received hopeful promises that a savior would come, a new kingdom would be established—and yet for many, many years they waited. The cries of the prophets ring in our ears, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”
Christ has come and yet we walk in darkness waiting for the coming of Jesus in glory. Advent gives the church an opportunity to anticipate the coming of Jesus as our true fulfillment and our longing for his coming again.
Feel free to reflect on these questions to help fuel your creativity and think more deeply about the theme:
- What does it look like to carry both the joy of Christ’s coming with the sobering awareness of your need for his redemption?
- How are you hoping Christ enters into your life this Advent?
- What does it look like to wait actively for the return of Christ and redemption of our world?
- Submissions must be original pieces created by the artist/writer within the last five years. Submissions to the Pentecost Water Exhibit must have been created since May 2019.
- Submissions may be abstract and do not need to be literal representations of the theme.
- Poems must be formatted to fit on a single 8.5×11 page with 12 type, allowing 1 inch margins all around.
- The creator must include his or her name, age (if under 18), title of work, and a short description of 150 words or less about your creative process, how it reflects the theme, and what you hope it conveys. You may include a website and/or social media handle(s) for your artwork.
- Creators must be members or regular attendees of Resurrection within the last three months, at minimum.
- Each person or group may only submit one entry per exhibit. Group submissions are welcome if all individuals are regular attendees or members. An individual may submit one solo entry and participate in one group entry.
- Pieces that include nudity, profanity, graphic violence or otherwise inappropriate content for young children or a family audience will not be considered.
- We prefer visual artwork that does not depict a human representation of God the Father.
- Creators agree to allow the Resurrection to publish digital files of all submissions both online and/or in print, on its website and/or social media channels, indefinitely with appropriate credit.
- Creators grant Resurrection non-exclusive rights to use their submissions in ministry, including but not limited to services, events, public displays, or publications, sites, and programs, without further permission or payment involved, with appropriate credit to the artist(s).
- While we will do our best to care for your submission(s), we cannot guarantee the preservation of your work in its original form. The RezArts Gallery space is a highly visible and trafficked area; please be aware that your work may be touched by passing children or accidentally bumped.
Submissions of original artwork and poetry to the Pentecost Water Exhibit must be received online by midnight Central Time on Saturday, July 13, 2024, and brought to church between Sunday, July 14, before 1pm, and Friday, July 18, before 1pm. Office hours are Monday-Thursday 9-4:30pm, Friday 9am-1pm.
Framing/Mounting: Pieces must be mounted with wire spanning the width of the back for hanging. Visual artwork must be created or mounted on a sturdy surface, such as canvas, wood, or metal. Visual artists who choose to frame their work, may consider protecting it with a sheet of acrylic, plexiglass, or glass within the frame.
Poetry submissions may be framed but are not required to be.
Dimensions: The frame must be at least 8”x10”, although the artwork itself may be as small as 4”x4”. No piece larger than 2’x3′ will be accepted.
Weight: The maximum weight of any piece must not exceed 25 pounds.
How To Submit
- Poetry must be sent via an individual digital file to dawnjewell@churchrez.org by Friday, March 15. Poets should email both a PDF and Word file of their poetry to dawnjewell@churchrez.org
- If you frame or mount your submission, it must be delivered to Resurrection in person by Sunday, March 17, 12:30pm in order to be considered for the Holy Week Exhibit. Pieces should be left at the building until at least May 19, 12:30pm. You must mount and/or frame your submission for display before dropping off per the framing requirements above.
- Include 200 words or less explaining: a) a short paragraph about your work and creative process, b) a 1-2 sentence bio of yourself, and c) (optional) your social media hand(s) and/or website where you share your creative work. Questions? Email dawnjewell@churchrez.org.
How To Submit
- Each work must be submitted online via an individual digital file. Visual artists should submit a photo(s) of their artwork in PDF, JPG or PNG files. Poets should submit both a PDF and Word file of their poetry. Please title your poem and include your name under the title.
- For submissions of actual photography, only one photo is needed. For any other form of visual art, you may include up to 4 photos of your piece.
- Submissions of visual artwork must be delivered to Resurrection in person by Friday, July 18, 1pm in order to be considered for the Pentecost Fire Exhibit. Pieces should be left at the building until mid-September. If we cannot fit your work on the Gallery wall, we will aim to display it online and notify you to pick up your physical piece sooner. You must mount and/or frame your submission for display before dropping off per the framing requirements above.
- Include a paragraph of 150 words or less explaining: a) your work, b) its size and medium, c) your creative process, d) how your entry reflects the theme in part or whole, and e) optionally your social media handle(s) and/or website.
Questions? Email dawnjewell@churchrez.org or office@churchrez.org
Submission Form
Please complete one form for each submission.
