Future exhibits of the RezArts Gallery include Advent, the RezArts Festival, Holy Week (by commission), and Ordinary Time.
We are now inviting submissions of original artwork for the Advent Exhibit.
Advent Exhibit
Advent, meaning “coming,” marks the beginning of a new church year. 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 a color that reminds us of 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
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
- Submissions must be original artwork created by the artist within the last five years. Advent submissions must have been made since November 2018.
- Artwork must reflect the exhibit theme. Submissions may be abstract and do not need to be literal representations of the theme.
- The artist must include his or her name, age (if under 18), title of work, medium, 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.
- Artists must be members or regular attendees of Resurrection within the last three months, at minimum.
- Each person or group may only submit one entry. 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.
- Art that includes nudity, profanity, graphic violence or otherwise inappropriate content for young children or a family audience will not be considered.
- Artists 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.
- Artists 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 artwork in its original form.
Submissions to the Advent Exhibit must be received online by midnight Central Time on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, and brought to church by Sunday, November 12, 12pm.
Organizers will notify artists whether their artwork was selected by November 21.
Artwork selected for the Exhibit will be displayed until January 7, 2024. Art may be picked up from the upstairs office during office hours from January 7 until and Sunday, January 14, 12:30pm. Art that remains past January 14 will not be the responsibility of the church, staff, or volunteers to maintain or house. The church is not cannot be responsible for art left beyond this date. Artwork left longer than one week will be donated unless an arrangement is approved due to extenuating circumstances.
Framing/Mounting: Art must be framed with acrylic and mounted with wire spanning the width of the back for hanging.
Dimensions: The frame must be at least 8”x10”, although the artwork itself may be as small as 4”x4”.
Weight: The maximum weight of any piece must not exceed 25 pounds.
- Each work must be submitted online via an individual digital file– a photo(s) of visual artwork in PDF, JPG or PNG files.
- Submissions may include up to 4 photos of your artwork, such as a painting, drawing, sketch, collage, photo etc. If your submission is actual photography, then only one photo is necessary.
- Submissions of the actual artwork must be delivered to Resurrection in person in order to be considered for the Gallery Exhibit and should be left at the building until at least January 7, 12:30pm. You must mount and/or frame your submission for display before dropping off per the framing requirements above.
- Include a paragraph of 200 words or less explaining: a) your work, b) your medium, c) your creative process, d) how your entry reflects the theme in part or whole, and e) your social media hand(s) and/or website.
- Questions? Email dawnjewell@churchrez.org or office@churchrez.org
Submission Form
Please complete one form for each submission.
