Day One
Our gathering began on Wednesday with an evening of new community and delectable creations provided by Libby Scrofano.
Thursday, Day One, centered around Goodness, Truth & Beauty. Donald McGilchrist shared a perspective on the Power of Place [PDF] centered on our setting for the gathering, Glen Eyrie. We need placed to keep us rooted, to dwell and be present in community, and to live sacramentally. As artists placed into our culture we must encounter that culture, provide a presence reflecting our values, and use our gifts among the culture.
As Chuck Blakeman shared with us, art provides a narrative. While art can’t be specifically into one simple category, separate pieces can often create powerful narratives like story, persuasion, or even protest. Several artists including Brie Blakeman (cello), Kyle Gregory (trumpet), Tifah (piano/vocals), and Joel Hastings (piano) provided musical examples of some of these possible narratives.
Donald McGilchrist shared again, this time on Goodness…Truth…Beauty—what he refers to as the Triad of Transcendentals. Our following discussion involved trying to define beauty within the realm of art.
Our afternoon finished with a captivating theater performance by Judith Bradshaw and Elizabeth Webb, music by Sunita Puleo, with Michael Lawler and James Puleo, and a film interview with painter Makoto Fujimura on the role of the Church in the art community. Joel and Charise Hastings began our evening celebration with musical pieces on flute and piano.