What is Next for VAF?
So…what is on the post-gathering radar for Via Affirmativa? A team of people will soon be assessing the assessments from the gathering in order to begin planning for similar events in the future. Also, Art Slams are being orchestrated across the country (please see our VAF Art Slam page for more information). If you are planning one for this summer then we would like to know about it.
As per this website: we are looking to put up pictures, audio clips, and notes from the recent gathering. Those will be coming soon under the VAF Gatherings link.
We are calling all writers to help us create some diversity here by contributing your own thoughts in the form of blog posts. So, instead of reading this dribble, we can read something daring and dribble-less written by one of you. It can be insightful, observational, theological, artsy, technical, etc—but it must be fresh. If you think you might have the knack for a blog article every now and then let us know.
We are also calling all…other creative types to contribute as well. We can post your videos, photos, designs, and other artistic representations. Contact me (see above) if you haven’t already and we will work together to make your contribution bloggy.
Hopefully, we can create a sort of diverse gallery that will prompt ruminations, be like a sharp pin aimed at our nice, safe thought bubbles, or…be like that iron that sharpens iron. If (for some reason) blogging is not your thing, then feel free to start your own forum conversation here, but regardless of where the conversations take place, we hope to use this website to continue to learn from one another.
Here are a few questions Gary (VAF director) has on his mind (while chillin’ with the grandkids at the lake). Feel free to give your three cents.
How can we help those who are interested in hosting an art slam?
What will make our web site valuable enough that it will be part of forming connections for a movement?
Where should we host next years gathering?
Should we instead have three or four smaller regional gatherings (ie. Colorado, Minneapolis, Baltimore…maybe Seattle)?
How do we build in a conversation of calling out and equipping ‘kingdom-class’ artists? (This is opposed to ‘world-class’—or the motivation of ‘art for art’s sake’—see this post for more thoughts or see Gary’s audio clip once we post it for further clarification of these terms.)
June 30th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Colorado definitely needs to host another gathering–in Denver! There is a good underground Kingdom-artist community here that’s about to bust out.
July 1st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Hi Caleb
Give me a call and let me know what you think it would take to launch a artslam in denver?
I think you are corect in that Denver is ready. I have seen lots of interest
.
Gary
July 9th, 2007 at 12:49 am
How can we help those who are interested in hosting an art slam?
I think I have a few ideas here…
Create a section of the site which offers clear suggestions on promoting art slams as well as specific examples of projects to introduce at an art slam. One of the best things I can think of would be to share other’s successes with us so we can be encouraged. In addition, this information will give us ideas of what has worked for others. Another possibility would be to create cooped means of promoting Art Slams. To me, one of the hardest things to accomplish is the promotion of an event- how best to get the word out. I have been considering hosting some art slams through my gallery. (http://www.BlazonStudio.com). However, I haven’t nailed down how I should attract my target market. My heart is to reach a younger generation- lets say the 18-35 year olds. I haven’t really figured out how to promote it. (Maybe a MySpace page- hmm.)
What will make our web site valuable enough that it will be part of forming connections for a movement?
Well, this may sound sorta rough, but I find the current site extremely disjointed and confusing. I have only known about the organization for a few months, and upon learning about it, I wanted to contact someone. However, after digging around for some time, I never found a “contact” page. In addition, there were lots of gaps in the communication for the June event. For example, there was no address or map of the location posted. (I actually received an email with this info while i was in my car driving to Minneapolos.) Now I don’t want you to think that I am just techno-clueless. I have actually built and maintain a few web sites myself. Although I think blogs can be successful, they need to be engaging. When someone first learns about Via Affirmativa, they need info. Now I was able to find the “About VAF” page easily, but I had questions and noone to contact. I follow an organization called “Church Marketing Sucks” which I feel would be a good site to reference. They have successfully created a united kingdom-minded movement to improve church communications. Their site is basicaly a blog, but I find it far more engaging. The web site URL is “http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com. I just wanted to close this thought by sayiing that I DO appreciate all of the time and effort which has been invested here. I just feel that a few tweeks could yield exciting results. I think the layout of the site I mentioned could really help VAF. When you first hit the site you are confronted with several different concepts, polls, articles, etc. I always find it engaging.
Where should we host next years gathering?
No input here…. I enjoyed MN even though it was a real log drive for me. (11 hours+). I was amazed at how reasonable the cost of the June event was. The one thought I would have is that if you are going to have a couple large events, having them in the middle of the US seems logical. Anyway, that is my 3¢ on that.
Should we instead have three or four smaller regional gatherings (ie. Colorado, Minneapolis, Baltimore…maybe Seattle)?
I am afraid that doing this would over-tax your support team and dilute the synergy we had at the June event.