Attention visual artists

(This is a guest blog by Shannon Sigler. Shannon graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2007 with a degree in theology and the visual arts; and from Boston University in 2011 with an MA in Administration. Shannon’s art and research center around a Wesleyan paradigm for the visual arts as well as explorations in feminism, Christian vocation, and family life. Before coming to CIVA, Shannon worked as the Seminarius Arts Director at Asbury Seminary, and most recently as the Program Administrator for the Center for Practical Theology at Boston University.)


CIVA Announces the Publication of 2013-14 Sourcebook: Be in the Book!

What is CIVA?

Three decades ago, most Christians in the visual arts faced an impossible situation: the art world did not respect their faith and the Church did not value their vocation. It was difficult to be a serious Christian and a serious artist.

In 1977 Eugene Johnson had a vision. Gene, a ceramicist, professor, and preacher, served on the faculty of Bethel College. Buoyed by the enthusiastic support of his art faculty colleagues, he hosted a conference for Christian artists that drew some 170 participants from across North America to St. Paul, Minnesota. Two years later a similar conference was held at Calvin College and Christians in the Visual Arts became an official organization.

Today the mission of CIVA is much the same as the vision held by its founder over 30 years ago. CIVA and its members are: Called to Creative Work, Devoted to the Church, and Present in culture.  To read more about the vision and values of CIVA, you can go here.

CIVA is a membership organization that seeks to bridge the gap between faith and art, while providing a forum for community and professional networking for artists (and art-lovers!) of faith.

What is the Sourcebook?

In January 2013 CIVA will publish the new 2013–14 CIVA Sourcebook showcasing a broad network of Christians in the visual arts: artists, churches, collectors, educators, curators, galleries, museums, organizations, publishers, scholars, students, patrons, and universities. In years past, this book has been the “go-to” publication for galleries, schools, and ministries seeking Christian artists and art programming contacts and information worldwide.

The Sourcebook is more than a directory. Printed in full-color and with a circulation of 2,500, this publication is also a promotional platform for organizations and institutions. For the working artist, it is a unique opportunity “to see” and “to be seen.”  

If you are interested in being listed in the Sourcebook, the only simple step is to join or renew with the CIVA community by October 31^st, 2012.  You may also want to check out opportunities for publishing your art images in the Sourcebook, or placing an ad for your organization. If you have questions about CIVA, or the Sourcebook, feel free to email Shannon at ssigler@civa.org.

(David: and here is my favorite recent postcard and a nightmare of a video by Brad Pitt.)