Early Bird Catches the Art

Early Bird registration for Encounter '09: Art in Action has been extended to this Friday, January 9. For this short time, tickets will be available in the following price categories:

Regular Price - $395 (this fee helps subsidize our sponsored rate)
Sponsored Price - $219 (available to all)
Student Price - $119 (available only to full-time students at any level)

After January 9, prices will go up as much as $26.

Encounter '09 is International Art Movement's (IAM) annual conference for artists of all disciplines and levels. It will take place February 26-28 in Downtown New York. That weekend, participants can attend a wide variety of workshops, lectures, and films, presented by such esteemed artists as U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins, Limon Dance, pianist Helen Sung, Professor of Philosophical Theology Nicholas Wolterstorff, Viennese painter and performer Eva Flatscher, IAM founder Makoto Fujimura, Emmy award winning television producer Alice Rhee, actress and author (she also writes for our friends at Burnside) Susan Isaacs, and photographer David Sacks.

This year's theme comes from the title of Wolterstorff's book Art In Action. The conference is meant to inspire and challenge visual artists, dancers, thinkers, leaders, and all of humanity to make connections and discover opportunities to encounter and create.

Cocktail Kick Off for Series 4 of FOS (1/13)

Next Tuesday, January 13, the Forum on Orthodox Spirituality (FOS) will host an informal cocktail event to launch its next series. The event, which is free (cash bar) and open to all, will start at 6:00 PM and take place at Thalassa Restaurant (179 Franklin Street).

About FOS:

FOS (Forum on Orthodox Spirituality) is a Christian ministry at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and led by Reverend Dr. Frank Marangos, Dean and Protopresbyter. Geared toward NY area professionals, FOS was created in response to their need for continual spiritual illumination and nourishment and inaugurated on February 12 of 2008. The aim of FOS is to enrich our lives by coming into a deeper meaning of Orthodox Christian faith and worship in view of contemporary society while at the same time creating relationships and community. FOS covers a particular series topic for a certain number of consecutive weekly sessions and generally meets on Tuesday evenings. Individuals are welcome to join at any point in the series.

Fr. Frank is a highly dynamic, sophisticated and personable theologian and clergyman. His presentations allow for faith to become more relevant in our lives. In a very kind and humorous way, he dispels much of the "yiayialogy" with which many are familiar. We explore such themes as faith and doubt, rationalism, humanism, religion as the cause for wars and other world ills, "spiritual, but not religious", comparison of religions, the real meaning of the Resurrection for us, and how the world has changed in 2000 years through Jesus Christ.

In addition to its Tuesday night discussions, FOS is active in sponsoring various events: a Christmas Toys for Tots Drive, a bone marrow drive, cocktail gatherings, movie nights. Previously, Fr. Frank discussed the spiritual themes in the Matrix, The Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones.

Father Frank will announce the topic for series 4 at the event. The Tuesday night discussions will begin on January 20, at 6:00 PM, and will be held at Holy Trinity Church (319 East 74th Street).

[image from Thalassa website]

Free Music from CompassionArt

The album won't officially be out til January 27, but you can already download songs from CompassionArt's multi-artist compilation, CompassionArt: Creating Freedom from Poverty, here for free or make a charitable donation.

The story of the album goes as follows:

It reads like a bad gag; what do you get when you leave 12 Christian songwriters in a remote Scottish house for five days? Answer: anything but a joke. CompassionArt: The Album is one of the most remarkable releases of recent years. Read on to find out how it all happened…

In January 2008 – after a year and a half of planning – Martin and Anna Smith were joined by 11 other songwriters for the first CompassionArt retreat. Next to a Scottish Loch a few hours north of Glasgow were these dozen writers who between them had written pretty much every song the church has been singing over the last decade.

A week later and the group emerged with a whole load of new songs that are bound to provide the soundtrack for the coming years; songs that answered the question 'what's faith got to do with poverty?'

Four weeks later and the writers were gathered in Abbey Road to record the best fifteen tracks from the retreat.

The twelve songwriters were none other than Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu G and Martin Smith of Delirious?, Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Darlene Zschech.

Each artist got to pick a charity that 1/24th of the royalties would go to. The remaining 50% will go to CompassionArt projects such as providing food, shelter, and education to orphaned children in the Watoto community in Uganda and providing funds for music and arts centers that support the world-famous Watoto Children's Choir.

In concert...
Chris Tomlin and Israel Houghton & New Breed will be at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, on January 23, for the Hello Love Tour.

Michael W. Smith will be performing, along with Billy Ray Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana's dad), Charlie Daniels, and Lee Greenwood, at the Six Flags in Jackson, NJ, on August 15, as part of the Freedom Concerts.

None of the artists are currently scheduled to perform in New York City.

The Proverbial Procrastinator

Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow,"
when you now have it with you.
~ Proverbs 3:28

If You Can't Keep Resolutions, Chances Are You Can't Keep Vows

Is it wrong to make vows to God? That's the question Harvest Christian Fellowship (130 West 56th St., between 6th and 7th Aves., 3rd Floor Fellowship Hall) will be tackling tonight, January 2, at 7:30 PM. It's part of the First Friday Fellowship's series "Answers to Tough Questions."

In addition to the interactive Bible study, there will be a time of worship. Desserts and refreshments will be served.

The Gallery Church Moves to New Location

The Chelsea branch of The Gallery Church, which previously met Rustin High School, will begin meeting at the Salt Art Space this Sunday, January 4. The Salt Art Space is located at 133 West 25th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). The service will begin at its regular 6:00 PM time slot.

The church had this to say about the move:

By beginning to meet in our art space, we are committing to this downtown community and to the desire we have to serve artists and display God's greatness in New York City. This move is a step toward fulfilling our vision of having a larger art space which can also serve as a permanent meeting location and the offices of the Gallery Church. As a community, we will intentionally pray for a larger space and for God to continue to open doors for our church to serve, collaborate with, and support artists and the surrounding community.

The Salt Art Space is the newly renamed the SALT gallery, which opened last July.

This Sunday in their new meeting location, The Gallery Church will continue its sermon series "Fresh Start." It will teach the various disciplines to promote spiritual growth. The series started last week, and you can get the podcast from The Gallery Church's website.

Closing This Weekend: The Dead Sea Scrolls: Mysteries of the Ancient World

The exhibit The Dead Sea Scrolls: Mysteries of the Ancient World at The Jewish Museum is closing this Sunday, January 4. The museum has six scrolls on exhibit, three of which have never been exhibited and three of which have never been seen in New York City.

[image from museum]

According to the museum:

They represent the important transformation that occurred in Jewish worship from sacrifice to Bible study and prayer, the debates among Jewish groups of the Second Temple Period, and the indirect connections between the scrolls and early Christianity. The scrolls include a part of one of the earliest copies of the Hebrew Bible in existence, the Book of Jeremiah, which dates to 225-175 BCE. Other texts that will be shown include an aprocryphal Jewish work, the Book of Tobit, which was not included in the Hebrew canon but was eventually accepted into some versions of the Christian Old Testament; early examples of prayers from Words of the Luminaries; and Aramaic Apocryphon of Daniel, which mentions a son of God. Also shown will be excerpts from two sectarian compositions, the Community Rule, which lays out the regulations for joining and being a member of a sect, and the War Scroll, which describes a great war at the end of days.

The Dead Sea Scrolls date back to the third century BCE through the first century CE, but the first of the 900 scrolls was not found until 1947 in a cave in the Judean Desert.

The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue (@ 92nd Street). Admission is free on Saturday.

Top 5 Things to Do This Weekend, January 2 - 4, 2009

1. Everyone and their cousin is still partying in NYC. Escape the madness by getting out of town.

2. Stick to at least one of the Resolutions you made yesterday

3. Make a list of all your outfit combinations so you look smashing all year round

4. Are you a fan of The Minutemen’s Double Nickels on the Dime? Then head on down to the 33 1/3 Multimedia Reading Series at on Sunday (1/4) at 7:00 PM at Barbés (376 9th St at 6th Ave, Park Slope).

5. Put away all your Christmas decorations so you don't have to claim the red lights are for Valentine's Day come February

The Proverbial Power to Do Good

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
~ Proverbs 3:27

Top 10 Food Trends for 2009

Speaking of predictions, Epicurious made their top 10 food trends for 2009. Among the top trends:

PDX is over. Take that hipsters. Portland, Maine, is the hot spot for food in 2009. Musically, though, are they up to task? Last fall's PICNIC Music + Arts Festival in Maine had all the potential but not so much of the talent in comparison to Oregon's Musicfest NW, which took place around the same time.

Peruvian is the new Thai. For NYE dinner, I went to Room Service for some yummy Pad See Euw. It was a feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach.

[image from Room Service]

...Guess I have to try Peruvian now. Any recommendations?

Epicurious is also saying that value now trumps last year's buzzword "sustainable." With the economy on the fritz, does that mean all our efforts to go green are unraveling?

Color of the Year for 2009

Everyone's casting their predictions for what 2009 will hold. (Apparently they've forgotten what happened when Saul wanted to look into the future.) Predictions are being made for everything from the economy to sports. The humbly self-described "global authority on color," Pantone, has stepped out on a limb to announce the color of the year.

Introducing... PANTONE® 14-0848. That's mimosa for all you laymen.


Pantone says, "In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow."

Well, now at least you know what to do with that leftover champagne from toasting the New Year: whip yourself up a little mimosa.

Our own prediction: New Yorkers will continue to wear black.

Top 5 Things to Do January 1, 2009

1. Sleep in

2. Make (somewhat realistic) Resolutions for the New Year

3. Eat the perfect post-partying brunch

4. Join the Polar Bears for their traditional New Year's Day swim at Coney Island

5. Fill in all the important dates from last year's calendar into this year's so you don't forget that dentist appointment you scheduled six months in advance

The Proverbial Wisdom

Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech.
~ Proverbs 1:20-21

(image of Barry Flanagan's Large Left Handed Drummer, as seen in Union Square in spring 2007)

Welcome!

See you in January 2009.