ArtWay

Quality is the first norm for art, but its final norm is love and truth, the enriching of human life, the deepening of our vision.

Christianity and Art

North-America organizations and websites

North-America organizations and websites

 
CANADA
 
Cardus, Hamilton ON. A think tank: an ideas lab for social innovation. Cardus is inspired by and works out of a long tradition of Christian social thought. This tradition has implications for how we think about economics, politics, art, sex and more. Our work is infused with the insights of this tradition, its virtues and its disciplines. With online articles, columns, calendar, research projects. The ‘1000 words’ section deals with the visual arts. www.cardus.ca (E)
 
Epiphany Sacred Arts Guild, Vancouver BC. The Epiphany Sacred Arts Guild is a society of artists and associates promoting the practice and appreciation of sacred arts as defined by the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. The aims of the guild touch upon the spiritual, educational, promotional and practical aspects of sacred art. https://www.facebook.com/groups/116901255118165/ (E)
 
Imago, Toronto, ON. A Canadian arts organisation supporting Christians in the arts. Imago aims to engage in promoting artistry of high caliber that will be both enrich and carry positive influence on the Canadian cultural landscape. Art is critical as a resource for bridging our differences and offering some threads of hope in the deeply troubling situations we face. Imago is committed to participating with artists and those interested in the arts to do all it can to facilitate a thoughtful and practical program of support for the arts in Canada. With an online E-magazine. http://www.imago-arts.org (E)
 
Lift Up Your Hearts. Worship & Spirituality Site of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. With worship resources and many links for church art and architecture. www.worship.ca (E)
                        
 
USA
 
Adoremus - Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy. An association of Catholics to promote authentic reform of the Liturgy of the Roman Rite. It publishes the Adoremus Bulletin. On the website a list of articles from this bulletin about art and architecture. Adoremus Bulletin has been a pioneer in tracking the historic developments on the church architecture scene during the past several years. https://adoremus.org/ (E)
 
ARC: The Society for the Arts, Religion and Contemporary Culture. ARC is a collaborative community for those who cultivate embodied and just ways of knowing and being through creative and spiritual practices. We envision a just world where creativity and spirituality work together to promote the flourishing of all creation. https://artsreligionculture.org/
 
Artists in Christian Testimony International (ACT). A missionary and ministry-sending agency for artistic missionaries. Runs music and arts oriented ministries in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Philippines and the United States. www.actinternational.org (E)
 
Arts and Entertainment Ministries. Education, resources and dialogue for those wrestling through the issues of integrating faith and art. http://a-e-m.org (E)
 
Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art (ASCHA) is dedicated to the facilitation and promotion of scholarship which examines the historical and contemporary relationship between Christianity and the visual arts. ASCHA is international, non-partisan and ecumenical. ASCHA is dedicated to the critical examination of problems that confront the field of art history through the development and practice of rigorous scholarly methodologies. https://www.scholarschristianityhistoryart.org/ (E)
 
Bowden Collections offers a variety of traveling exhibitions available for rental to museums, churches, colleges and seminaries and similar institutions: Seeing Christ in the Darkness: Rouault (1871-1958) as Graphic Artist; Cardboard Chronicles: The Biblical Art of Rudolph Bostic;  Eden to Eternity: 40 molas from the San Blas Islands; Chagall and the Bible; Journey to the Cross: Through the Eyes of Children; Otto Dix: Matthäus Evangelium, 33 lithographs; and Christ is Born with 30 old and contemporary works. www.bowdencollections.com (E)
 
Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. Educates artists in theology and theologians in the arts.The center aspires to be an evangelical arts think tank, with five stand-alone institutes focused upon worship and music, film and moving images, art and architecture, drama, journalism and creative writing, preaching and the study of the "emerging church," which incorporates painting, dance and other fine arts into worship. www.brehmcenter.com (E)
 
Bridge Projects. Bridge Projects is a contemporary art gallery and curatorial project based in Los Angeles, featuring experimental, research-driven exhibitions by local and international artists. Each exhibition project includes a series of parallel public events – lectures, workshops, performances, salons, conferences, community programs, etc. – in which we gather prominent scholars and artists to help situate these exhibitions within broader art-historical, philosophical, and religious contexts. Our programming is especially aimed at fostering more advanced and more open interdisciplinary explorations of the relations between contemporary art, spirituality, and religious traditions. https://www.bridgeprojects.com
 
Build a Bridge. A non-profit arts education and intervention organization that engages the transformative power of the arts to bring hope and healing to children, families, and communities in the tough places of the world. BuildaBridge motivates, enlists, trains, and connects those with artistic gifts with those in greatest need. www.buildabridge.org (E)
 
By/For Ministries. By/For encourages artists to create sacred worship art by the church, for the church. Great art happens in community. By/For desires to strengthen ties between artists and their worship communities, so that both can grow together. Encourages art patronage. www.byfor.org (E)
 
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids MI. For the study and renewal of worship. The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship aims to promote the scholarly study of the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship and the renewal of worship in worshiping communities across North America and beyond. It is an interdisciplinary study and ministry center dedicated to both understanding and revitalizing the practice of Christian worship. It has a  website with a wealth of articles, resources, bibliographies etc., also on liturgy and the visual arts. www.calvin.edu/worship (E)
 
Center for Liturgical Art, Concordia University, Seward, NE. The Center for Liturgical Art works with architects, liturgical consultants and master artisans in the design of worship space and the creation of ecclesiastical art. The CLA also promotes the use of visual art in worship, encouraging artists to assist the church in its ministry and providing educational outreach programs in the visual arts through the stewardship of God's gift of art. www.liturgicalart.org (E)
 
CANA, Christian Artists Networking Association, Sacramento, CA. Publishes a regular newsletter and organises regional, national and international conferences in Asia and Eastern Europe. 
 
CCCA, Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts at Biola University, 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, California. The Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts is founded on the belief that the interrelationship between contemporary artmaking, theology, and religious tradition holds much richer potential for exploration and study than it has yet received. The work of the Center is devoted to expanding and deepening this interrelationship through a threefold mission: 1. to provide a forum of artists and scholars, 2. to facilitate and produce new research, 3. to encourage a deeper awareness of the historical depths and diversity of the Christian theological-aesthetic imagination. http://ccca.biola.edu 
 
C.S. Lewis Foundation, Redlands, Ca. Triennial conference in Oxford and Cambridge. Inspired by the life and legacy of C.S. Lewis, our mission is to advance the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout the world of learning and the culture at large. Articles on topics like architecture, aesthetics, the visual arts in the section of the on-line journal In Pursuit of Truth. www.cslewis.org (E)
 
ECVA, Episcopal Church Visual Arts. The mission of The ECVA is to encourage artists, individuals, congregations, and scholars to engage the visual arts in the spiritual life of the church. ECVA values the significance of visual imagery in spiritual formation and the development of faith, and creates programs to support those who are engaged in using the visual arts in spiritual life. www.ecva.org (E)
 
The Eliot Society, based in Washington D.C., exists to enrich the church and foster spiritual formation through the arts. It supports local artists and provides opportunities for people to engage with diverse forms and styles of art. It encourages Christians to explore the ways beauty informs faith and worship, and the ways faith shapes creativity. The Eliot Society’s Artists’ Fellowship is a community of Christian artists working across a wide range of creative disciplines. Members are writers, poets, painters, photographers, dancers, songwriters, actors, and more. Meetings for fellowship, encouragement, and collaboration. With lecture series (and archive), concerts, poetry and discussion nights. https://eliotsociety.org
 
Eyekons. Gallery, stock image bank (a digital marketplace of spiritual art), visual tools for creative worship, store (gifts, cards, books), giclee print collection and info on the artists that are represented in their collection. www.eyekons.com (E) 

The Foundation for Sacred Arts, Washington D.C. The Foundation for Sacred Arts is a Catholic organization which has been founded to encourage and inspire the production and promotion of sacred arts for the glory of God and the transformation of society. The Foundation for Sacred Arts seeks to stimulate a movement in the fine arts by inspiring those with artistic talent to create works of truth, beauty, and goodness. Our projects include: a series of traveling exhibits which present and promote the work of contemporary Christian artists; a network of chapters of Christian artists in cities throughout the country to enable these artists to meet and share ideas; and a database of information on Christian artists active in the country today. Sends out a free e-mail newsletter. http://thefoundationforsacredarts.blogspot.com/ (E)

The Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts. FSA is devoted to nurturing connections between spirituality and contemporary art. By encouraging a mutual flow of creativity and faith from both artists and scholars, they hope to initiate fresh channels of spiritual enrichment from new depths of artistic expression. Nurturing innovative and experimental collaborations between a wide range of communities, FSA aspires to integrate estranged voices together in a spirit of harmony, openness, and inquisitiveness. With annual series of residencies, open to visual artists, performers, composers, choreographers, curators, writers, and theologians. https://fsa.art/

The Grove Center for the Arts and Media. Our vision is to see Christ in culture through the arts & media. With a Creativ Edge Artist Network and a forum on the website. www.thegrovecenter.org (E)
 
Grunewald Guild, Leavenworth, WA. Events, classes and seminars throughout the year. Summer courses. E-newsletter. https://grunewaldguild.com/ (E)
 
IAM, International Arts Movement. A catalyst arts organization committed to cultural and spiritual renewal. Its programs support individual artists in their work and embrace the entire arts community. IAM is active in Tokyo and New York City, with affiliations in Orlando, Los Angeles, and London. Its vision: a fusion of creativity and faith that expresses and illustrates God's intimate and merciful identity in the world. https://iamculturecare.com/ (E)
 
Iconreader; A Reader's Guide to Orthodox Icons. A great online resource for learning about Orthodox icons. https://iconreader.wordpress.com/ (E)
 
Image, Seattle, WA. Elaborate website with interviews, articles and a blog of Image,Journal of the Arts and Religion.Image speaks with equal force and relevance to the secular culture and to the church. By finding fresh ways for the imagination to embody religious truth and religious experience, Image challenges believers and non-believers alike. Organizes an annual conference (The Glen Workshop) and publishes a free e-mail newsletter ImageUpdate. http://imagejournal.org/page/journal (E)
 
Imago Dei. Imago Dei is an interdisciplinary, ecumenical Christian organization that seeks to understand and cultivate the relationship between Christianity and the arts. We have two focal points: 1) The study of Christianity and the arts, and 2) the practice of the arts in a Christian context. Our Vision is to partner with regional Christian arts organizations and support the work of churches and individuals engaged in arts. Has an Arts Center in downtown Kansas City, KS. In addition to their annual worship arts conference and workshops, they provide art instruction for inner city students.   https://www.facebook.com/IMAGODEIArtsCenter/ (E)
 
Index of Christian Art, Princeton University. An iconographic index of Christian themes in early Christian and Medieval art, broadly construed. It is the most important and largest archive of Medieval art anywhere in the world. The Index was begun in order to trace the history and evolution of iconographic themes and concepts in early Christian and Medieval art in all media and in all geographic areas. The complete Index of Christian Art is available in five locations: the Index of Christian Art headquarters at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library, Washington, D.C., the Getty Research Center, Los Angeles, the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome, and the Rijksuniversiteit, Utrecht. https://library.princeton.edu/resource/title/index-christian-art (E)
 
Inspiro Arts Alliance  is a ministry of Operation Mobiliization (OM). OM works in over 110 countries. It seeks to breathe out artistic creations that will inspire others to worship God, and to witness to His love among the least reached; cultivate artists and empower them to live incarnationally in their com­munities, using their local art forms to inspire local Jesus followers to worship Him in Spirit and in truth; build a network of ministries to en­courage and support artists to walk in step with God, living under His breath giving them understanding of His in­spired Word, from which they create art; develop resources to inspire and equip artists to create beautiful art, which points to the Word of God and the beautiful gospel. Inspiro Arts Alliance - Home 
 
Institute for Sacred Architecture. The Institute publishes 'Sacred Architecture Journal' and important studies on Catholic architecture. www.sacredarchitecture.org (E)
 
Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture (IFRAA), Washington DC. Represents clergy, lay leaders, artists, architects, and landscape designers concerned with design for worship. www.aia.org/practicing/groups/kc/AIAS076007 (E) and www.faithandform.com (E)
 
Logos Divinity Guildworks and Ministries, Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is an ecumenical, charismatic-revelatory endeavor founded in 2007. We are a modern (Abrahamic) interfaith ministry and artists-guild fusing art and faith in a new paradigm revealing God’s word in scripture. Encouraging spiritual formation by visually, musically and in digital-video/film formats re-envisioning God's word, LDG artistically partners the passion of the first Evangelists with Chassidic Judaism's joyful witness in voicing the Hebrew bible and Gospels of Jesus Christ. http://guildworks.global/radical-hospitality/ministry-collaborations-resources/ ; https://m.facebook.com/notes/guildworks-iabraham/logos-divinity-guildworks-and-ministries-cohering-art-and-faith/402779020476/ (E)
 
The New Renaissance Rising. The Resource Site for Connecting, Equipping and Inspiring Churches and Artists for the New Renaissance. A movement to reintegrate inspired art into the church and spiritually powerful art into the culture. A movement that will connect artists with the ultimate Creator and their true selves, invigorate the Body of Christ and convey God's love to the world in creative and authentic ways. http://thenewr.org (E)
 
Sacred Art Pilgrim. This website by John Kohan charts the journey of one modern art lover who has collected works by modern artists from around the globe who have been inspired by religious themes. The website discusses many artists, some well-known and others only known in their own corners of the world. sacredartpilgrim.com (E)
 
Seeds Fine Art Exhibits, Orange CA. Through carefully crafted travelling group exhibits we encourage, convict and inspire both secular and ecumenical communities. www.seedsfineart.org (E) and http://seedsfineart.tumblr.com (E)
 
Society of Catholic Artists, New-York City. This community of artists and media professionals is inspired by Pope Benedicts’ XVI call to artists to be “custodians of Beauty” and “heralds and witnesses of Hope to humanity”. They want to work for the greater glory of God and the common good. They organize a yearly mess and a variety of other activities. http://www.catholicartistssociety.org/
 
Sojourn Arts is an arts group growing out of the ministry of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY. We want to equip local artists with the knowledge, skills, materials, and opportunities needed to create artwork that will express their faith, serve the church, and renew culture. With articles, video lectures, art projects, and a blog. http://Sojourn Visual Arts (E)
 
Stone Works. Website with a lot of info and materials for reflection. Stone Works is a global arts partnership committed to arts education, spiritual formation, cultural reformation and the recovery of the imagination in the life and mission of the church. Organizes summits, symposia, leadership training and seminars and publishes MOSAIC. www.stoneworks-arts.org (E)
 
Washington Arts Group, Washington D.C. We work to encourage professionalism in the arts, the connection of art to the life and faith of communities nationally and internationally, and the development of Washington, D.C. as a viable arts center. Our participating artists come from a broad spectrum of disciplines: architecture, dance, drama, film, journalism, music, poetry/creative writing, sculpture, theatre and visual arts. While Christian in our foundation and mission, we do not align ourselves with any single Christian denomination. https://thewashingtonartsgroup.org/ (E)