Details
I’ve got a river of Light flowing out of me
Heals the weary souls, helps us all to see
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free
I’ve got a river of Light flowing out of me
Spring forth the well inside my soul
Spring forth the well and make me whole
Spring forth the well and let me see
That Light that shines in me
Art Church* is where we explore how our spiritual and creative practices intersect and depend on one another. This is a weekend retreat at Woolman Hill, a Quaker retreat center in Deerfield, MA, from Friday, September 6th at 5pm through Monday, September 9th at noon. This is an invitation to make art, worship, and build solidarity in a multidisciplinary, spiritually diverse space, led by three young queer Quakers from Western Massachusetts and Portland, Maine. Read on to find out more.
Is this you? Do you feel this?
- you feel a persistent call to CREATE (art, music, dance, writing…)
- you feel that what you create flows from an inward source that is larger than yourself
- you feel a divine power that can guide your life, through a faith tradition and/or lived experience
If yes, do you want the following?
- For your heart to be broken open, to be creative in new ways, to encounter the divine in new ways, to leave different than when you arrived
- To make art in a multidisciplinary space where all creative mediums are connected and feed each other
- To worship together in experimental ways, guided by Quaker faith, with room for spiritual diversity
- To share your experience and your work with others with love and courage
- To listen together to the one inner Voice that calls us all to make what we make in order to change us and change our world
- To build solidarity and creative friendships based on this^ that can sustain us beyond this time together
A little bit more about this gathering:
A major part of how we’ll connect as a group is through a personal and collective “threshing” practice. We will each learn how to bind a small sketchbook and use that to collect everything we notice throughout the weekend, share it with one another, and notice throughlines and patterns. This practice is not meant to focus on visual art specifically, but to give each participant a non judgmental place to deposit their ideas through any medium.
There will be several workshop opportunities when participants can plan to bring a creative practice which helps them connect to their flow, to share with a small group. Examples might include a group movement activity, structured jamming session, writing exercise, or drawing game. You’re encouraged to be silly, have fun, and learn from one another. The goal is to help one another submit to the creative flow, not acquire skills. If you think you might like to offer a workshop, contact Maggie, Sal, or Piper ASAP!
*What we mean by “church” in the name Art Church: Quakers experience the church not as a building or institution, not as a particular Christian group or denomination, but as a living, breathing community of human beings that is gathered up by God’s loving embrace. We experience the church when we gather our bodies close to one another for worship in order to listen to God’s whispers amongst us. We experience it when we care for one another and toil for justice alongside one another and choose to knit our lives together out of hope and love. We (Maggie, Sal, and Piper) named this gathering Art Church not to ignore the harm that Christian institutions have done in the name of the Church, but to reclaim its true meaning as Quakers. You're invited to dive into that as much or as little as is safe for you-- the most important thing is to bring your authentic spiritual experience and heritage. People of all faith backgrounds are welcome.
(For those of you who remember Art Camp-- this is the same thing! It's just no longer being held at Friends Camp, so we changed the name to be more accurate to its purpose.)
Email questions about what will happen at this gathering to Maggie at [email protected] and questions about registration and staying at Woolman Hill to Margaret [email protected]. You can learn more about staying at Woolman Hill here.