Artists

2012 European Artists Network

How is God working through the contemporary creative arts across Europe? How can we help one another as practicing artists to serve him better? These are some of the questions we will explore as a Network of Christians who are artists.

The track has been deliberately designed around a series of dialogues between artists, musicians, writers, and designers. Rather than having only lectures, in addition we will have informed discussion about the subjects of the artist’s task today, the relationship between beauty and redemption, towards a map of current trends and themes in critical art practice across Europe and an artist’s showcase. Artists will be invited to briefly present their work to the group, as well as network and make connections with others seeking to glorify Christ through art practice.

The 2012 Artists Network will be led by Alastair (Ally) Gordon and David McCulloch. Also speaking in the Network will be Roberta Ahmanson, Jerram Barrs, Bill Edgar, Lucinda Metcalfe, and Iain Morris.

Network Leaders

Alastair (Ally) Gordon and David McCulloch are co-founders of Interface arts Graduates, a network of Christians working professionally in the arts in the UK. Alastair is a London based painter. Formerly national arts coordinator for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, he is now in the first year of a Masters degree in fine art in London. Alastair is also a writer and the author of Beyond Air Guitar: A Guide for Christian Students and Graduates in Art, Design in the Media. Formerly Scottish arts staff worker for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, David now works as a mentor to arts graduates in Scotland. Originally trained as an illustrator, David is also a musician who will be curating an exhibition of art at the Forum.

Network Speakers

Roberta Ahmanson is a writer and philanthropist whose public activities focus on the vital role the arts play in shaping human experience and the critical role of religion in public life. She is chairman of the board of the Museum of Biblical Art in New York City, a regular speaker at the International Arts Movement’s annual encounters, and a frequent speaker on the arts. She and her husband have sponsored a number of international art exhibitions, the most recent being “The Sacred Made Real” at the National Gallery, London, in the fall of 2009. She is also chairman of the board of the Media Project and a contributor to Oxford University Press’s 2008 award-winning book, Blind Spot: When Journalists Don’t Get Religion. With her husband, Howard, she is a trustee of the private philanthropy Fieldstead and Company. Most recently, the Ahmansons received Arts Orange County’s 2010 Achievement Award for Outstanding Arts Philanthropist. The Ahmansons live in Orange County, California.

Jerram Barrs is Professor of Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis and also Resident Scholar at the Francis Schaeffer Institute. He joined the Covenant Seminary faculty in 1989 after 18 years with L'Abri Fellowship in England, where he also pastored the International Presbyterian Church.  His field of expertise is cultural apologetics.  He has recently been seeking to develop a more biblical approach to evangelism by studying Jesus' conversations with unbelievers; and also reflecting on the different kinds of testimony that the Holy Spirit uses to draw people to faith. Other interests include the arts and literature. He has written several books, including Echoes of Eden: Reflections on Christianity and the Arts, Through God’s Eyes: God’s Perspective on Women in the Bible, Learning from Jesus the Greatest Evangelist, Being Human, Shepherds and Sheep, Who Are the Peacemakers?, The Great Rescue, The Heart of Evangelism, The Heart of Prayer, as well as the video series Building up Bridges, Breaking Down Walls.

William Edgar is the former leader of the European Artists Network. He studied at Harvard University (Honors BA in Music), Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv), and the University of Geneva (DTh). He has taught at the Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT, and at the  Faculté Jean Calvin in Aix-en-Provence, France, where he continues as Professeur Associé. He is currently Professor of Apologetics, and Coordinator of the Apologetics Department at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where he has been since 1989. His books include Taking Note of Music (London: SPCK, 1986), Reasons of the Heart (Baker/Hourglass, 1996; P & R, 2003), La carte protestante (Labor et Fides, 1997), The Face of Truth: Lifting the Veil (P & R, 2001), Les dix commandements (Excelsis, 2007), Truth in All Its Glory: Commending the Reformed Faith (P & R, 2004), and Christian Apologetics Past and Present (2009). He speaks and writes on such subjects as cultural apologetics, the music of Brahms, the French Huguenots and African-American aesthetics. He plays regularly with the jazz band Renewal. The Edgars have two children and three grand-children.

Lucinda Metcalfe is a London-based artist. She recently worked as “Artist-in-Residence”  for singer/songwriter Imogen Heap and as UCCF staff worker, mentoring art students at University of the Arts, London.  She lives in Hackney, teaches at an International Secondary School in central London, and works from an art studio in Wapping.  She gained an MA  with distinction at London’s “Slade School of Fine Art”, UCL.  Lucinda is currently also working part-time as a mentor for the new charity "Morphe Arts", supporting Christian graduates in the arts.

Iain Morris is Producer/Director at Kharis Productions Scotland. Having graduated from Glasgow University with degrees in English Literature, Sociology, Psychology and Education, his early career led him into teaching and research in the Scottish educational system. Subsequently, he became a Producer of educational television within ITV and then, as Head of Programmes at Scope Productions in Glasgow, developed a broad portfolio of programming which, in addition to broadcasting for BBC and ITV, also incorporated many international productions for Christian ministries such as Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for which he produced more than thirty documentaries. In 2002, he set up Kharis Productions where, among a wide range of educational and religious documentary programming, including two feature films, he is now immersed in the production of The God Question. He also had responsibility for the media content for Cape Town 2010 – a world  congress held in October 2010 under the auspices of the Lausanne movement. 

Network Programme