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Because the Bible is relevant to all people in all places…
Because all artists in all places are image bearers of God…
Because artists have a pervasive impact in forming culture…
Spark+Echo Arts forms communities of artists who engage with and create in response to the Bible.

If we are successful…

Artists are affirmed in their calling.

Artists connect deeply to God and one another.

Artists from diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds work with each other.

The Bible is recovered as a common subject of artistic conversation and creation.

Artists provide the curious with new forms of engagement with Scripture.

Every verse of the Bible will be illuminated with art, music, theatre, poetry, dance, or film by Christian and non-Christian artists from every nation across the world.

In 2009, Emily Clare Zempel and I, married for just a few weeks, spoke on faith and creativity at the "Creativity and Lutheran Theology in Media" Conference, hosted at Bethany Lutheran College by the Christ in Media Institute. We had a passion for creating new art on the Bible, which led us to found Spark+Echo Arts in New York City in 2010. Our goal was to give other artists a reason to respond to Scripture using their gifts.

Our flagship program has been our illuminated Bible project. To date we have commissioned art on over four thousand verses of the Bible. You can see every work at the Spark+Echo Arts website. What I especially love about the project is the diversity of response to the Bible. We encourage artists to respond freely, and in the process they bring verses to life in powerful and surprising ways. We show in practice that the Bible is alive and speaks to people everywhere.

In 2018, we hosted a board retreat to examine how our project had grown. We noticed a trend: while our focus had been simple – asking artists to create on the Bible, something else was happening along the way. Artists and communities were being formed around each work (and I mean multiple meanings of the word formed). Since our "gallery" is primarily online, the physical works and performances that come out of the project live on across the world. Relationships develop as artists collaborate around the Word. Artists share that the act of creating on Scripture itself is shaping other areas of their life and career.

In short, the act of artistically illuminating the Bible is a formational experience, both for individuals and communities.

Because of that, we have expanded our mission and vision to what I shared at the opening of this update. Our flagship program continues, but it's part of a larger mission. This mission reflects both what we have witnessed happening in this project over the last ten years, and where we would like it to grow.

One of the ways we are growing is by establishing formation groups. Over six weeks artists and a facilitator meet to examine works that have been created through the project, read and personally connect with a portion of the Bible, and then create their own work. We have successfully piloted our first formation group this year and are looking for ways to share our model and curriculum with communities across the country. If you would like to explore this idea in your community, please let us know through our website.

We also have been transitioning our leadership into the future. After ten years as Executive Director, I have stepped down, moving onto our board of directors. I am thrilled to report that Rebecca Testrake, our long-time program director, is assuming the role of Interim Director. Having shepherded hundreds of artists through the process of creating on the Bible with Spark+Echo Arts over the years, no one knows this work better. I can't wait to see how the project develops under her leadership.

We are also focused on expanding our board, volunteers, and staff to support the future of this project. Specifically we are looking to match the diversity of voices we see in the artistic community around Spark+Echo Arts in the leadership itself. This is an area where we have fallen short. To model that the Bible is truly relevant to all people, we need to model this in every aspect of our project. Do you know someone who would be a good candidate to join Spark+Echo Arts' leadership? Please recommend via our website.

Thank you for your prayers and support of this very unique mission. We appreciate the opportunity to share this update and to continue echoing the spark of the Bible for artists everywhere. I look forward to connecting with you here. Please also explore the project at www.SparkandEcho.org and share your thoughts and ideas with us. You are part of the Spark+Echo community, and together we can bring the Bible to life in remarkable ways.