"Conference gathers Christian artists"
Conference gathers Christian artists
01:52 PM CDT on Friday, June 11, 2004
By VICTORIA LOE HICKS / The Dallas Morning News
"When a soul fled to God, it went as a naked newborn child, or so the medievals believed, emerging from the mouth of the deceased like a second birth."That arresting image, from the pen of novelist Suzanne Wolfe, captures the theme of this year's Trinity Arts Conference: "Innocence and Experience."
Ms. Wolfe, who will speak at the conference, won warm praise for her recent first novel, Unveiling, which melds art history, Christianity and intrigue into an emotional and theological stew considerably subtler than The Da Vinci Code.
Writer Annie Dillard credits Ms. Wolfe with "an imaginative vision akin to that of Dante," and Publishers Weekly described Unveiling as "dark and lovely."
The Trinity Arts Conference will take place Thursday through June 20 at the University of Dallas in Irving. Other speakers and performers include poet Scott Cairns, singer Kate Campbell, composer JAC Redford, painter and sculptor Chong Keun Chu and writer Greg Wolfe (Ms. Wolfe's husband and editor of Image: a Journal of the Arts and Religion).
Conference organizer Kim Alexander likened the yearly event to a gathering of old friends, who get together to chew on "issues of art, faith and integrity."
This year's event, she said, will draw upon the works of English mystic William Blake as well as Scripture to "attend to innocence and experience on Christ's terms."
"What does it mean to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves?" she asked. "In Christ, innocence and experience are not mutually exclusive qualities, but simultaneous and perfect mysteries."
In addition to performances, panel discussions and workshops by the featured artists, the conference includes a walk-in exhibit at which participants are invited to display their own art and "Lip 'n' Slide," an open stage event at which they can sing, read poetry or present slides.
E-mail vloe@dallasnews.com
DETAILS: Admission is $125 for the entire conference or $75 for a single day. To register or for more information, go to www.trinityartsconference.com or call 469-767-1077.