A Celebration of the Arts: Created to Create

Date

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Time

9:30am - 3:30pm

Details

Join us for a special celebration of the arts! We will spend the day exploring what it means to be made in the image of our Creator God through large group gatherings, small group workshops, and conversations over a meal. In the large group presentation, we will study the ways God has designed us to express his goodness, beauty, and truth through the creative arts.

In the morning and afternoon small group workshops, you will have the chance to practice what you’ve learned in a specific area of the creative arts led by the artists from our church family. At mealtime, you will have the chance to hear from and interact with local professional artists. This event is for ages fourteen and above. If childcare is needed, please indicate on RSVP form.

We hope you will come celebrate the arts!

Workshop Descriptions:

Creative Writing:
Scripture demonstrates the myriad ways God communicates his story and his character using words: narratives, history, poetry, reflection, prayer, and more! In the creative writing workshop, explore how you can use words and a variety of writing genres to communicate God’s goodness, beauty, and truth.

Dance:
God gave us bodies that are capable of so much more than just thinking, working, eating, and sleeping. Our movements and expressions tell stories and communicate emotions in ways that can transcend the limitations of language and auditory perception. In the dance workshop, explore how you can use movement, posture, and expression to communicate God’s beauty, goodness, and truth.

Drawing/Sketching:
What is it about pencil sketching and pen and ink drawings that capture us? Perhaps it’s the interplay of light and shadow, line and angles that help us see spaces, objects, and people around us differently than before. In the drawing/sketching workshop, explore how noticing and capturing the visual world around you with pen and paper can help communicate God’s beauty, goodness, and truth.

Pastels:
Pastels have a softness of texture and richness of color that opens a world of possibilities when it comes to creating art that evokes emotion and imagination. In this workshop, explore how the blending, layering, and shading of pastels can uniquely communicate God’s beauty, goodness, and truth. We will have both oil pastels and chalk (hard and soft) pastels available for creative exploration.

Public Speaking and Storytelling:
Have you ever heard a preacher, a speaker, or a storyteller that convicted, inspired, even captivated you? In this workshop, you will explore and practice skills and techniques for public speaking, storytelling, and Scripture reading in a safe group setting. Discover together how to effectively use your voice, presence, and expression to communicate God’s beauty, goodness, and truth.

Songwriting:
Have you ever wondered why God commands his people to sing? Perhaps one of the reasons is that the combination of lyrics put to melody mixed with harmony has the unique ability to connect people not only to the truth behind the words but also to the emotions the music expresses. In this workshop, explore how songwriting, by engaging not just your mind with words but also your ears and imaginations with sounds, can help communicate God’s beauty, goodness, and truth.

Watercolor:
Watercolor can be described as both vivid and translucent, powerful and fragile, playful and reflective, and so much more. In the watercolor workshop, explore how this unique medium of the visual arts, using the combination of ordinary things like color, water, and technique, can help communicate God’s beauty, goodness, and truth.

Space at the workshops are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so please be sure to indicate your first and second choice on the RSVP form!

RSVP

Location

McLean Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall)
1020 Balls Hill Rd
McLean, VA 22101