We give God thanks for each who attended this strategic, spirited, and most enjoyable gathering. What an extraordinary meeting of creative and thoughtful individuals who worked hard, ate and drank heartily, and took pleasure in one another’s company.

I. Overview & Highlights

Participants. Thirty-three persons attended this first Leadership Retreat (see attached list). They represented various regions of the U.S. (e.g. San Diego, Seattle, Austin, Chicago, Charlotte, NYC) and various constituencies within CIVA (artists, educators, pastors, patrons, scholars).

Location. We met on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary. We were housed two miles away at the Hyatt Place. We had nearby access to the Princeton University Art Museum

Plenary Sessions. We held three:
Friday Evening—introductory session featuring a message on the “state of CIVA” from Pat Jones and brief response from attendees. Also, we heard a report on the Transforming Culture Symposium (Austin, April 2008), which we co-sponsored, from Larry Linenschmidt.
Saturday Morning—discussion focused on one of our major objectives, “serving churches more effectively,” kicked off with short presentations by Larry Linenschmidt and Brian Moss (see attached for their remarks).
Sunday Morning—reports from four working groups with opportunity for response and discussion. Each group reported tangible and valuable results from their work.

Working Groups. Much of Saturday (4.5 hours) was given over to Working Groups. Each group worked on a specific area of CIVA’s plans or programs. The topics, facilitators, and participants are summarized here and a summary report from each group is included in this report.

Church: Pat Jones, Larry Linenschmidt, Patrick Gray, Brian Moss, Bethany Farrell, Sherry Russ, Reid Perkins-Buzo, Allison Luce

Affiliates: Bobby Gross, Kim Garza, Wayne Adams, Christina Beckett, Kathy Brimberry, Bobbette Rose, Eric Nycamp

09 Conference: Albert Pedulla, James Romaine, Dayton Castleman, Jeff Wetzig, Michelle Westmark, Tyrus Clutter, Kevin Hamilton, Earl Tai, Karen Sangren, Jeff Grubbs

Scholars: Wayne Roosa, Tricia Pongracz, Linda Stratford, Ted Prescott, Cam Anderson, Jim Zingarelli, Scott Kolbo


Prayer & Worship. We were led in Compline on Friday evening, Morning Prayer on Saturday, and Worship on Sunday by Patrick Gray (Assoc. Rector, The Church of the Advent, Boston) and Brian Moss (Director of Music and the Arts, John Knox Presbyterian Church, Seattle), using an Episcopalian format.

Dinner to Honor Tyrus. On Saturday evening, we gathered for a catered dinner at nearby Trinity Church at which we expressed appreciation for the leadership and service of Tyrus as Director of CIVA. Pat presented Tyrus with a print by Tim Rollins as a gift of appreciation.

Finances. Participants covered their travel; a few also covered their room and board. CIVA’s cost for room & board came to approximately $200 per person, in addition to program expenses. Funds for the retreat came from the annual budget, a grant from the Calvin Center for Worship, and several CIVA donors.


II. Retreat Goals

Our general goals for this and future retreats included:
• Enlarge the core leadership of CIVA and deepen our vision, ownership, and commitment
• Invest in leaders/volunteers with training, encouragement and tangible appreciation
• Strengthen friendship and camaraderie around CIVA’s values and mission.
• Do actual work together on the plans and programs of CIVA.
• Experience enrichment artistically, theologically, and spiritually through featured guests or special excursions.

Additional specific goals for this first retreat:
• Engage with CIVA’s new Strategic Plan and our Annual Goals for 2008.
• Take up as a major topic for discussion (all together) one major element of the Strategic Plan: CIVA Serving the Church.
• Form a connection with Princeton Seminary in light of its focus on theology and art.

Comment: The general consensus, based on our perception as co-directors and the feedback from attendees, is that we largely accomplished these goals. In addition to our 2 staff, 9 Board members and 24 others chose to attend at their own travel expense, energetically engaged in the weekend, and reported the experience worth their while. We clearly accomplished the first three of our general goals. The outcomes of the Working Groups speak for themselves; this is where we most tangibly engaged with aspects of our strategic plan and 2008 goals (see attached). We were enriched by our excursion to the Princeton Art Museum and our conversations with one another. We fell short on our goal to connect with PTS, partly because Gordon Graham, who holds the chair in theology and art, was out of the country at the time of our retreat. We failed to connect with the gallery director.


III. Reports from Working Groups

CIVA Serving Churches
Report Submitted by Pat Jones

Why should we incorporate visual arts into the life of the church?
• Gives another language with which to communicate.
• Art has a unique ability to communicate
• Visible sign of invisible grace
• Strong element of incarnation – embodiment of ideas/truth
• Expands ideas of who God is
• Provides visual language to visual society
• Gives language to the inarticulate
• Helps express faith
• Children are inspired by symbols in a way that words cannot
• Makes the life of Christ real
• We all see with fresh eyes
• Speaks Christ in a way that can be understood in the time and place we live in
• We need to understand how ideas are formed – Sociological Art History
• Brings down walls. Gives a new reason to come to the church.
• Secular world values how to speak articulately about art. We should teach Christians
• Good art is always a witness to the truth. Bad art lies (Kincaid and Precious Moments)
Funding in Christian art—what can a church do?
• The church has failed when they try to determine the function for the artist.
• The one place particularly is in regards to the abstract, we don’t know how to talk about it or what it is doing… And yet how much of our faith is abstract
• Ex. Music with no words is not performed in the church anymore, it has to have content. We quit teaching people how to listen to music and we have never have taught people about art.
• Music has been the canary in the coal mine when it comes visiting the church. If it is not done with excellence it can be repellent.
• The ignorance of art will accelerate if someone doesn’t start it. Art ed is in general problematic since it’s no longer taught in the public schools. Young adults who have never been taught are hungry for learning about arts. So what if these YAs learned a basic introduction to art in the church
• Personal relationships with the artists foster a better understanding. There has to be a champion that is the leader. Must be patient within the church if it is not built within the culture.
What can the church bring art into its programs and congregation?
How does and arts program in the church start— SOMEONE WITH A VISION, often a pastor
Arts Pastor is a fledgling specialty. How do we find them? How do they find CIVA?
Appropriate ways art can be used in the church?
-gallery
-supporting a theme (integrate an art during the service) For example, social justice, Mary NOTE: CIVA could model this by incorporating art into each track for the 2009 conference
-include art according to the church calendar (Advent, Lent)
-art for a conference/on a theme
-artist as interpreter-integral to a program from the beginning instead of an add-on. Commission artist at the start of a conference
-Art auction which then could lead to a better appreciation of the art and value
-Theology on Tap. /Ockham’s Kegger Art Lectures
Church as collector/patron
-Theology on tap events off-site
-Integrating exhibits into other conferences (Beauty, Ethics, CS Lewis)
-Church as collector
-Sponsor exhibition creation (BY/FOR PROJECT)
Sponsor residencies for mid-career artists at churches or other places
BY/FOR Project—Brian Moss
• Perhaps CIVA can travel that exhibit. This project was started by Brian by using the Florence Portfolio as a model. Local scale. The artists are being comped per diem. When the sale of the art happens it will be split between the sponsoring churches. Set it up so it is not a one-time event by a model for other projects. Artist residency programs are important to artists in their growth, etc. Churches sponsor residencies.
• Hope Arts Festival: Every other year program. Multiple components—visiting artist… The featured artist is interviewed as a sermon, the exhibit within the sanctuary is part of the theme. There are also a variety of events—poetry reading, musical performances, classical performances, other poets. IT becomes integrated into the life of the city. Becomes a huge event and takes a huge commitment.
• LENT 14 Stations of the cross from all over Austin resulted in exhibit
Pilot new ideas with churches
CURRICULUM for churches. Develop arts education support that can be used in Sunday Schools or other programs. Also include module for children. Very successfully received at Brian’s church.

Help churches and church members buy art?
• Churches have to put this in their budget. Builds up to something small. PARK ST. Introduce during lent or advent. Something that happened in line with the church calendar. Do something new but honor the past.
• Sample letters/drafts for artists who would like to approach their church.
What does art give to the church?
• Breaks down walls and creates conversation.
• Gives an ability to articulate. Helps express faith. Children inspired and inspiring by language and symbols. Education materials for the young. See with fresh eyes.
• The need for curriculum—adult and children. There is a receptor to plug into for art. Speak Christ in a place and time that works in society. We need to understand the understanding of the history of ideas.
• What can we learn from First Fridays? Get them to appreciate art when they are younger.
• The unknowable of G. in Orthodoxy… We want people to be aware of the awe of G. Art alone illustrates mystery.
• Good art is always witness to the truth (???????)
PRINCIPLES TO ADOPT
• Begin with churches already disposed to the arts
• Help the church be a place that cares for the artist; not just the arts
• Budget for the arts – compensate the artist
• Insist on excellence
• Scholarship and interpretation must accompany visual arts
• Build patrons early with programs to young adults and children
• Make art integral to programs not peripheral
• Build on successful models
• Share case studies
•
NEED TO AVOID
The church as the venue of the mediocre—when artists cannot get any other place to show their work. People do have a false of their own abilities. We need to figure out a why that churches can vet things and that the community remains intact. The venue of last resort. Recruitment is key as an organizing principle. The church needs to select and screen for quality.

Don’t overtax the church – parishioner burnout

The pastor can’t provide everything that they need and neither can the small group. It becomes a clique and disconnects other relationships. When you give them everything it cuts down relational avenues. Then the artists do not commune with the others and they miss the body of Christ.

WHAT CAN CIVA DO?
Provide implementable models among churches. CIVA can become the clearinghouse for programs and resources.
Create a visual library that churches can access for a fee.
Provide resources for pastors to use the arts in spiritual formation, e.g. a bibliography on the web
Speakers bureau of artists and scholars
Internships for artists in the church. Artists-in-residence programs.
Develop curriculum for churches for adults and children
On-line Manuals for: How to Engage the Artist How to Engage the Church
Develop ways arts and Themes can be integrated into the church life – Mystery, Social Justice
Develop a Caucus for Arts Pastors or cause someone else to (e.g Calvin Center).


CIVA Affiliates
Report submitted by Bobby Gross

Participants: Bobby Gross, Facilitator; Kim Garza (Austin); Katherine Brimberry (Austin); Eric Nycamp (Grand Rapids); Bobbette Rose (Madison); Christina Beckett (NYC); Wayne Adams (NYC)

Overall Goal: To outline the basic shape and purpose of local Affiliates and propose a plan for building the Affiliate Program, with the 2009 CIVA Conference as a potential launching point.

Outline of Sessions
Session One: Introductions; Profile of Austin CIVA and how they started; Discuss the Affiliate idea (opportunities, obstacles); Why affiliate? Relationship between local and national?
Session Two: Leadership (how chosen; expectations; support); Membership (local, national); Resources for Affiliates (funding; website; resource people, etc.)
Session Three: Organizational structure (role of national coordinator; communication); Next steps (prototypes? Conference launch? Handbook?)

Key Ideas & Proposals
1. CIVA benefits from local affiliates: promotes CIVA; breaks CIVA stereotypes; makes CIVA tangible; allows realization of many goals (e.g. connections, mentoring, exhibits, support of artists, serving churches); would increase membership; could help CIVA diversify; etc.
2. Local groups benefit from affiliation: broadens the experience of CIVA membership; access to national resource people and programs; wider networking; enhanced credibility; organizational help; funding; leadership training/support; linked websites; greater national visibility, etc.
3. We will move forward with up to four prototypes this year (Austin, Grand Rapids, NYC, Madison) for the sake of learning and for giving more definitive shape to the Affiliate Program.
4. Bobby to act as National Coordinator, providing guidance and support to the prototype affiliates.
5. We want to maximize local latitude while maintaining a defining connection with CIVA.
6. CIVA would be able to disaffiliate a local group (our only real means of “control”).
7. The primary means of ensuring that Affiliates remain consonant with CIVA’s identity and purposes will be (a) appointing/approving the local Coordinator(s) and (b) communication on a quarterly basis (c) leadership support on an annual basis. This falls to the National Coordinator(s).
8. We will develop a simple Local Coordinator appointment process (short application, interview, references). Coordinators must be CIVA members, Christians, church participants, and credible artists/professionals. Coordinators would be appointed to two-year terms. Reappointment (or not) will reflect some type of annual feedback/review process.
9. Coordinator(s) will form local Steering Committees. SC members must become CIVA members.
10. Affiliates will promote CIVA membership. We will devise incentives to help. This goal begs further the question of member benefits (e.g. section on website? national registry of artists?)
11. National CIVA should make some funding support available to Affiliates. Proposal: rebate % of membership fees to local. Also propose a start-up grant for each Affiliate. Other grants available?
12. Goal: Define Affiliate Program and create infrastructure so as to launch at the 09 Conference and invite proposals from potential affiliates.

Next Steps
1. Grand Rapids to affiliate; NYC and Madison to consider affiliation; Bobby will work with leaders.
2. Investigate 501c3 questions/implications (e.g. legal, accounting, etc).
3. Bobby to report to Exec Committee and prepare detailed Affiliate Program proposal for Board, based on ongoing input from working group.
4. Working Group to have conference call August 18.

2009 CIVA Conference (June 18-21)
Submitted by Albert Pedulla

The national conference committee met for three working sessions at the CIVA Leadership Retreat. The committee consists of Dayton Castleman, James Romaine, Kevin Hamilton, Jeff Wetzig, Earl Tai, Michelle Westmark (local coordinator) and Albert Pedulla (chair). In addition to the committee Jeff Gross and Tyrus Clutter also participated.

In our first session the group continued the work that was begun via an email list-serve discussion group. Pulling themes and ideas that had emerged in our prior email discussion and filtered through the strategic plan, we discussed and adopted a list of “working assumptions” that will guide our ongoing planning. In our second session we worked together to identify goals for the conference. We came to consensus on 6 goals for the conference that grew out of our working assumptions.

They are:
• Create a conference structure that encourages the development of a body of knowledge.
• Challenge participants to learn about and engage with contemporary theory.
• Design a conference that will attract people outside of the traditional CIVA sub-culture.
• Present a variety of qualified voices on a compelling topic.
• Provide a forum for Christians to discuss issues related to art, culture and the church.
• Encourage a more subtle, nuanced and complex view of what art is.

In our final work session we began to look at possible themes for the conference. After much discussion we came to a topic that embodies the diverse and even divergent perspectives within our group, and therefore within CIVA. The topic centers on how we as Christian relate to “culture.” The theme is:

Engage
Subvert
Transform
Abandon
Navigate ______ing Culture?
Discern
Avoid
Embrace
Critique…

The theme of “____ing Culture?” seems to capture the vigor and diversity of our discussions. The committee is scheduling another meeting this summer in New York City to flesh this theme out into a full conference program. We will use this additional meeting to design the conference format, identify speakers, recruit sub-committees for each track, set up a critical path time-line, discuss institutions we will approach to underwrite individual tracks, and think about publicity for the event.

Respectfully submitted,
Albert Pedulla

CIVA Scholars
Submitted by Wayne Roosa

Working group: Wayne Roosa, Tricia Pongracz, Linda Stratford, Ted Prescott, Cam Anderson, Jim Zingarelli, Scott Kolbo.

The group had an excellent discussion and got know each other. We discussed several elements of CIVA Scholars. In addition to a bit of its history, we discussed the following dimensions of CIVA Scholars:

1. Its role in the Conferences. This is a key component and was a lengthy discussion. In addition to talking about the place of scholarship within a conference, we spent time on topic ideas centering on the nature of the imagination.

2. Its role in creating a helpful network among scholars for exchanging various things. Key examples are: to serve as critical peer readers (especially “first round readers”) for each others’ work; help each other be aware of opportunities, grants, etc.; share teaching resources such as good bibliography, essay on theory issues, etc.; developing a network of recommended graduate schools that are good for undergraduates from our kind of schools to gain entrance into the field.

3. Its role in developing and pursuing distinct projects. Examples discussed:

> Ted Prescott’s idea for furthering discussion stimulated by James Elkins’ book, On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art, which began with a symposium at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and which was furthered by a conference last year at the School of the Visual Arts in New York.
> Karen Sangren discussed a research project she is involved in to develop a directory of art departments in the Christian college system, which would be interactive with CIVA and its website.

> Linda Stratford discussed a project she wants to do involving video interviews with artists.


IV. Summary of Feedback (based on 18 evaluations received)

• Almost all thought the initial invitation clear as to purpose and gave sufficient info
• Most felt they were prepared or very prepared; 3 only somewhat prepared
• All said retreat was worth or very worth the time and resources expended
• Here is what folks found most valuable
Working Groups/planning (8)
Community (7)
Networking (6)
Encouragement/motivation/vision (5)
Time for dialogue/new ideas (4)
Access to CIVA leaders (2)
Sense of God at work (1)
• Most felt there was adequate time for plenary sessions and working groups
• Almost all would attend a future Leadership Retreat
• Additional suggestions:
Include visual component to worship
Greater ethnic diversity needed
Housing and meetings closer or in same place
Hold closer to airport
Provide option to rest on Saturday afternoon
Include Working Group on Education
Plenary session on church could have been clearer
• Additional Comments
Appreciated the hospitality elements; nice hotel
Glad for dialogue in plenary sessions vs. being “talked at”
Left with concrete next steps and food for thought
Felt cared for as a leader
Excited by our potential
Impressed that CIVA is willing to self-reflect and make changes
Thanks, thanks, thanks!


V. Next Steps

1. Review and evaluation of the Retreat by the Executive Committee (July 7)
2. Report sent out to Retreat participants and Board Members (by July 15)
3. Leader of each Working Group to take steps as outlined in the reports included above.
4. Major ideas to be discussed at the October Board Meeting.
5. Location for the next Leadership Retreat (June 2010) chosen by the Board Meeting.



Submitted by Bobby Gross and Dan Russ
July 10, 2008