Summer Showcase

To some ears, the phrase “Christian art” might conjure thoughts of a rigid orthodoxy—of papal commissions carried out under strict supervision and according to a tightly controlled theology. That’s not the objective of Arts Fellowship Orlando, whose fourth annual Summer Showcase is meant to spotlight a more sophisticated and unconventional interplay between artistic impulse and religious belief.

Six local creators will present pieces they’ve devised—in an array of genres—that convey their experiences working within the secular world of arts and culture as devout Christians. According to Karen Thigpen, director and co-founder of AFO, the idea is to show the ways in which professionals in various artistic disciplines navigate this challenge.

“These are great artists presenting who have complex realities they’re struggling with,” she says. “But they’re all anchored by an outlook of hope, an outlook of love and an outlook of mercy. Plus, of course, an outlook of just having been transformed in their own respective faith walks.”

This year’s lineup will feature saxophonist Emmanuel Garilus (who has performed at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater), spoken-word poet Aretha Rodney-McDonald, Orlando Sings founder and conductor Andrew Minear, graphic designer Mary Grace Burkett, oil painter Amanda Cortes and photographer/filmmaker Naomi Williams.

Thigpen is loath to describe the exact nature of the works they’ll be unveiling. Surprise, she says, is part of the experience. But each presenter will demonstrate the introspective and innovative approach to testimony—some even call their creative activities “ministries”—that netted them $5,000 development scholarships from the organization.

AFO has been making such awards since its founding four years ago, when Thigpen—a dancer and choreographer who’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in biblical studies—reached out to friends who, like her, had noticed that little original art seemed to be oriented toward faith and Christianity.

The organization that she founded with author Lisa Brockman and visual artist Matt Guilford, both of whom are also missionaries, was designed to provide funding, training and a platform for like-minded artists who could enhance their craft and deepen their relationship with the divine.

The undertaking secured a sponsorship from First Presbyterian Church of Orlando—where Thigpen and Brockman both worship—including an agreement by the church to contribute $30,000 per year to pay for scholarships through its Heart of the City Foundation.

AFO has also received a grant from United Arts of Central Florida and cultivated a partnership with Stockworth Studios, an Orlando video agency that produces profile clips about the sponsorship recipients and visual recaps of the yearly showcases that are posted on YouTube.

In addition to the money, the selected artists also receive guidance from a panel of mentors from around the globe whose experience dovetails with their own. The lineup of mentors changes every year, but past cycles have featured Rob Frazier, a Grammy-nominated Christian musician; Don Wiegand, a sculptor whose work hangs in the Vatican; and Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome, himself a former AFO featured artist who is returning this year as the organization’s first repeat mentor.

“There’s a big division in the arts between what appears to be religious and what appears to be secular,” says Thigpen. Breaking down that barrier is clearly one of the pillars of her mission, which is why she stresses that you don’t have to be a Christian to get something out of the Summer Showcase.

“The concert is intended to be an environment for people of all or no faith traditions to just enjoy good art,” she says. “It’s not an attempt to convert anybody or evangelize. It’s an invitation into someone else’s journey and struggle and experience.”

Dr. Phillips Center is located at 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. For more information, call or visit the website.