Practicing Creation: Reflecting the Image of God
September 8 – 29, 2024
9:30 a.m. | Assembly Room
Join us for an enriching and dynamic series exploring the gift of divine creativity. You are invited to engage with writers, dancers, poets, and visual artists who will guide our understanding of how creative practices can deepen our spiritual journey. Each artist will uniquely illuminate how we are invited into God’s creative power. Come and be inspired to appreciate and practice creation in ways that reflect the beauty, diversity, and imagination of God.
The Adult Education Committee is excited to partner with Art of Faithfulness to more broadly introduce the congregation to a few of the artists who will offer small groups and art exhibits throughout the year.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
September 8 | Carey Wallace
Everyone is an Artist
Carey Wallace is the author of The Blind Contessa’s New Machine (Penguin), The Ghost In The Glass House (Clarion), and The Discipline of Inspiration (Eerdmans). She works to help people from all walks of life find inspiration and build strong creative habits to sustain a lifetime of creation. She performs as a songwriter, exhibits her own fine art, and has spoken on art, faith, and justice with students at Princeton, Julliard, Emory, Pratt, and Yale. Her articles and poems have appeared in Time, Detroit’s Metro Times, and America.
September 15 | Roz Anderson Flood
Poetry, Identity and the Nature of God
Roz Anderson Flood has been reading, writing, editing and teaching poetry for over 50 years and currently serves on the board of Copper Canyon Press, a non-profit poetry publisher. At Nassau Church, she has worn many hats. Currently, in addition to participation in programs for the Art of Faithfulness, Roz sings in the Adult Choir. In her day job, she is Assistant Vice President for Planned Giving, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health in Philadelphia.
September 22 | Meagan Woods
Dance: A Spiritual Practice
Meagan Woods is an interdisciplinary artist who works in dance, theatre, and costume design. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Simon Fraser University and a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University. Her work has been shown at NJPAC, Bryant Park, Lincoln Center and venues across the US, Canada, Portugal, France, Taiwan, and The Philippines. Meagan has had the pleasure of choreographing for Nassau Church services as an artist-in-residence in 2010 and 2018 and is thrilled to be back this season. Learn more at www.meaganwoods.com.
September 29| Betsy Ashton
Portraits of Immigrants: Unknown Faces, Untold Stories
Betsy Ashton studied both international relations and fine art at American University (B.A. 1966). After a 20-year career as a news anchor and reporter on radio and television in DC and NYC, she is now painting in a Long Island City studio. Betsy’s portraits have been shown in numerous juried shows and are included in public and private collections throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and in Italy, including one that hangs in the collection of the U.S. Embassy in London.