Renew the Arts Podcast

Justus and Michael meet with author and pastor George Grant in his home in Franklin, Tennessee to discuss the relationship between the Reformed church and the arts. If the Reformed church has very good theological reasons for supporting the arts, why does it seem like there is so much resistance to the arts and artists in Reformed communities?

Your host Justus sits down with singer-songwriter Anthony Quails who shares stories of becoming a sponsored artist, knowing God’s grace through shortcomings, evangelizing in music, and his new album of his most personal songs yet. Stay tuned to the end for the demo of “I Wish That I Was Him” from Anthony’s forthcoming EP The Man I Thought I’d Never Be. Check out his Kickstarter before it ends Saturday, June 29!

Justus sat down with singer-songwriter Derek Webb to discuss his experience in the Christian music industry and how it may have contributed to his loss of faith. Stay tuned at the end for “Wedding Dress” from Webb’s 2003 record She Must and Shall Go Free. We also want to thank Ryan Lane of Civilized Creature for permission to use “Unexpected Gifts” from his forthcoming record The Way Back Home.

Allison and Michael field your questions about art history, tackling some new material to close out the season. Stay tuned at the end to hear the full version of “Eyes Closed Dance Party” off of Permission to Feel by Civilized Creature. Thank you all for writing in!  

In a fully-loaded episode, Allison and Michael discuss the art historical trends and challenges of today, with a discussion of digital, indie, and multi-media art. Then they present a flyby of how the various movements covered in this season might apply to or inform artists and patrons now. Stay tuned at the end for “Before the Silver Tether Breaks,” composed and arranged by Phil Hodges, from Death is Their Shepherd, by Physick.  

Allison and Michael discuss the Pop Art movement, the divide between “high brow/low brow” art, and the prominence of celebrity and popular culture. Stay tuned at the end for Phil Hodges’ classical guitar arrangement of Neil Young’s “Old Man.”  

Allison and Michael unpack the hopelessness of existentialism, and they discuss why despair concerning merely human attempts at meaning provide fruitful ground for the Gospel. Stay tuned at the end for a John Cage piece performed on the classical guitar by Phil Hodges.

Your hosts Allison and Michael discuss some reasons to appreciate Modern Art, bringing up some of the most famous of the nearly 70 movements comprised by it. With all of its snark, modern art has a lot to say about honesty in the face of the brutal realities of human existence, and Christians can learn something from it about how to make “ugly” art the right way. Stay tuned at the end for a classical . . . [ Read More ]

Allison and Michael discuss some of the features of realism and impressionism, and how these movements represent the first murmurings of “modern” art. Additionally, they address how and why female artists began to enjoy greater representation in the mid to late 1800s. Special thanks to Dr. Sachs for his contributions, and stay tuned at the end for another classical guitar piece from Philip Hodges.

Allison and Michael discuss the important transition from the Baroque to the Romantic era. Why did Nature vs. Civilization become such a central theme of Romantic artists, and why does it still matter? Special thanks to Dr. Sachs from Kennesaw State University for his contributions on the relationship between the Neo-Classical and Romantic movements. And stay tuned at the end to hear Philip Hodges play the first movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” arranged for classical . . . [ Read More ]