Membership

Ms. Mel Ahlborn, Convenor	California, VIII, 2006
The Very Rev. Cynthia L. Black	Western Michigan, V, 2006
The Rev. Canon Stephen T. Lane	Rochester, II, 2006
Mrs. Lynette R. Williams	Ohio, V, 2006

Mission

The purpose of the Committee on the Visual Arts (CoVA) is to advise the Executive Council and the Church on policies, procedures and possibilities related to the visual arts. The Committee gives insight about how the national church can support the inclusion of the visual arts in congregational life. This includes the worship of God, the proclamation of the gospel, the development and sustaining of individual and personal faith, and the active engagement of people in the work of God in the world. The mission priorities of General Convention provide the framework in which CoVA organizes its work.

Summary of Work

On behalf of congregations and the church, CoVA has been asked to explore the intersections of the visual arts and faith in the Episcopal Church. CoVA may ask and offer thoughtful answers to the following questions:

• Can the visual arts play a role in revitalizing and transforming congregations?
• Can the visual arts help promote spiritual growth, dynamic and inclusive worship, mission, greater diversity and leadership development?
• Can the visual arts assist our proclamation of the Gospel to those who are not yet members of the Church?
• Can the visual arts assist us in the work of reconciliation?
• Can the visual arts play a role in celebrating racial and ethnic diversity in the church?
• Can the visual arts play a role in the intentional inclusion of young adults and youth in the life of the church?
• Can the visual arts provide a way for us to reaffirm the importance our partnerships in the Anglican Communion and beyond and our relationships with ecumenical and interfaith partners?
• Can the visual arts assist us in promoting justice and peace for all of God’s creation and in reaching out to the dispossessed, imprisoned and otherwise voiceless needy?

Methods of Approach

• Identify ten to fifteen people to serve as resources for the committee and the church.
• Identify artists who are thinking about or working in the visual arts in the church and/or congregations. Invite their recommendations.
• Consult with the Episcopal Church & Visual Arts, a well-established network of artists and congregations working at the intersections of art and faith.
• Survey parishes and dioceses about their use of the visual arts to accomplish the mission priorities of the Episcopal Church.
• Consult with various departments at the Episcopal Church Center that may be able to inform and help us.