Handmade Midrash

Some years ago I attended the first, and what was the only, International Conference on the Visual Arts at the Pacific School of Religion, in Berkeley, California.  Along with meeting many incredible artists working in academics and the church, I attended some amazing lectures.  One lecturer, Jo Milgrom, continues to have a great influence on my own teaching as I introduce art projects into church educational settings, or introductory Bible courses I teach at a state university.

In her book published in 1992 by the Jewish Publication Society (and available used at reasonable prices at amazon.com) Jo Milgrom offers a number of easy art projects that help unskilled/untrained/amateur artists (like me!) to enjoy making art that connects to biblical texts, theological themes, and liturgical forms.

One method I have used with middle high students, college students, and seasoned church members simply involves colored construction paper and glue.  I usually buy a package of large sheets of 12"x18" construction paper and another package of 8 1/2"x11" construction paper, and enough glue sticks for the expected number of participants to share.

Select a theme to illustrate: it could be a scripture passage a group is studying.  It could be something from worship, like "make a picture of a baptism" or "make a Communion picture."  It could be to illustrate a hymn verse.  Assign the project to an individual, a pair, or a triad. They would select their "canvas" of one of the large pieces of construction paper, their materials of several pieces of the smaller paper, and a glue stick.  They are instructed to make a picture by tearing pieces of the colored paper and glueing it on the larger piece of paper (no cutting, no crayons, no pencils, no pens).

Two university students made the picture below, illustrating I Samuel 8 and early Israel's debate over whether to make a king to govern them.

Their explanation of their picture: the crown at left with the red X through it shows the "no king for us" view, and the crown below it without the X, depicts the view of the pro-king faction.  The right panel shows the resolution, with a crowned heart in a cloud (which the students said represented God) who appoints a human king (yellow arrow over middle person).

The students read the story, decided what they would show from the story, selected colors of paper, tore the paper, and glued it on to the base. They then explained it the rest of the class.

Not only is this a simple and fun project in the classroom, but this kind of artwork could be displayed around the classroom, or your church, for others to see.  It could also be photographed and inserted into presentation technology (like PowerPoint) and used as a visual illustration during a worship presentation.  

Pop Culture, Religious Art, and the Young

I'm just back from guiding a group in Rome, Florence, and Venice. On these trips I highlight the history, art, architecture, and sacred spaces along the way. What continues to amaze me is how young adults love the arts, particularly the visual arts. The major museums of Rome, Florence, and Venice are full of young people of all ages looking intently at the visual treats arrayed in front of them. Many have stood in line for nearly an hour just to get into the museums.

Perhaps more striking is the way popular culture, particularly in novel and film, continues to stimulate this interest. A case in point is the Dan Brown novel, and film of the same name, Angels and Demons. On a previous trip to Rome I saw Tom Hanks sizing up the obelisk in Rome's Piazza Navonna, as they contemplated a scene for that film.

Because of this film, a small, lesser known church like Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, once virtually unknown to tourists, can now be quite full of them at any given time. They have come to see this church featured in the film, and also to notice the two Caravaggio paintings, "The Crucifixion of St. Peter" (1600-1601) and "The Conversion of St. Paul" (1600-1601) in a small chapel near the central altar.

As these particular works of art continue to capture the interest of the young, we in the church might do well to find ways to engage that interest further by preaching with these works of art. Using a copy of these works of art as a starting point, one can use various pieces of the artwork to highlight certain aspects of the stories as presented in scripture, and through the artistic imagination. A final step would be to encourage the congregation's personal engagement with both the art work and the scripture, as they encounter a fresh approach to familiar scriptural subjects.