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Interview with Brewing Culture's Erik Lokkesmoe
(Excerpted from Infuze Magazine)
You said in your last statement that asking those questions about skyscrapers, modern art, etc. are not simply intellectual exercises, but deep theological questions. And I wholeheartedly agree with you, yet I must admit my first instinct tells me that some of those questions are a bit shallow or not as important as you say they are. Then I have to rethink for a moment and agree with you. I don't think I would be alone in this gut reaction as this will be a whole new paradigm for many. Why do you say these are deeper than what we give them credit for? What makes God delighting in a skyscraper that important?
Important? Well, don't we want to delight in the things that delight God? We are called to make the fullness of creation fuller. Everywhere we look in nature we see order, balance, structure, design, form, color, rhythms, patterns, and texture. When I throw back my head to take in the height and complexity of a skyscraper, admiring its shape and balance, its patterns and engineering, I am impressed by the works of human minds and hands.
It is a small glimpse at the work of the Master Architect. A well-designed chair, an Apple computer, the Golden Gate Bridge, the costumes in the Broadway show The Lion King, all of these glorify God, I believe. These are echoes of His grace -- giving people, redeemed or not, the ability to create. Let's stop thinking that God only delights in natural things like bird's nests, glaciers, and desert sunsets.
Switching gears a bit, I want to talk more about creating these creative centers. You mentioned doing
so in ten cities. What specifically are you doing in these cities? Can you give a city as an example and
what you are doing there?
We've identified several needs in the arts. One of them, no surprise here, is funding -- which we are beginning to
fix through our Creative Catalyst Fund model. Ten thousand people giving the price of a movie ticket to fund the
redemptive artist. Ten bucks to change the culture. Now that is an investment everyone can make!
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A Note from Erik:
"At Brewing Culture, we are a Washington, D.C.-based organization that creates, commissions, and celebrates transcendent art and media. In collaboration with partners, such as Steve Garber and The Washington Institute, we create space -- physical and spiritual -- for astonishing creativity and authentic conversation."
Brewing Culture
Visit Brewing Culture's website
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Another need is space. Space for the arts -- physical and mental space. Space and art go hand-in-hand, and it is
the soil for conversation, contemplation, and community. Mako Fujimura, the well-known New York painter and
member of the National Council on the Arts, reminded me a few years back that "we need sacred space for the
secular and secular space for the sacred."
That is the idea -- to create a haven for conversations that slip from shallow shorelines into deep, uncertain
waters. Our gatherings, I dare to say, are one of the few places in America where you will find White House
staffers and peace activists, churched and unchurched, patron and artist, young and old gathered together to ask
big questions about wonder, grace, beauty, sacrifice, death, joy, and so on.
We do not have a magic formula. We simply want to create space for common grace. We allow the art to speak
for itself, asking big questions, and then stand-back to see what happens. Our passion is to be translators in the
culture, creating a third language that unites the Church and the world. For so long the Church has used a certain
terminology, a religious jargon, a coded language that we use to separate ourselves from others. The world has
looked on in confusion. We are trying to find a new language that teaches the Church to move beyond stale
words, while offering something more to those groping to define what they feel inside.
We are in the process of identifying the ten most creative cities in the country. New York is next. Hollywood after
that. Right now we are focused on Washington, D.C. -- yes, it is a creative city. In fact, I would argue it is one of
the top three most creative cities in the country. Dr. Richard Florida calls it "that ultimate creative center" --
partly because there are more creative workers per total workforce population than practically any other urban
center. That includes journalists, rock bands, event planners, designers, documentarians, and actors.
Also, Washington is home to the greatest art in the country -- Smithsonians, the National Gallery of Art, National
Portrait Museum -- and some of the best art venues in the world -- Birchmere, 9:30 Club, the Kennedy Center.
The old joke around Capitol Hill is that every press secretary has a screenplay in their desk drawer, just in case
they get their chance. It is a creative place. The Hollywood for ugly people, the saying goes.
I think Brewing Culture is making an impact here. We do this with open hands, knowing that we are just trying to
figure it all out as we go along. It has been a grace in my life, and for that reason alone it has been worth doing.
I hope it is doing the same for others.
So what happens when you gather these people together? Is there a facilitator? Planned topics?How
does that part of it work?
Anything can happen! That is the beauty of Brewing Culture. Over the past few years we've had screenwriters,
authors, painters, sculptures, singer-songwriters, museum directors, designers, cartoonists, journalists, and
others present their work and their calling in the creative spheres. A facilitator guides the conversation, asking
questions, probing deeper into the art and the artist. Then we stand back and watch what happens - and it's
remarkable. Musicians team up with filmmakers. Authors begin interacting with painters. Poets connect with
fashion designers. Community creates collaboration, and collaboration is the fuel for creativity.
One of our long-term goals is to create a national curriculum where people from all over can watch films, listen to
music, and read articles together, and then explore their deeper themes online or in smaller settings. We realize
that a lot of artists do not live close to creative centers - and so it's important to find innovative ways to welcome
them into this conversation.
Read the rest of the interview at Infuzemag.com
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