8:45am

8:00am	Registration & Snacks (Middlebury United Methodist Church)
8:45am	Welcome & Introductions Plenary 1 Keynote address by Sandra Bowen, followed by discussion
10:15am	coffee break
10:30am	Plenary 2 "One Painter's Personal Journey" ~ Elisabeth Ehmanm  A Sampling of Songs ~ Jason Harrod
Noon-2pm	LUNCH & MIDDAY WORKSHOPS A mix of 45 and 90-minute workshops to choose from at the United Methodist Church and Memorial Baptist Church
2:00pm	Plenary 3 "Art, Nature, and Christianity" ~ Matthew Dickerson
3:00pm	coffee break
3:15pm	Plenary 4 "The Art of Being" ~ Isabelle Depelteau
4:30pm	Closing Worship
	dinner break
7:00pm	Evening concert with Jason Harrod (Memorial Baptist Church) free for conference attendees; donation at the door for others. All welcome!

2008 Plenary Sessions - Descriptions

Keynote Address (Sandra Bowden)
A Quiet Renaissance: Artists of Faith for A New Century.

What happened to the Church's conviction that art could inspire faith and influence the culture? Bowden will give a quick survey of the decline of art in the Church, then share what is quietly happening all across North America with a renewed interest in Christianity and art. She will show work by some of the most important artists of faith and how their work gives hope that again Christians can have a voice at the table of culture.

One Painter's Personal Journey (Elisabeth Ehmann)

Reflections on study, calling, and artistry.

Art, Nature, and Christianity (Matthew Dickerson)

How we view art and how we view nature are closely connected. We will look at how in a Christian worldview a healthy ecology and a high view of creative art should go hand-in-hand.

The Art of Being (Isabelle Depelteau)

One of the most challenging aspects of an artist’s journey is living with a constant desire to put into being, inspiration. Sometimes this leads to discouragement and feelings of inadequacy; sometimes this brings joy and satisfaction. But always, being an artist is about growth, change and perseverance. Thankfully, we are nt alone and a map has already been drawn to find our way to success...

Starting a Church Related Gallery (Sandra Bowden)

Sandra Bowden, Exhibitions Coordinator for Christians in the Visual Arts, will offer a workshop that will explore how to start and maintain a church related gallery, covering goals, procedures, finances, insurance, and contracts and a variety of exhibition possibilities. Participants will have an opportunity to contribute in the discussion and ask questions about how a gallery might be birthed within their church communities.

A Story in a Bottle (Isabelle Depelteau)

Writing can be as simple as one, two, three, if you follow some key rules. Working in small creative units, each group of writers will be challenged to elaborate the basic plot of a fictional story and present their synopsis to the group.

Writing about Nature and Ecology (Matthew Dickerson)

We will talk about some approaches to writing about nature and ecology — creative non-fiction as well as fiction — and then practice with some exercises. Examples to be explored will come from writers such as Wendell Berry and C.S.Lewis.

Drawing Accurately: The Fundamentals of Realism (Elisabeth Ehmann)

A fun, hands-on workshop for improving your ability to capture the world around you.
Classical realist painter, Elisabeth Ehmann, will help attendees learn some simple techniques that will increase their ability to achieve a realistic and accurate likeness in portraiture, still life, and landscape. Attendees are encouraged but not required to bring their own paper and pencils.

Songwriting (Jason Harrod)

A look at the inspiration and process of writing song lyrics and music. Feel free to bring a song you've written or are working on!