Episode

Looking Forward Looking Back

Michael is looking forward and looking back with Renew the Arts’ former president and current chairman of the board Justus Stout and current president Katy Martin to talk about Justus’ ten-year tenure as president and the challenges and opportunities awaiting Katy in the next season of renewing the arts and liberating Christian creativity. Arts organizations seem to be in a crisis of support. How will Renew the Arts fare differently?

Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear a previously unreleased track from Physick, “The Ballad of the Steady Man,” which celebrates the consistent faithfulness of those who “move mountains one quiet shovel at a time.”

Fruitful Worship with Ryanne Molinari

Worship director and organist Ryanne Molinari joins Michael to discuss her forthcoming book on the relationship between the worship arts (particularly congregational singing) and the fruit of the Spirit. Ryanne discusses how the fruit of the Spirit operates as both the goal and the criteria for “effective” worship. Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear “Joyful Noise” by Mary Vanhoozer, from her album Jubilate.

You can follow Ryanne Molinari on instagram or on Twitter at this handle: @Ryanne_JM.

Is Art a Ministry, a Hobby, or a Profession?

Michael invites singer-songwriter Carly Taich and producer Jimmy Smith on to the podcast to discuss what it looks like for Christians to pursue art (in this case, music) within the church as a ministry, a hobby, or a profession. They share personal anecdotes about their various struggles in the professional-ministry space in the church, discuss tent-making and other means of support for artists, and give a clear charge to both artists and non-artists about how to move forward in a market-dominated field.

Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear a rough-mix sneak peak of Carly Taich’s new single, “Prove Me Wrong,” produced by Jimmy Smith and Michael Minkoff. It’s the first single off Carly’s forthcoming record Insomnie, which she is raising money to make.

Deconstruction and the Arts

Abbey and Michael get together to discuss how deconstruction within the church is both fed and addressed by the arts. What exactly do we mean by deconstruction? Why is it so prevalent right now? What does it have to do with the arts?

Stay tuned at the end to hear “Oh, Sweetest Name” by John Van Deusen from his record, (I Am) Origami Pt. 4 — Marathon Daze.

Deep Dive: Wrestling by Warbler

This is the first of a new series for the Renew the Arts podcast, Deep Dive, where we pay very close attention to an entire album or song in all of its parts, from composition to production. In this first of the series, Michael interviews Sean Sullivan, the creative force behind the music of Warbler, about his forthcoming third album, Wrestling.

In this double-stuffed episode, they introduce the album, listen through it in its entirety, then talk about it track by track. It’s in-depth and detailed, and we hope it helps you understand a little more all that goes in to the process of making an album like this happen. If you want to get right in to listening to the record, it starts at exactly 19 minutes in to the podcast (right after general introduction to the album).

Do Poor People Make Poor Patrons?

Abbey Sitterley interviews Michael Minkoff about the historical development and downfall of patronage. What does it mean for Porchlight and Renew the Arts to resurrect the idea of patronage now when its history seems so tied up in elitism? How do we avoid making the mistakes of the past?

Stay tuned at the end for a sneak peak at “The Sixth,” a track from the forthcoming record Wrestling, by Warbler.

What Can We Learn from Intentional Communities?

Michael interviews co-host Abbey Sitterley (Chief Storyteller for Porchlight) about three intentional communities (L’Abri, Bruderhof, and L’Arche) to glean some of what we can learn from their successes and failures.

Stay tuned at the end to hear “Naturally,” by Physick, from their album All the Days.

The Spirit of the Porchlight Network

Justus and Michael discuss the motivations and reasoning behind launching the Porchlight Art and Hospitality Network. They then explain the qualities and virtues they hope to draw together and further cultivate in the network. Stay tuned at the end to hear a live rendition of “Face to Face,” by the Local Hang-Ups.

Weep with Those Who Weep with Wendell Kimbrough

Justus sat down with singer-songwriter Wendell Kimbrough to discuss how the psalms encourage the church to empathy, why we don’t sing them like we used to, and why we need to sing them again.

Stay tuned at the end for “The Hand of God (Psalm 82)” from Wendell’s album Come to Me.

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