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bangor theological seminary The Bangor Theological Seminary, an ecumenical institution established in 1814 by the United Church of Christ, hosted an evening on its Maine campus in October 2001 dedicated to the theme of art and its relationship to spirituality. The evening began with a screening of Art:21’s Spirituality program followed by a panel discussion with Seminary faculty, University of Maine faculty, local artists, and Art:21’s Season One Executive Producer, Susan Dowling. It was clear that the topic compelled the audience when the Seminary President finally had to announce that the audience could not answer all the questions raised if it talked all night. Some of the ideas and questions discussed at the Seminary include: What is spirituality? Where does it lie: in the creative process? in the artist? in the art work? in the viewer? or in a combination of all of these elements? Some felt spirituality was in the creative process, as seen in the program segment on Ann Hamilton. Hamilton’s installations often have a single performer or time-based action that invoke the feeling of meditation. Another artist in the program, Shahzia Sikander, in speaking about why she always returns to her miniature paintings, says “Maybe it is the sheer act of doing that gives me peace.” Others felt that spirituality was in the work of art, citing the universally expressed experience by viewers who look at James Turrell’s light installations. Cliff Guthrie, a professor at the Seminary, pointed out that what art and spirituality have in common is the power to change people and to move people. |
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