Brown Student Artists Explore Meaning Together
Sarah Camp
Director of Marketing and Communications
Students involved in Christian Union at Brown recently collaborated with several campus ministries to execute on an engaging, arts-based outreach concept.
Brown senior Lydia Haile performs
The multi-faceted exhibit took place on February 6. Students secured a gallery in the student union and put out a request for submissions across Brown and RISD. The show would include painting, music, and poetry, and artist talks.
Students from Christian Union, The Branch (Chi Alpha), BCF (Brown Christian Fellowship, a ministry of IV), RUF, BCM (Black Christian Ministries) and BRCC (Brown and RISD Catholic Community) comprised the inter-fellowship student leadership team that put on the evening exhibit.
Christian Union ministry fellow Justin Doyle shared his excitement over the connection being made to the arts community: “When we launched at Brown, we had a vision to put on an art exhibit at Brown. It’s a very artistic campus, especially with with RISD so close.” (Rhode Island School of Design, just two blocks from Christian Union ministry center, is one of the top design schools in the nation, and Brown students sometimes take courses there as well.)
The Community Arts Exhibit was themed: “How do we live a "Good Life"?” Event advertising posed the question, “In a world of unrest, increasing social and environmental crises, what does it mean to live a "good life"?” Over 70 students showed and most stayed the entire two hours of the event, engaging with the pieces, listening to speakers, singers and others, and engaging other attendees in conversation. The mixture of artists as Christians and non Christians was intentional, to give everyone a voice and a chance to share their perspective. Christians shared their viewpoint and allowed the Holy Spirit to work in and through the works of art.The event co-sponsors were: Christian Community at Brown; Veritas Forum; Ethical Inquiry; the Office of the Chaplains & Religious Life; and Cornerstone Magazine. The Brown Daily Herald covered the event here.
