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The Spiritual Power of Art
"His Gifts and Presence New England Arts Festival"
By Kevin Upham

Westbrook--At this year's "His Gifts and Presence" New England Arts Festival there is plenty of diversity. It's the third year in which artists are invited to express their spirituality through painting, sculpture, dance, music, mime, jewelry, poetry and through other art mediums, and for the second year Gray resident Denise Duda will be participating.

Barbara Bagshaw, president of the New England Christian Arts Council, finds the festival to be unifying and believes all the arts are related and strengthen each other. Artists will not come solely from Maine. Some come from Massachusetts and others will travel from as far as Baltimore and Florida to participate. Left, Sarah E. Collins and Barbara Bagshaw, members of the New England Christian Arts Council.

Denise Duda will be showing four landscape oil paintings and one abstract painting. She took part in the first Arts Festival and is back again this year. Through her art, Denise Duda would like people to slow down and have God speak to them. Duda enjoys this festival because it is a creative and less traditional way to think about God. Duda has called her work more contemplative than confrontational.

Duda's landscape paintings are spiritual, she said, because they are an extension of her life and as such, she tries to honor God in everything she does. She works with landscapes to portray a beautiful place and show how God, the Creator, made the existing setting Duda uses as backdrops in her landscapes.

This Arts Festival is inter-denominational. There are artists who are Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist, and Jewish contributing to the festival as well members of the New Life Christian Fellowship, the Church of the Nazarene and other religious affiliations. Right, one of Duda's landscapes to be shown.

In starting the first Arts Festival, the council members called friends who were musicians, dancers, painters and other artists. Word also spread via flyers sent to churches, press releases, their Website and through word of mouth. The third Arts Festival has become a larger event. The number of participants has grown from eighty to over one hundred people. Bagshaw does not mind the work, it is her passion and she finds it enjoyable.

A festival highlight for Barbara Bagshaw was to see the dancers perform. She was so moved by them that she now studies dance. Both Bagshaw and Duda agree that the diverse art mediums are a major reason the Arts Festival is so special. Duda also feels that the Arts Festival is a safe environment to think about God through art. Barbara Bagshaw would like this opportunity to be a vehicle for worship, evangelism, and healing. She also notes that it is a misconception that you can't have faith and art together.

When going to the festival on July 10, if viewers find a particular work of art moving, there may be the opportunity to buy it and take it home.

There is no set fee for admission. Instead, individuals make a donation. Parents can also bring their young children because there will be fun activities to keep them entertained as well, such as the Moon Bounce.

Also, on Friday July 9, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., there will be a free dance workshop with distinguished dance choreographer Stephanie Powell. The workshop is for anyone from beginner to advanced skill levels.

The New England Christian Arts Council's Third Annual "His Gifts and Presence" New England Arts Festival will be held on July 10 from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The Visual Art viewing will be available throughout the festival and Performance Art from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. The festival will be held at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Portland at 715 Bridgton Road in Westbrook. For more information, go to the website at www.newenglandchristianartscouncil.org