Now & Not Yet: Arts Fellowship Orlando’s 2023 Showcase

Jul 25

Thank you for empowering Christian creatives like sculptor Dan Crosby to harness the intersection between their art and faith, allowing them to grow spiritually, theologically, and professionally in a unique fellowship! This year’s showcase illustrated just how much they have flourished through the program.

Karen Thigpen (vision-caster & coordinator), Lisa Brockman (writer & spiritual director), and Matt Guilford (designer & theological mentor) came together in 2021 to create a fellowship designed specifically for the Christian artist, to grow and encourage them as they prepare a culminating work, integrating their art and faith. Now they’re celebrating two incredible classes of fellows!

“Profound. Provocative. Passionate.”—the end-of-fellowship showcase was everything the Arts Fellowship Orlando (AFO) team promised. The sold-out theatre was nourished by the creativity, ingenuity, adventure, daring, and vulnerability of each of the Christian artists’ offerings. It was even more special knowing that the Heart of the City Foundation had the honor of being a part of the fellowship’s coming to fruition.

Throughout the evening, we enjoyed beautiful and evocative displays of watercolor from Natalie Dourte and Karina Hornberger, dance choreography from Lauren Theriault, dance choreography & videography from Vashti Goracke-Thede, sculpture from Daniel Crosby, and opera from Jake Thede, along with musical performances by guest artists Edith Marlo Wright and Puchi Cólon and a spectacle of fashion by HEART Youth Arts Residency artist Sage Duplechain.

It was moving to listen to each of their stories—about who they felt they were coming into the fellowship, who they’ve become through it, how they imagined their creation for the showcase, and what their vision is for the future relationship between their art and faith. The evening was a testament to their learning, growth, and willingness to pour out the talents and passions God has given each of them.

If you were there with us, here is a gallery of photos to reminisce. And if you were unable to be there with us, please enjoy these little tastes of the vibrant evening:

Painter Natalie Dourte presented “Vision in Bloom,” a collection of five watercolor paintings which reflect each of the months during the fellowship—January, February, March, April, and May—through stunning flowers.

Dancer and choreographer Lauren Theriault presented “Walking God’s Trail,” a collection of three dances—”Drums of War,” “A Path Through Suffering,” and “Walking God’s Trail”—inspired by the missionary families who pursued the Waodoni indigenous peoples in Ecuador, inviting the audience to contemplate the meaning of violence, loss, and redemption.

Edith Marlo Wright and her group Ambassadors of Christ (AOC) blessed us with a gospel performance of “Total Praise” with transcendent harmonies, bringing so much joy and power to the stage.

Dancer & choreographer Vashti Goracke-Thede showed her short film “King,” featuring the story of a girl who, while reading the Bible, saw the red letter words of Jesus Christ come to life through dance.

HEART Youth Arts Residency fashion designer Sage Duplechain presented “Glorious Contrast,” a dress she created to illustrate how darkness keeps us from experiencing the light.

Painter Karina Hornberger created a collection of five watercolors called “The Waiting,” illustrating how creative prayers can invite us closer to God and to others.

Sculptor Daniel Crosby created and presented his piece, “Decreased: An Interpretation of John the Baptist,” exploring the contrast between humanity’s desire to leave a legacy and John the Baptist’s conviction that God must “increase” while he must “decrease.”

Operatic performer Jake Thede performed “In the Lions’ Den,” a piece which explores the experience of Daniel in the Lions’ Den from Daniel 6 in the Bible.