It has become increasingly evident that truly Christian artists, those who refuse to compromise either their faith in Christ or their creative, reflective natures, lack a voice both within secular culture and within the ranks of the western Church. This is in part a result of the two subcultures that the Christian artist travels and the convictions that as both a Christian and an artist, he must maintain—being both to the divine and truth as experienced. The Christian artist who is reduced to a subculture of subcultures often feels alone in his outlook on life—ostracized by the orthodoxy of each side. For such a reason and for the hopefulness found in the kinship of like-minded individuals a local Christian arts community is believed absolutely necessary to the nurturing of a uniquely Christian perspective that overspills into the culture around it with the consequence of impacting that culture in the name of God.
The Continuum has at its core the desire to foster lasting and deep relationships amongst artists from every Christian denomination and creed as well as artistic discipline both in peer and mentor based associations. These associations seek to foster creativity, innovation and growth in each respective artistic discipline as well as encourage the pursuit of artistic excellence for the purpose of expanding the voice of the artist and the Christian in the greater culture at large.
Our community focuses on being the Imago Dei especially as it relates to God as a creative, generative force—knowing that our small acts of creation reflect our ontological source and that as image bearers of God we are licensed image-makers. We regret the lost role of the Church in contributing and impacting (even directing) the world around us with our artistic sensitivities and mores—understanding that art has an influence to move the soul, speak to transcendent truths, heal, teach and unite far beyond its sometimes simple form.
We believe that the Church has abdicated its position as artistic and cultural stewards. Having become aware of the significance of that abandonment, we assert the need for the Christian irrespective of the Church to reassert himself into this arena. With awareness to the reality that such claims will require the Christian artist to fall under great scrutiny from the secular world (and Church, alike) and that the position at the table will have to be earned back, we seek to sharpen each other through ongoing discussion, encouragement and constructive critique of both method and message—neglecting neither nor raising one above the other.
We will constantly reflect on art as an act of worship before God—knowing that any impact we have on the culture around us or any acceptance by our secular brothers will be without value unless it points back to the source of meaning. To this end, worship will be a primary motivator and inspiration to our art; nonetheless, it is believed that creative license and integrity must be maintained for we are beings of worship whose every act possesses the potential to be worshipful, and as artists we are most worshipful in our creativity.
Since such freedom to express is at the very core of a community of artists, we expect to touch sensitive issues and concepts as well as produce art that to some may be offensive and at times even appear subversive. Expecting to offend we will, even so, commit ourselves to a high level of self-governance holding as our authority in everything our beliefs in God and the triumvirate universals of Beauty, Truth and Goodness as final arbiters to our artistic expressions.
Finally, it is realized that there must exist some patron of the arts to afford the time and energy required to achieve the vision we have embarked to reclaim. Our community will seek to facilitate that patronage as best as it can to provide for and encourage the continuance of Christians in art and the artist in the everyday.
