THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 20, 1995 TAG: 9510190177
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
David Freeman knows the 24th verse of the first chapter of Genesis by heart; it is what inspires him to twist and trim molten steel into abstract shapes that, while not immediately identifiable as individual animals, on long glance take on the aspects of any species - legs or wings stretched in motion, heads held high in anticipation.
Viewers probably wouldn't right off the bat say, ``That's a pteradactyl'' or ``It's a mammoth,'' but they would know, for sure, that these amorphous shapes poised on the branches of a steel tree hark back to God's creation of the animal world on the sixth day as detailed in the first book of the Old Testament.
And unless viewers were garden buffs, they most likely would not know, on first glance, that the huge watercolor blooms that seem to leap from Lee Strickland's canvas are magnolias. But it would not matter, for so vibrant and vivid are the whites, the pinks - so bold the brush strokes - that the lush blossoms bespeak the beauty of all flowers. Reminiscent of Georgia O'Keeffe's famous flower paintings, the work is Strickland's expression of the ``beauty of God's creation.''
The sculpture and the painting are examples of what the Rev. James Mahaffey is talking about when he touts the arts as a more intuitive way to experience God.
``The artist will reach more people than the old-fashioned, didactic methods,'' Mahaffey said. The 49-year-old pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church is somewhat of an expert on the subject, for he is nearing completion of work on his doctoral thesis titled, ``Ways To Experience God Through the Arts.''
Mahaffey is one of 18 doctoral students of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington who are exploring ways to make God more accessible through the arts.
``It's about people in the street and how they experience God,'' Mahaffey said.
Mahaffey's study was the impetus for a church arts festival to be held Saturday. Featured will be the work of dozens of artists in the fields of visual art, music and drama. A high point will be a hands-on workshop where kids will have the opportunity to make their own leaf art and adults may add their own special brush strokes to a large wall mural.
``I hope that there is the general feeling in the church of sensing God without a verbal lesson,'' said Mahaffey. Preaching from the pulpit is not the only way to reach people.
Mahaffey's enthusiasm for the arts was evident as he described the upcoming festival, another example of Methodist evangelism, he said. ``Encouraging what's here, I see as my job - a coach and encourager of lay ministry.''
Continuous music will be a backdrop to dramatic vignettes, including puppet plays staged by children of the church. In addition, children's art focusing on their ideas about God and beauty will be showcased.
``Today, people are learning more visually - television, cinema, the computer - less through simple verbal and logical methods, so intuitive methods of learning about and understanding God become more important,'' said the minister, who is also a musician.
Mahaffey pointed to a small framed woodcarving print on the wall of his church study, saying that it was made and given to him by a college friend.
He explained that the piece of art he's kept with him all these years has influenced his ministry. ``It's meant a lot to me,'' he said.
The diminutive black-and-white print is an impressionistic portrait of a person in prayer. Only the top of the bowed head is shown, and the hands are prominent, larger than life. The sketchy outlines might be any man, any woman of any race, any creed. MEMO: The Foundry United Methodist Church Festival of the Arts will be from 1
to 4 p.m. Saturday at 2801 Virginia Beach Blvd. It is free and open to
the public.
ILLUSTRATION: Photos by NANCY LEWIS
David Freeman's animal sculptures are inspired by the story of
creation.
Photo by NANCY LEWIS
Lee Strickland uses canvas to express the ``beauty of God's
creation.''
The Rev. James Mahaffey is working on his thesis, titled ``Ways To
Experience God Through the Arts.''
by CNB