The Creative Church Conference 2016

The 2016 Creative Church Conference in Boise

Embracing the Arts in Your Church

July 28-31 

at Vineyard Boise Church

4950 N. Bradley St. Boise, ID 83714

sponsored by The New Renaissance and VineArts 

Registration Fee: $125

Can choose to pay registration in installments.

Registration includes lunches and Free Childcare.

 2016 theme:

Beauty in the Brokenness

Main Speakers and Featured Artists:

Scott Erickson

live painter, Imago Dei-Portland, OR 

Dave Blakeslee

pastor and potter-Salida, CO

Roger Feldman

sculptor, Art Dept Head at SPU-Seattle, WA

Andrew Nemr

tap dancer and TEDfellow-NYC, NY 

J Scott McElroy

founder The New Renaissance-Indianapolis, IN

Jessie Nilo

founder VineArts and Art Fruition-Boise, ID

What is The Creative Church Conference All About?

*Bi-Annual Arts Conference

*Multi-church forum for arts in the name of Christ

*All levels of artistic experience are welcome

*Teachings on working with God, finding your own creativity, knowing your identity, the needs of artists, and loving people through the arts

*For individuals, community leaders, artists, pastors, and caregivers of creatives

* Engaging artistic communities all sizes, grassroots, clergy-led, liturgical, and outreach

*Opportunities to rest, reflect, journal, create, worship, and connect

*Art workshops, music workshops, dance and music performances, creative worship

*Topics on integrating the arts into the life of the local church (in churches of any size) 

The 2016 Creative Church Conference (held in Boise at Vineyard Boise Church and sponsored by VineArts, The New Renaissance, Art Fruition, and Intervarsity Press) was all about lovin on artists! Artists of all creative genres, ages, skill levels, and abilities. Artists of all vocations, hobbies, and ministries. Speakers and Performing Artists along with attendees from all over the States and Canada (representing all various Christian churches and backgrounds who are connecting within their churches or their cities and communities through creativity) coming together for conversations and interaction about Artist Identity (beauty coming forth through brokenness). It was an amazing time filled with teaching sessions, breakout workshops, connecting meals, art exhibits, concerts, worship services, and lots of opportunities for cross pollinating conversations and relationship building. A great opportunity to reunite with old friends and make new ones! 

Our next Creative Church Conference will be held summer of 2018! Go to www.thenewr.com to keep informed. 

Here are a few photos from this years conference.  

 Here is most of the Boise 2016 Creative Church Conference Planning Team.

We are all leaders within the VineArts Ministry at Vineyard Boise Church.

Back to Front. Left to Right.

Dean Estes (Painter, Sculptor). Kathy Nelson (Poet, Writer, 3D Artist). Amandalynn Lovewell (Singer, Painter). Travis Nelson (Poet, Writer, 3D Artist). Susan Williams (Watercolorist). Ruth Hamilton (Photographer, Culinary Artist). Lisa Marten (Abstract Expressionist Artist, Live Painter, Performing Artist, Art Missionary). Jessie Nilo (Founder of VineArts and Art Fruition, Acrylic Artist, Live Painter. Photographer. Graphic Designer, Musician). (missing: Dottie Olin (Painter). Kameron Rogers (Administrative Designer).)

Here is our Main Speaker Line up.

Left to Right.

J Scott McElroy (Indianapolis, Indiana. founder of The New Renaissance. co-founder of The Creative Church Conferences. author "Finding Divine Inspiration"). Jessie Nilo (Boise, Idaho. founder of VineArts Boise and Art Fruition. co-founder of The Creative Church Conferences). Andrew Nemr (New York City. Tap Artist. TED talk fellow). Jason Leith (Lake Forest, California. Artist in Residence at Saddleback Church. Installation Artist). Scott Erickson (Portland, Oregon. Artist in Residence at Imago Dei Church. Live Painter. Graphic Designer). Roger Feldman (Seattle, Washington. Director of Arts at Seattle Pacific University. Sculpture Artist). Dave Blakeslee (Salida, Colorado. Pastor. Potter). 

We were joined by workshop speakers: Tammy Morton, Duluth Minnesota. Ann Williams, Lincoln Nebraska. Dennis Sprik, Las Vegas Nevada. Gina Deeming, Boise Idaho. 

(Andrew Nemr, Jessie Nilo, Dean Estes, Lisa Marten, Justin Neilson, Dottie Olin)

And we were also joined by performing artists: The worship band from Vineyard Boise Church. Jeremiah Carlson, Boise Idaho. Justin Neilson, Eagle Idaho. Jared Nilo, Boise Idaho. Janae Nilo, Boise Idaho. Kobe Watson and his jazz band, Chicago Illinois. Terra Montford, Boise Idaho. 

(Andrew Nemr, Lisa Marten)

There were lots of preparations that we all worked on to get things ready...

Along with the planning team we were joined by countless volunteers who worked hard in behind the scenes areas like set up/take down, registration, food service, merch tables, and open studio monitoring. 

We installed 12 original abstract expressionist paintings of mine as The Revelator Exhibit, exclusively for Conference attendees to experience. 

We installed the Scott Erickson's Stations In The Street exhibit for Conference attendees to experience. 

Our Main Speakers brought their "A" Game to us as they shared from life experiences as Artists and Art Ministers within the Church, their local communities, and around the world... 

J Scott McElroy and Jessie Nilo

 Scott Erickson

 Jason Leith

 J Scott McElroy and Scott Erickson

 Dave Blakeslee

 Jessie Nilo

 Roger Feldman

Andrew Nemr 

(tapping on imagery that Amandalynn Lovewell drew on his tap board)

There was lots of opportunity to connect with people and engage with the topics being discussed...

This was the set up for the main sessions. 

 This is an example of one of the breakout workshops: Andrew Nemr giving his workshop on hosting The Table (an intentional invitation to conversation). 

photo by Corinna Stevens

Here is Dennis Sprik, Jessie Nilo, and myself giving our breakout workshop on Live Art. 

 This was an impromptu round table discussion about grass roots Art Ministries. 

This was an impromptu gathering of The Table. 

Meal times were great chances to meet with people and connect in conversation. 

There was also amazing performances, live art, and interactive experiences throughout the Conference...

 Justin Neilson (keyboard), Janae Nilo (singer), and Andrew Nemr (tap artist) performed "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelo.

 Justin Neilson (keyboard), Andrew Nemr (tap artist), Kobe Watkins (drummer) performed impromptu.

Terra Montford (dancer), Janae Nilo (singer), Justin Neilson (keyboard), Kobe Watkins (drummer), the Kobe Watkins Jazz Band, and Andrew Nemr (tap artist) performed "Divine Colors" by Justin Neilson. 

 Travis Nelson (poet), Kathy Nelson (poet), Andrew Nemr (tap artist) performed with spoken word. 

 Dave Blakeslee (potter) threw a pot while he shared a message during the Sunday morning worship services. 

photo by Corinna Stevens

 I painted live while Dave Blakeslee spoke during his teaching session, and also during the Sunday morning worship services. 

 Patrick Slaughter painted live during a night of worship.

Alyee Willets and Arabella Ann painted live during a night of worship. 

 Jeremiah Carlson, Jared Nilo and the Vineyard Boise Church worship band led us in worship throughout the Conference. 

 The Conference attendees were joined by members of the Vineyard Boise Church congregation for a night of worship.

 People were invited to create their own art throughout the Conference. 

 I enjoyed watching others create. 

It was fun to experience people's different styles and "voices" in their creativity. 

It was hard to end the Conference after 4 days of creatively connecting and collaborating together...

  We hosted a goodbye hang out lunch before everyone needed to go back to their Countries, States, Cities, and Churches where they work and play. 

Here are some additional memories of mine...

 This is the painting I created live during both the Sunday morning services at Vineyard Boise Church to illustrate the sermon that Dave Blakeslee gave from the Scripture of Jesus speaking to Nicodemus about being born again (of water and spirit). 

 This is the painting I created live during the talk that Dave Blakeslee gave during the Conference about the light overcoming the darkness and that we are light of the world. 

I was honored to be given the opportunity to exhibit my REVELATOR EXHIBIT (which included 2 series: THE CONVERSATION. and THE REVELATION) during the Conference. It was a humbling  experience to have my work (12 original abstract expressionist paintings) seen by so many of my peers and mentors from so many places around the world. I enjoyed the dialogue that took place between myself and those who were able to view the exhibit...it was humbling, encouraging, and inspiring to listen to people share about what they were experiencing from the work. I'm grateful for this once in a life time blessing!

I fully enjoyed getting to hang out with the Planning Team, the Speakers, the Performing Artists, the Workshop Speakers, and all the attendees (old friends and new, near and far) throughout the Conference. For me...it was all about the Conversation: Connecting. Listening. Learning. Sharing. Cross Pollinating Ideas. Interacting. Talking. Laughing. Crying. Praying. Experiencing. Lovin on Artists!

and having fun! 

It's "RIVER TIME"! 

 There are so many really good memories made that never got photographed...but that's okay because they were deeply experienced and I can hold them close to my heart.

I love what I get to do! 

"Paint on People's Lives"