“When an artist sits down to paint or draw, he feels that God is joining him in the creation process,” said Bob Snider, chairman of this year’s Beginnings art festival. That thought explains why the over 1,900 people who attended the art festival were brought face-to-face with the God of creation through the artwork of over 160 Arkansas artists. The festival offered four themes from which the artists could make an interpretation: Beginnings of Creation, Beginnings of Man and Woman, Temptation and Fall, and Judgment and Hope.

Approximately five years ago, Robert Lewis envisioned the idea of an art festival that would promote Christian artists. Snider, who had become a serious watercolorist about the same time, was drafted to write a proposal to the elder board and create a budget, calendar and timeline. Their vision did not become a reality until 2005 when Tim Lundy picked up the idea and Fellowship Bible Church hosted its first art festival based on Psalms 23.

Snider said he had often thought that “art is something we have just ceded to the world because there is no place to buy artwork that expresses our faith.” That is no longer a problem since Fellowship began hosting its annual art festival. Now everyone who attends the festival is able to purchase or commission artwork to display in their homes. As Snider put it, “Our homes express who we are, so why not give everyone a chance to purchase art that expresses the most important thing about us…which is our faith? It is a process that blesses us all.”

The art festival was a juried exhibition, a process ensuring serious artists were attracted to the festival because they knew artistic merit was the criteria upon which their art was accepted into the festival. This year Win Bruhl, Chairman of the UALR Arts Department, served as juror for the Community Artist Division, and Erin Branham, Curator of Education at the Arkansas Arts Center, served as juror for the Scholar’s Division, a division comprised of students ages 12 to 18. In this year’s Beginnings festival, 340 entries were submitted and 230 were chosen to be displayed. The scholar’s division attracted 100 entries with 48 pieces chosen for display. “The first year of the festival, only 229 entries were submitted to the jurors, so the festival has grown rapidly in its short existence,” said Snider.

In order that the church be able to purchase some of the pieces, Snider put together a group of underwriters from within the members of Fellowship. A group from Smith Capital also funded a $1,500 purchase award in honor of its founder and former FBC member, the late Bill Smith, for the Scholar’s Division. Originally, the church planned to purchase one piece of art from each theme; however, that plan changed considerably when international muralist, Victor Valla, who now makes his home in Little Rock, entered his four oil paintings in the exhibit. Snider remarked, “Having Victor Valla enter our festival was a little like Tiger Woods showing up for the local golf tournament.” The festival committee decided to purchase each of Valla’s pieces in addition to others.

Artists who exhibited their artwork in the festival were able to sell or commission their work. The artist received 75% of the sales price and Mustard Tree Art Productions, the creative arts affiliate of FBC, received the other 25%. This year, 38 additional pieces were sold to others, 11 pieces were commissioned, and 9 pieces were purchased by FBC. “This sale rate is incredibly high,” said Snider. “With its purchase this year, Fellowship now owns thirteen pieces of art founded on spiritual values which will create a legacy for future generations.”

Snider described the entire festival process as “joyful” and noted he hadn’t heard a single negative comment from either artists or attendees, who included many art patrons from our community as well as gallery owners. Snider said, “When artists are given the opportunity to open their Bibles, miracles happen. Some we hear about, and some we don’t. The neat thing is that we don’t have to manipulate anything. We just give them an opportunity to paint about their faith.” God shows up and blesses the artists, the community, and the art purchasers.

News of the art festival’s success has spread to other churches, much like the success of ShareFest did. Fellowship is already receiving calls from other churches in other cities who want to know how to plan their own festival. Snider credited Teaching Pastor Tim Lundy, Event Overseer Craig Cheney, Creative Arts Director Ed Lowry, Event Administrator Jeannie Steger, artist Lynette Behrendt (who created all the graphics for the festival), as well as numerous other FBC staff members and volunteers for making the festival as successful as it was. “Thanks to Ed, Jeannie and Craig, this entire planning and implementation process was a complete delight,” Snider said.

Plans for next year’s festival which will feature the story of Jonah are already in the works. One very exciting addition to the Jonah art festival will be several appearances by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performing the Pulitzer Prize nominated piece, “Jonah,” composed by Director David Itkin. “Thanks to Ed Lowry and Tamara Clement, a grant writer and new member to Fellowship, we were able to receive a grant from the Arkansas Arts Council for the marketing of next year’s festival,” Snider said. “Can you imagine the artistic thrill for everyone to hear and see Jonah in a combined multimedia display which includes a verbatim reading of the book of Jonah?”