"The greatness of an artist lies in the building of an inner world, and in the ability to reconcile this inner world with the outer."
~ Albert Einstein
The artists we seek to honor first are those:
- who see themselves or, who others see as transparent conduits though which the Infinite may flow its blessings and awakening wisdom thereby ministering the power of beauty to all.
- who see themselves or, who others see as sacred artists and,
- whose work is beautiful,
"Beauty saves. Beauty Heals. Beauty motivates. Beauty Unites. Beauty returns us to our origins, and here lies the ultimate act of saving, of healing of overcoming dualism. Beauty allows us to forget the pain and dwell on the joy." ~ Matthew Fox, Original Blessing
"The artist gift is always to creation itself, to the ultimate meaning of life, to God." ~ Ernest Becker
"Beauty constitutes the only finality here below…beauty is eternity here below." ~ Simone Weil
We believe as Matthew Fox said in his book Original Blessing, "Every true artist touches us in our cosmic depths and has first in one way or another been touched in a cosmic way."
There are many other suggested qualities we look for in our Artists of the Quarter awards. The list below does not mean that every artist who becomes an Artist of the Quarter will have all of the following suggested qualities:
- Demonstrates novelty and originality,
- Illustrates the interconnectedness of all life,
- Forwards protection of the environment,
- Finds value in nature as a place of divine evolutionary manifestation
- Globally focused,
- Optimistic,
- Desires to create a new and better way of life,
- Practical and idealistic, creative and spontaneous, action oriented,
- Social Activist,
- Highly creative problem solver,
- Sheds light upon social justice issues such as neighborhoods, communities, women’s and children’s issues,
- Seek an artistic balance between fact and feeling, rationality and intuition,
- Multi-disciplinary,
- Demonstrates balance and an artful personal life of gratitude and of spiritual, personal, and social growth,
- Values personal spiritual freedom and the creation of their unique spiritual journey,
- Values their direct spiritual experience of Ultimate Reality,
- Demonstrates though their art that the Source is available to anyone at any time,
- Demonstrates that personal change is the most effective source for social and global change
- Values abundance, and diversity,
- Values being alert and awake,
- Their art points to the highest identity(s) of Ultimate Reality,
- Values unification, integration, harmony,
- Values co-creation,
- Values independence, and interdependence,
- Values healthy boundaries that are appropriate, discriminating and flexible,
- Finds inspiration from both the systems of nature and from the modern world of technology,
- Values responsibility, self-organization and productivity,
- Their art contains or forwards "quality of being" issues.
- Values both eastern and/or western spirituality,
- Values both male and female spirituality,
- Values the integration of spirituality and rational science,
- Values the needed re-integration of art with spirituality.
"Everything that is beautiful is orderly, and there can be no other order unless things are in their right relation to each other. Of this right relation throughout the world beauty is born… Art is the noting of the existence of order throughout the world, and so, order stirs the imagination and inspires one to reproduce this beautiful relationship existing in the universe, as best as one can." By Artist Robert Henri
"It is imagination that steers the sparks of anger in the direction of transformation and new creation. In this sense we need to realize that every prophet is an artist." ~ Matthew Fox, Original Blessing
Click here to view the listings of Artist of the Quarter Award winners!
For information about the special role of art in spirituality and artists at Universe Spirit click here.
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