Webwatch is a column published in the Covenant Companion Magazine every month. It is written by Heidi Griepp, manager of Covenant Internet Services and an avid web wanderer. This month, Webwatch looks at online resources for faith and art.

Art can be a great way of praying, thinking, and expressing our relationship with God. This month, Webwatch offers some online art resources that may help you experience God’s presence in new and creative ways.

www.monsmart.com

This is the website of Cornelis Monsma of New Zealand, creator of  “Contemporary Christian art without a religious aftertaste.” Monsma, according to his website, “seeks to create modern Christian artwork that aims to visualize the deeper truths of Christianity.” The site features art inspired by the Psalms, the life of Jesus, the book of Revelation, and the Song of Solomon, as well as art on topics like prayer, the church, baptism, and worship. 

Possible Uses: Take a new look at Scripture and faith through art.

Rating: This is my favorite of this month’s sites. The website is professionally designed and highlights the art. And the art is, in my opinion, exceptional and emotionally and spiritually moving. ★★★★★

www.whitestoneart.com
www.limestreetgallery.com

This is the website of the White Stone Gallery, “where faith meets fine art.” The gallery currently shows the work of eleven Christian artists—ten painters and one sculptor. The artists  include He Qi, a renowned religious artist from China; G. Carol Bomer, whose paintings combine layered collages of various papers, with acrylics, graphite, gold leaf, and other materials; and Joey Tomassoni, whose paintings depict modern scenes in black and white, often combined with Scripture texts.  
Possible Uses: Get to know some of the great artists doing positive, thought-provoking art.

Rating: This site deserves high marks for content. The site design is under revision, as the gallery has recently moved to a new city and  changed names. ★★★★★

www.artomat.org

This is the most creative use of an old cigarette vending machine that I have ever seen. Art-o-matics are old vending machines that have been redesigned to deliver little pieces of art. It’s low cost art for all people. I like the wide diversity of artists who have art in these machines—there are around 400 contributing artists from ten different countries currently involved in the Art-o-mat project. The website has photos of eighty-two machines now in service, along with their locations.

Possible Uses: Get some mini-art for your home or office, or find out how you can create some for the machine.

Rating: An artfully designed website and a clever concept that makes it easy to become an art collector. ★★★★★

Disabilities and the Church

A mini guest webwatch from Jim Swanson, a retired Covenant minister living in New Smyrna Beach, Florida

rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter/products/prod_info.htm#dimensions.

This is the 2005 edited version of Dimensions of Faith, a resource for congregations whose members include people with  developmental disabilities and their families. This resource can be downloaded as a PDF or ordered online.

www.blhs.org/resources/ncrc.asp

Bethesda National Christian Resource Center (NCRC) provides resources worldwide to families of people with developmental disabilities, pastors, volunteers, teachers, and professionals. This includes educational materials, staff development resources, special religious education materials, and more.

www.aslpro.com

This site’s mission is to serve the needs of the American Sign Language (ASL) Educational Community.  They strive to provide free, easy to use reference and learning tools to enhance in-classroom learning for ASL educators.  Featured are over 1,200 interdenominational signs and a quiz section to assist in testing knowledge of religious signs. Tools and suggestions are provided for games and special programs.

www.friendship.org

Friendship Ministries for groups of people with developmental disabilities began as a project of the Christian Reformed Church and is now successfully used by a wide variety of denominations.

www.ncpd.org

The website of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD). Among many other things NCPD publishes a number of helpful, adaptable publications such as Opening Doors to People with Disabilities and Opening Doors of Welcome and Justice to Parishioners with Disabilities: A Parish Resource Guide.
 

All Webwatch reviews are for informational and resource purposes only. The Evangelical Covenant Church does not endorse any website, organization, or content. From time to time some of these links will go dead or they will be sold. When we learn about this we will take the link off. If you see a dead link please let us know. Copyright The Covenant Companion.

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