As long as there have been human beings, we have made art: we have held up a mirror to the world in compelling, memorable, and enlivening ways. So, what is this urge to make things of beauty? And how might we better understand the place of the artist? How are artists responsible, and to whom? And what about faith and making art? What does God think of our art-making?

It’s precisely these questions that John Dennison explores in Letter to an Artist. In this small but significant book, he shares his best reflections on delight and creation, on making and attentiveness, and on what nourishes the artist’s life. Written as a letter to a friend, this is a generous, wise, and practical framing of the arts and art-making.

Since its publication, Letter to an Artist has had some great feedback. It’s stirred readers to reflect on their own art-making, generating great questions. We’d love you to join the conversation. Here’s the invitation: over three weeks, we’ll meet together online to discuss Letter to an Artist, and to reflect together on God’s purposes for the arts. If you, like us, are hungry for good talk about the arts and faith, then this opportunity is for you.

What’s involved?

You’ll be signing up to reading Letter to an Artist, and then to three, weekly online discussion groups for thoughtful and inspiring conversation. While it deals with some thought-provoking stuff, the book can easily be read in one sitting.

Each week, you’ll need to read a section of Letter to an Artist, reflect on some guiding questions, and then meet with your group on Zoom for one hour of discussion and prayer facilitated by a member of the Venn Team. We estimate a weekly time commitment of three hours per week for three weeks.

Discussion groups are available on Mondays (NZDT). The series commences on 30 September, followed by 7 October and 14 October. The cost of the course is NZ$50 per person. If you don’t already have a copy of Letter to an Artist, you will also need to order a copy from the Venn Store here.

This beautifully produced book is written as a letter, one half of a correspondence. These discussion groups are your chance to respond, and to bring to a shared conversation your own insights and learning about faith and making art. And as we listen and share, it’s our hope that you’ll be encouraged and your life with art and God nourished!