UPDATE on Partners:
Arts in Sacred Places (continued)
paired up simply by getting to know one another during the
training sessions.
The AiSP program finished the year with two fact-finding
daytrips by Partners’ staff to New York City’s Manhattan and
Brooklyn boroughs, and a three-day trip to Austin, TX. At the
Episcopal Church of Saints Luke and Matthew in Brooklyn,
Partners visited with the Reverend Michael Sniffen and a
representative from Gallim Dance, which recently began a
long-term rental of the church’s parish hall. At Lafayette
Presbyterian, Irondale Ensemble Project, a theatre company
founded in 1983 has embarked on a 20-year residence in the
former Sunday school wing. Irondale renovated the interior
structures to suit its needs while maintaining the original
beauty of the Sunday school.
In Manhattan, no arts-and-sacred-places tour would
be complete without seeing Judson Memorial Church in
Greenwich Village. For over 50 years, Judson has been the
center of dance, theatre, and the local community it serves.
9 • Sacred Places • www.sacredplaces.org • Winter 2013
With at least three performance venues within its historic
walls, Judson is bustling with non-stop activity. It is a perfect
example of what the Making Homes for the Arts in Sacred Places
program strives for. Partners will continue its relationship
with Judson, learning more from its example as our program
moves to the next level.
In Austin, Partners met with accomplished and creative
leaders from both the arts and congregations. Places like
Central Presbyterian act as a venue for the prestigious South
by Southwest (SXSW) music festival and host their own free
weekly concerts. First Baptist (otherwise known as First
Austin) and First Unitarian Universalist of Austin host
theatre groups that are an integral part of congregational
outreach and ministry. It became clear that Partners’ AiSP
program will be welcomed with open arms from both the
artistic and faith traditions in Austin. d