C'mon, Don't Be Mean

Horizon Gate founders Donna & Mark Turner

     We don't know about you, but we're already tired of election year rhetoric, especially the kind that seeks to strike fear in us so we'll do what they say. 

     On places like Facebook and Twitter we get hit by extremely volatile statements from both the right and the left.

     The other day this made a scripture very dramatic to us: ". . . solemnly charge them not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers. . . . avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene." (II Timothy 2:14b, 16-17a)
     Yes, expressing ourselves can bring death, rather than life. It is so tempting to respond, or post something hurtful and insulting in our campaigning passion.  

     But it is not just in our verbiage. Artists, filmmakers, craftspersons, performers, will you commit with us to spread only life in our expressions?   There is death enough for everyone, but what we need is life and light, reconciliation, -- returning love for hate, beauty for ugliness.

  

Like Christ, let's contrast the meanness that is building up in the world.

First Demo of Film Gallery Cafe July 31

     Our concept of the Film Gallery Café will be demonstrated at the St. Paul's Cathedral Forum in The Guild Room on Sunday, JuLY 31, 9 to 10am.
     Cathedral Dean, the Very Reverend Scott Richardson suggested that people need to see what we are describing in order to support it and he extended the Forum to do so.
     This will be the first time we attempt to simulate what we are envisioning and we are hoping artists, filmmakers and arts supporters will connect with us there.
     The first showing of Mark's film, "To the Diggers", a week before (see above article) will have been the next step in the on-going vision of our ministry to present a collection of short art films along with the art used to make them. We want to present the collection in a place where it will stimulate significant conversations which draw people to God.
     The Forum will offer a short introduction and the showing of two films each followed by conversation and art viewing. Forms will be available to retrieve people's responses, suggestions and offers of involvement.

"To the Diggers" Generates Interest, Gains Backers

Our campaign to fund the short art film "To the Diggers", has been viewed over 2,219 times in the last 3 weeks. That's over 100 visits per day! Referral icons on the site have been clicked by viewers 59 times inviting others to take a look. These statistics indicate there is significant interest in our project.
Interest In the Good We Could Do
This level of interest is not surprising when you consider the potential for good: art films and the art used to make them exhibited in a place where they stimulate conversations which draw people to God; where artists, filmmakers, gallery and café workers form community around the mission. Please click http://www.indiegogo.com/To-the-Diggers to review the mission.
Creative Incentives for Giving
People have donated both on the campaign site and off line totaling, as of this

Detail of painting for film 3: "The Gateway" about imagination in prayer

writing, $640. We have until July 10th to reach our goal of $7,000. At our rate of visits to the site we could still reach our goal if you and your friends will choose from contribution levels as low as $1. If we do reach our goal by the 10th, IndieGoGo.com will donate an additional 5% of the total.
We Can Reach the Goal
So, please visit http://www.indiegogo.com/To-the-Diggers. Get everyone you know on the Internet to go there and choose a level of contribution. There are some nice rewards on each level of giving including copies of our films signed by the artists, personalized poetry recordings, original art and your name in the film credits.
Pray for the campaign to gather people as well as dollars to support this ministry.

"Glow In the Crowd"

"Glow In the Crowd" by Mark Turner

Christ said, "Let your light so shine before people so that they will see your good works and praise (worship) the Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

We offer enlarged prints of inspirational images illustrating spiritual truth signed by the artist, Mark Turner, and suitable for framing, as a "thank you" for your donation to sustain the artists engaged by our arts organization.

See all images at Mark's blog "Artingle" .

A 9"x14" print of "Glow In the Crowd" is available as a thank you for a donation of $35 or more.

To donate and receive your thank you gift reply to this e-mail stating your donation. We will send you a reply with a link to PayPal and send your print within approximately ten days of your donation.

Looking for Filmmaker-Artists

Creating a group of filmmaker-artists
to build the Community of Believers

The pilot program of "the Production Gathering" is in planning meetings with the following points projected:

• program conducted June - August, 2010
• premiere event for films produced in the program - early fall
• producing art which makes significant conversations
• a mutual help group mentoring each other
• exploring new ways to fund your art
• building a network of long-term relationships
• including selected younger filmmaker-artists
• gaining the support of the whole group and their circles of influence

Looking for Staff, Applicants and Sponsors

STAFF

--- To brainstorm, promote, manage and facilitate

THREE CATEGORIES OF APPLICANTS

--- Producers with a short art film to make

• under 10 minutes
• incorporates original visual arts from a non-film medium
• incorporates original soundscape production
• can be linear story, abstract, or a mix of both
• appropriate for general audiences (children, adults, marketable to a wide spectrum, promoting positive values, avoiding preaching or controversy)
• retain ownership of film (non-exclusive rights to Horizon Gate, premiere proceeds split between venue, Horizon Gate and producer)
• Invited to bring 2 associates along

--- Production Team Members

• those wanting to work on others' films
• developing your craft, or an aspect of it
• building your network of relationships for future gigs
• visual artists, musicians and performers welcome

---Exhibitor

• those wanting to develop as art and film exhibitors
• gallery knowledge
• cafe knowledge
• Internet marketing knowledge
• publicists and promoters
• will help prepare and hang physical art used in making the films
• will help plan and execute initial promotions and premiere event

SPONSORS

• Companies and businesses which seek exposure to filmmakers, artists and their audiences
• Industry professionals who want to invest in positive development of personnel and projects
• Associations which want to develop membership
• Charities and foundations promoting their causes
• All donations are tax deductible

FOR MORE INFO

E-mail Mark Turner, mark (at) horizongate.org , and leave comments and questions below.

Plans In the Works for Pilot Program

We are holding meetings with sponsors and people interested in leading the first Production Gathering. If plans and people proceed as expected, we hope to conduct the program in the summer/early fall of this year.

The program will take applications from promising, early filmmaker/artists as well as from experienced producers. It will include weekly meetings over three months for mutual mentoring and to produce several short art films. The culminating event will premiere the films in a gallery setting. Spread the word among your artist friends. Give people our contact info to watch for further developments.

Believing Is Seeing

Artists inspire hope. Artists call us to act on that hope. That action is what we call “believing”, letting the hope affect our behavior. Artists lead us in making concrete that for which we hope.

So, we proclaim these affirmations as steps in becoming artists who inspire, call, and lead in faith. We have a hope of the Greater Reality which God intends for us and we want that hope to affect our work, play, health, finances and relationships with others.

Christ's earthly behavior was based on the Greater Reality which God has for us. The signs he gave showing God's Greater Reality were healings, life-giving words, world changing deeds, and release of people from bondage. By dying and rising back to life, he demonstrated that the Greater Reality promises even eternal life. As if in darkness, most could not see the Greater Reality in which he lived. But at least they could see the signs.

In some, he sparked the hope that there might be more to life. To those with hope he called to act upon the hope. Those who trusted his call and acted upon that hope he transformed to be able to see the Greater Reality, to live, die and live again as he does.

Christ commissioned the transformed ones to go throughout the world sparking the hope in others, calling to act upon the hope and conducting life based on the Greater Reality of God. Ages later we at Horizon Gate have chosen vehicles to spark, call and demonstrate the life of the Greater Reality: the arts, media, literature, business. As people trust Christ who reaches through us to them, God transforms them to live in the Greater Reality.