Two weeks ago I sat in a circle of new and old East Dallas friends for the first ever Art House LOCAL. After months of talking about how we could better connect the Art House community via smaller groups, the idea thrillingly came to fruition. As we gathered to encourage each other and discuss Francis Schaeffer’s essay Art and the Bible, it was powerful to sense the solidarity of groups meeting simultaneously across the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The response affirmed for us the need for a more intimate connection our larger events can’t provide.
The response to the intimate environment provided by FEEDBACK has been equally positive. There, songwriters have been given the chance to play their most recent creation in groups of six. Art House’s FEEDBACK in July sold out so quickly that we decided to add a facilitator and open up an extra group of six for our September gathering. Even with this expansion, the coming event has filled up and has a waiting list.
The thirst of these musicians to grow creatively and communally continues to affirm our desire to create a new Art House location where individuals can come to connect and be equipped. One of my favorite parts of this job has been to work alongside our new architect to dream up the rooms you all will inhabit when Art House Dallas’s space is completed. Last month, Brad Reeves and I headed to the original Art House in Nashville with our fantastic architect, Cliff Welch, to experience first hand the incredible place that Charlie and Andi have created. It didn’t seem right to have him complete a design for our Dallas location before seeing the very place that has inspired so many over the last 20 years.
While our location will be uniquely designed to meet the needs of Dallas’s creative community, our hope is that it will be similar to Nashville in that everyone who comes through our doors feels at ease, and everyone who walks away feels inspired. We can’t wait to get our plans finalized over the next month, and have you play a part in bringing these plans to fruition.
More to come!
Jenny