Will good art unconsciouly refine a community?

stART on the Street: Fall Edition on Park Ave. in Worcester, MA

stART on the Street – Central Massachusetts' largest arts festival 

...So we make lofty art. / See the presence of good art will unconsciously refine a community...

In my August post Artists, activists, and Armsby Abbey-ists, I had the joy of sharing about how Worcester is a city blossoming with new avenues of activity and creativity. I also inquired how followers of Jesus in our city can be joining with artists on their turf, sharing in their artistry, and looking for new ways of revealing how inspiration is intrinsic to who we are as created beings who image a great Creator.

One way we can observe and see how our neighbors are being inspired, and what stories they are telling us about themselves through their art, is to jump into the crowd and enjoy the festivities this weekend. On Sunday, September 15 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., stART on the Street will be celebrating Worcester up and down Park Avenue between Highland and Pleasant Streets.


stART is an innovative arts celebration "on the street" started by local Worcester artists and art lovers in 2002. This posse and their dedicated volunteers came together, committed to changing the cultural scope of Worcester and Central Massachusetts. stART on the Street became their signature event – a day of arts, music, and cultural celebration on streets around Worcester, MA, including Main Street, Water Street, and Park Avenue. The excitement and participation has grown over the past 10 years and now stART has spring and fall editions.

stART continues to host an increasing number of arts and crafts vendors each year, with more than 250 signed up for the 2013 Fall Edition. Their multiple stages include a variety of live bands featuring rock, alt country, jazz, world music, and more. The Street performances include Africa-Brazilian Capoeira demonstrations, a cappella groups, dance, and an eclectic span of genres of performance art.  

And, as always, stART is a free, family-friendly event with interactive creative features for all ages. There will also be food vendors including vegan options and artist stands including jewelry, painting, sculpture, soap, candles, lotions, blown glass, drawing, textiles, woodwork,  photography, stained glass, ceramics, and more.

Only time will tell how stART benefits our city, from bolstering integrated community to boosting the local economy. This morning I was listening to Propaganda's "Lofty" on my drive into work on Park Ave. where stART will be hosted this Sunday, and these lyrics continued to ring in my ears and stir my heart long after the CD had stopped spinning: 

...worth, value, and beauty is not determined by some innate quality / But by the length for which the owner would go to possess them. / And broken and ugly things just like us are stamped "Excellent" / With ink tapped in wells of divine veins. / A system of redemption that could only be described as perfect, / A seal of approval, fatal debt removal. / Promised, prominent, perfect Priest; / Brilliant designed system, redemption for our kinsmen / Can only be described as perfect with excellent execution. / And I'm in awe, the only One truly excellent, / The only source of excellence. / We are declared excellent only by His decree with His system. / The only accurate response is awe. / So we make lofty art. / See the presence of good art will unconsciously refine a community / And poor art will do an incalculable harm. / Only accomplished in the light of His excellency. / It's too high, it's lofty...

These lyrics never cease to send chills through my body and billow up tears in my eyes. How great a grace have we been given that God would make us His workmanship through the blood, sweat, and tears of His artistic redemption – that He would not leave us in the mess of our canvas, but would move into the sloppy smears, and make residence in our badly mixed colors of rebellion to change our immature sketches and uninspired strokes, transforming us from something broken into something beautiful.  

In light of this lofty possibility, I invite you to come with the Sullivans and see how human artists have struggled in pain, sweat, and tears to make beautiful things for our city. Join in their community, applaud their free gifts to us, and laugh that God continues to shower His common grace on us and through us in our broken, beat up world.

And in appreciating the talents and gifts of others, also remember the greatest gift of art and grace that the Artist has done in His redemption provided by His Son, and lift up hopeful prayers that His grace will consume and enliven our souls, our families, our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, and our city. 

My family will be enjoying the stART and His art in the late afternoon on Sunday and we'd love to see you there. 

– Sully

As always, if your curiosity is piqued, or something inside you is being stirred, feel free to connect.