Please join us for the Altar Guild Conference and Keynote Address
Surrounded by Grace with Mel Ahlborn
Friday, September 30, 2011
Mercy Center
An illustrated presentation of the visual vocabulary of the Christian faith as seen in the ancient catacombs and selected historic altarpieces: the Westminster Retable (Britain, Anglican, 1270); the San Giovanni Evangelista Pratovecchio altarpiece (Tuscany, Catholic, 1450); and the Ubuntu Reredos (American, Episcopal, 2009.) Presented by Mel Ahlborn.
Mel Ahlborn is a visual artist with a studio in Oakland California. She is an arts educator, non-profit arts administrator, and arts advocate; Mel is an elected Fellow of the Center for Arts, Religion and Education, at the Graduate Theological Union Seminaries in the subject areas of manuscript illumination, visual preaching, and intersections of visual art and faith; she is co-editor o f the book "Visio Divina : A Reader in Faith and the Visual Arts" (LeaderResources, 2009); "Digital Art and the Worshipping Community: The Ubuntu Reredos, a site-specific Digital Altarpiece installed at the Anaheim Convention Center", conference speaker, Biola University June 2011; "Manuscript Illumination Revealing Scripture as a Primary Pointer to Christ", conference speaker, Imago Dei Conference on Theology and the Visual Arts, Kansas City, 2005; "Beyond Aesthetics: The Artist as Practicing Theologian", conference speaker, Christians in the Visual Arts, Los Angeles, 2005 ; she is an exhibiting artist at (partial list) British Library; Washington National Cathedral; Oxford College; The Getty Center Los Angeles; The Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco; Washington Theological Seminary, Washington DC.
Mel's presentation will follow Eucharist and blessing of Little Dresses and Shorts for Haiti led by the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California. Also present for the weekend will be Jane Ames, President of the National Altar Guild Association and Sister Suzanne Elizabeth Jackson of the Community of St. John Baptist, Mendham, NJ, the Province !! Altar Guild Coordinator and a well-known teacher of altar-guild related subjects.
All registrations must be received no later than September 15. Contact Albe Larsen (amlarsen@coastside.net) or Connie Castillo, Registrar (azaltarguild@cox.net) with questions.
