A Celebration of Creativity: Arbor’s First Art Showcase
August came to a delightful close at Arbor Christian Fellowship with something a little different—and a whole lot of fun.
On Saturday, Aug. 22, our church family gathered for Arbor’s first Art Showcase, an evening that was as relaxing as it was joyful. From 5 to 7 p.m., the church became a gallery, studio, stage and gathering place as people shared creative gifts that, for some, had remained hidden from even their closest church friends.
And what a wonderful surprise it was.
The showcase celebrated creativity in all kinds of forms: painting, drawing, watercolor, oil pastels, pottery, ceramics, sculpture, cooking and dance. There was no particular level of expertise required—only a willingness to share something you had created. That made the evening feel less like a formal exhibition and more like a celebration of the people who make up our church family.
There were beautiful works of art, delicious baked goods and creative projects spread throughout the fellowship hall. And then there were the children.
Many young artists set up their own tables, needing remarkably little help from their parents. They stood beside their drawings, paintings and creations with unmistakable pride, eagerly walking grandparents, friends and Bible study teachers from table to table to show them their work.
Those moments were particularly precious.
There was something deeply meaningful about watching a child realize that what they had made mattered—that people wanted to stop, look and listen as they explained their artwork. Their faces seemed to say, Look what I made. Look what God has enabled me to do.
They were seen. They were celebrated. And, for a little while, they had a place all their own to share something God had given them.
The showcase also gave adults the opportunity to discover talents in people they have served and fellowshipped alongside for years. Some artists were well known for their gifts; others surprised their friends with talents they had quietly cultivated over the years.
Art Show creator and organizer Elizabeth Johnson said one of her favorite parts of the evening was seeing people of all ages share their creativity with the church.
“I thought it was so lovely seeing all of the talented people of all ages share their talents with the church! Kids drawings and paintings, the lovely baked goods from the ladies of the church and Ms. Izzy sharing her skills teaching everyone how to make a zine! Katerina and her friends and sister did an amazing job performing their dances for everyone and I felt truly blessed by all of the people that came to support the art show!”
The evening also featured two beautiful dance performances: one by sisters Madeleine and Caroline Schmidhauser and Katerina, and another by Katerina and Elianna. Both performances were absolutely gorgeous—and what a treat it was to experience their dancing live and in person.
There is something uniquely special about experiencing art in the presence of the artist. A live performance invites us to do more than simply look at a finished product or watch something on a screen. We share a moment together. We see the movement, hear the music, feel the energy in the room and watch an artist express something beautiful right in front of us.
Perhaps that is because creativity is woven into who we are. We are made in the image of the Creator Himself, and we were designed to create, to make, to imagine and to delight in beauty. We are also designed to receive and appreciate beauty—to be moved by a painting, captivated by a dance, delighted by a child’s drawing or drawn together around a beautifully prepared table.
The dance performances were a wonderful expression of that truth. For those few moments, everyone in the room had the opportunity to simply stop and enjoy something beautiful together. And in a world where so much of our experience happens through screens, there was something especially meaningful about being together in the same room, watching these young women share their gifts.
Katerina, one of the evening’s dancers and choreographers, reflected on what she saw throughout the event:
“During this event, it was beautiful to see the smiles from those sharing their art and also the ones taking it in. God has blessed so many with various creative passions.”
That may have been the heart of the entire evening.
The Art Showcase was not really about creating perfect art or displaying impressive accomplishments. It was about recognizing that creativity is one of the many ways God has gifted the people in His church. It was about making room for those gifts to be shared—and making sure the people behind those gifts were noticed and appreciated.
For one evening, Arbor looked a little different. There were paintings where there aren’t usually paintings, children’s artwork proudly displayed at tables, homemade treats waiting to be enjoyed, a zine-making table and dancers taking the stage. People lingered, talked, laughed and admired one another’s work.
It was fun. It was peaceful. It was wonderfully fresh and wholesome.
And it was a beautiful reminder that our church family is filled with more creativity, talent and God-given gifts than we sometimes realize.
What a delightful way to close the month of August—and what a joy to see the people of Arbor, from the youngest artists to the most seasoned creators, create, share and celebrate one another.
