PROVO UTAH — Affirming that "Zion must increase in beauty and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged" (D&C 82:14), some 300 LDS practitioners of the visual and performing arts gathered at BYU March 25-27 for the annual Mormon Arts Festival.
"Our belief is that there is a way to be successful in the mainstream and still remain true to our covenants and standards," Cori Connors, a songwriter and recording artist who chaired the festival, said in a Church News interview. "That is why we get together once a year. We sort of soak in the spirit and electricity of each other, and then go out and set to work with renewed energy and conviction."
This year, for the first time, the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications co-sponsored the festival with the Mormon Arts Foundation. Also, it was moved to BYU to make it more accessible; previously it has been held in St. George, Utah, at the Tuacahn Center.
The keynote address, part of a multi-media presentation that opened the festival, was delivered by Bruce L. Christensen, dean of the college. He asked the question, "How do we know what is really and truly Mormon art?" and then answering his own question, he said:
"Mormon art is that which connects to our sense of the infinite. It is art created or performed by Mormons that enlightens our intellect. It is art revealed through the Holy Spirit to either artist or audience (or both) — art that fills us with understanding. It is authorized art that teaches appropriateness, the importance of venue, and the association with that which is lovely, praiseworthy, or of good report. It is art that speaks to our intuition about how things were, how they are, and how they will be."
In a festival committee panel discussion, Sister Connors drew a connection to Palm Sunday, which occurred the weekend of the festival. "If the Savior were to come before us, astride a white beast of burden, and our art were our palms and cloaks, would they be worthy to be placed before him?" she asked.
Other presentations, mainly in the form of panel discussions, dealt with such subjects as an LDS artist's role in the world, an overview of Church films, the challenge and thrill of collaboration, cultural bias in a global Church, scoring the film, dance and the creative impulse, black pioneers and their special destiny in the Church, music in the worldwide Church, and the conference theme drawn from the scripture cited above.
"Call for works" presentations, a dance concert, and a gala banquet featuring African dancers and drummers, recording artists, poets, visual arts, scenes from plays, film clips and a gospel choir highlighted the festival.
Sister Connors said the festival committee had as a goal to "invite the Lord's angels to attend as well as living artists."
"We believe they did," she added. "The greatest thing is to see a dancer and a film maker, huddled in deep conversation with a composer or to hear the testimony of a singer who refuses to sing lyrics which are not uplifting, yet whose last R&B single sold 400,000 copies in Europe."
