2025 Artists Salons

03/21/2025

Simone Monique Barnes, Wildflower’s Director of Membership and Spiritual Life, hosts an annual gathering of artists and creative thinkers for virtual living room-style conversations, in the tradition of the Harlem Renaissance. This six-week salon series of artist-led, artist-centered conversations uses a mix of art, music, poetry, dance, essays, film, current events, and/or spiritual texts as springboards for dialogue and community.

Salons are open to anyone, especially those who self-identify as an artist (in any visual, performing arts, literary, or other creative expression), art lover, or as a creative thinker. You do not need to be a professional artist to attend a salon.

Held on Monday evenings, March 24 through April 28, 2025, on Zoom.

During these salons we focus on the artist, rather than solely on their artwork, engaging in conversations that artists want to discuss, such as imagination, creating during hard times, survival, rejection, criticism, racism, oppression, the creative process, fear, artistic expression, developing new work, spirituality, faith, religion, and more.

This year’s theme is Keeping Pace, inspired by the poetic words of Kahlil Gibran (b. 1883 – d. 1931): “You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth,” which is a line from the poem “On Work” in The Prophet in which Gibran reminds us that “Work is love made visible.”

Join us for one or more of the six Monday Virtual Artists Salon dates, held from 7pm – 9pm Central Time, on Zoom.(Note: The first 30 minutes are for checking in, getting settled, and socializing. The salon topic of conversation begins at 7:30 pm CT.)

Register in advance for these Zoom meetings:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NSu0XJYdSsuZdBAVhP6JYw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

SALON DATES

Mondays, 7 PM Central Time

Mar 24 – Instead of a Scream: Creating in Hard Times
We explore the work of Maisara Baroud, a Palestinian artist born in Gaza.
Mar 31 – House of Dreams: Transformative Grief
We explore the work of artist Stephen Wright.
Apr 7 – A Conversation with Carl Gonzalez
Apr 14 – A Conversation with Lisa Rogers
Apr 21 – A Conversation with Preston A. Patterson
Apr 28 – Blood Memories: Memories and Feelings That Fuel the Work
We explore the work of Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison, including.

Notes for Artists and Creatives:

The artist salon is a day off, not a day on for artists. There is no expectation of performance or art exhibition. There is no expectation to talk about “the work.” The salons are an invitation for artists to participate in conversations with other artists, art lovers, and creatives about topics they are interested in.

Why Lent and Why Artists?

In many Christian traditions, Lent is a solemn forty-day period of self-examination, reflection, spiritual discipline, fasting and prayer leading to Easter. The word “Lent” comes from the Old English “lencten,” referring to Spring and the “lengthening” of days that occurs at this time of year.

In the book The Cross and The Lynching Tree, Black Liberation theologian James H. Cone writes about how it was artists who pushed the Church into social change during the Harlem Renaissance. “Most black artists were not church-going Christians. Like many artists throughout history, they were the concerned human beings who served as society’s ritual priests and prophets, seeking out the meaning of the black experience in a world defined by white supremacy. As witnesses to black suffering, they were in the words of African American literary critic Trudier Harris, “active tradition-bearers of the uglier phases of black history.””

This Artists Salon Series honors artists, as a whole, as society’s ritual priests, prophets, and tradition-bearers who demonstrate our understanding of people’s experiences. In this series, the Artist’s Lent is an inter-religious, spiritual season of creative reflection, self-examination, reading, meditation, and connection.

As Cone notes, “More than anyone, artists demonstrate our understanding of the need to represent the beauty and the terror of our people’s experiences.”

“Artists force us to see things we do not want to look at because they make us uncomfortable with ourselves and the world we have created.”

This year’s series extends past the season of traditional season Lent, as we explore together the experience and themes of transformation.

We Must Continue Our Theological Tradition of Dissent

02/27/2025

A message from The Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, tenth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association

We must continue our theological tradition of dissent—as it emerges in our legal strategy to protect the most vulnerable and in our continued commitment to community building, even amid the anxiety-inducing chaos intentionally created to rob us of our hope and demoralize us with fear
Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt — We must continue our theological tradition of dissent—as it emerges in our legal strategy
to protect the most vulnerable and in our continued commitment to community building,
even amid the anxiety-inducing chaos intentionally created to rob us of our hope
and demoralize us with fear — **Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt**

Faithful dissent is our theological inheritance. Today’s Unitarian Universalism emerges from a heritage of dissenting churches that is hundreds of years old, a tradition of faithful people who grounded their religious living in how best to be of service to one another. We have a long history of holding our values collectively and living them in community.

Today, many of the institutions and ideals that our Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist forbearers worked for across our long history are under attack – including public schools, children’s access to learning supports, protections for individual rights, and the value of diversity and pluralism in society at large.

In such times, communal care matters perhaps more than ever. Communal care is the living promise of faith communities; it encompasses all that we offer to each other and all that might come into being because of our choices. Communal care is also how we work for justice; how we teach one another and learn together.

Communal care calls us to become good ancestors, to provide a foundation of love and justice that will sustain those who are yet to come. And so, we must continue our theological tradition of dissent – as it emerges in our legal strategy to protect the most vulnerable and in our continued commitment to community building even amid the anxiety-inducing chaos intentionally created to rob us of our hope and demoralize us with fear.

Let us rise on the efforts of our ancestors and heed the call of generations yet to come. There is much faithful work to do today in our Unitarian Universalist congregations and communities. Find resources for this time at the link below:

https://sidewithlove.org/responding-and-organizing-toolkit

Lin McKissick Celebrates 10 years at Wildflower

02/13/2025

This week, we celebrate the ten-year work anniversary of our Office Administrator, Lin McKissick!

As the office administrator, Lin is often the first voice, face, or email people connect with at Wildflower. Her work maintains that connection, as she serves our congregation in so many ways, often behind the scenes, but never unnoticed. She is supportive of all our teams, our staff, our Board, our lay leaders, and our community partners. And she knows our congregation and our neighbors by name. Her many years of service and commitment to our congregation and the community help to create an environment for everyone to grow spiritually together, spreading love, justice, and joy.

Sign our thank you card for Lin.

Spiritual Life Team Planning Retreat Reflections

02/06/2025

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at Wildflower. The Spiritual Life Team (a cross-team gathering of Wildflower lay leaders and staff) had a wonderful retreat and planning day on Saturday, February 1st, at Austin Youth River Watch‘s location in Del Valle. And the weather was perfect for indoor and outdoor discussions and walks! It was a great time of bonding and getting to know one another better, and imagining our upcoming season of worship, music, learning, and activities at Wildflower this spring and summer. We are thankful to AYRW (one of our past Second Offering recipients) for generously sharing their space with us, and we express much gratitude for the Wildflowers who helped to make the day successful and nourishing for all (including a yummy breakfast, snacks, and lunch for our full day of work).

While we worked a lot, we also made time for worship and spiritual practices, as nourishing ourselves is important as leaders. We learned a new song, “There is Only Love” (lyrics can be found here), and we sang some familiar songs, too, like “Rise Again” by Urban Voices Project, and “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher).”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

01/25/2025

January 26, 2025

Contact Bobby Watson, bobby@texasimpact.org
Rev. Amy Myhand, amy@faithpresaustin.org
Simone Monique Barnes, director@wildflowerchurch.org

Faith Presbyterian and Wildflower Churches Host Gun Violence Awareness Installation in Travis Heights

AUSTIN—Wildflower Church and Faith Presbyterian Church, 1314 E Oltorf, have joined a coalition of congregations, universities, and local advocates to display Vidas Robadas installations across Texas. The installations honor and memorialize the 3,996 Texas residents who, on average, lose their lives to gun violence every year. Gun violence is the leading cause of non-accidental death in Travis County, according to a recent news release from the county judge. A total of 178 firearm-related deaths occurred in 2023, with 107 classified as suicides and 71 as homicides.

The two congregations, in partnership with Texas Impact, erected Vidas Robadas (Spanish for “Stolen Lives”) following their Sunday services on January 26. The outdoor installation features 100 T-shirts, each listing the name of a local person who has died by suicide or murder. Vidas Robadas will be on display on the church grounds until February 9. Members of the public are encouraged to visit the display, read the names of victims, and reflect on the cost of gun violence to our community. Texas Impact, which started the Vidas Robadas project, is an organization that equips people of faith with information and outreach tools to educate their communities. One of the goals of Vidas Robadas is to connect Texans across the state, so that they can band together to demand stricter gun legislation at the 2025 Texas Legislative Session in 2025.

“Last week we celebrated the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom we lost to gun violence. And even long before his death, Mrs. Coretta Scott King was a proponent of limiting gun and weapon access. The King Holiday is a reminder of just how impactful gun violence is, to a person, a family, a community, a nation, and our world. Our congregation’s mission is to spread love, justice, and joy. When Texas UU Justice Ministry brought this project to our attention, we knew it was a conversation we didn’t want to have alone,” said Simone Monique Barnes, Wildflower Church’s Director of Membership and Spiritual Life. “Vidas Robadas is a way to continue the work and legacy of The King Family, advocating for peace and nonviolence.”

Having members of our congregations and neighbors in our surrounding community who have experienced gun violence firsthand, we feel it is critical to engage in this issue. And our church campus is located directly across the street from a public high school, which personalizes concerns about the impact that gun violence and school shootings have on students, parents, families, educators, and the communities that surround them. Vidas Robadas localizes and connects communities to the reality of gun violence, honoring gun violence victims and at the same time witnessing the need for change. Our faith traditions call on us to be stewards of peace and to care for the Beloved Community.

The Reverend Amy Myhand, pastor of Faith Presbyterian, said, “As followers of Christ, we are called to be peacemakers, to mourn with those who mourn, and to stand for justice. The Vidas Robadas project is a sacred act of remembrance and a prophetic call to action against the epidemic of gun violence that continues to steal precious lives. Every name we lift up represents a beloved child of God whose story must not be forgotten. As a community of faith, we commit to honoring their memories by working tirelessly for a world where peace prevails over violence, love triumphs over fear, and every life is valued as God intends.”

After the installation at Wildflower and Faith, the shirts will be brought to the Texas Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy Day held on Thursday, February 27th at the Texas Capitol. It will include a larger Vidas Robadas installation of shirts bearing the names of the victims of gun violence in Texas, a rally, and lunch and meetings with lawmakers. The community can sign up to receive updates, details, and more information. HERE

ABOUT THE CONGREGATIONS:

Faith Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is an inclusive and welcoming Christian community faithfully committed to ministries of compassion, diversity, equality and social justice. In 2024, recognizing that gun violence profoundly impacts the nation’s children, the PC(USA) voted that every congregation take actions to promote gun safety. https://faithpresaustin.org

Wildflower Church is a deliberately inclusive, lay-led, open-minded religious community in the Unitarian Universalist tradition, whose mission is growing spiritually together, spreading love, justice, and joy! Wildflower creates community by covenanting one to another, using our Covenant for Beloved Community, and uplifting our shared values of justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, interdependence, and generosity, with love at the center. https://wildflowerchurch.org

The two congregations share a campus in the Travis Heights neighborhood in South Austin, located at 1314 E Oltorf Street, Austin TX 78704.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS

Texas Impact is a religious grassroots network whose members include individuals, congregations, and governing bodies of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths. Texas Impact exists to advance state public policies that are consistent with the shared values of Texas faith communities. The non-profit works on a wide variety of public policy issues within the broadly held social concerns of mainstream religious traditions. Texas Impact uses a process of discernment on public policy issues like the processes used by many faith traditions, including Scripture, the wisdom of the faith traditions, current public policy information and data, and the experiential knowledge of people of faith to develop our positions and policy goals. https://texasimpact.org/

Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) is the UU state action network for Texas! It is a 501(c)(3c) member of the Coalition of UU State Action Networks (CUUSAN), representing about 40 UU congregations in Texas. Our motto is “Bending Texas Toward Justice TOGETHER.” TXUUJM educates and organizes Texas UUs, congregations, and partners to advocate effectively for UU principles in public policy and the public square. https://txuujm.org/

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