Author (#623)May 2005 Archives

What is the Art House?

The Art House is an open door for those seeking to live faithfully in a creative way. By that we mean living the ordinary life we are all called to but redeeming it with the rich and inspirational amenities the creative gifts have to offer. It is a place to attend lectures on any range of topics, to partake in movies discussions, to share various perspectives and world views. It will also be a space for local artists to exhibit their work and discuss the work publicly. Beyond the various events of the Art House we will have an open door for English tea times (10:30 and 3:30) and discussions. The term ‘ministry’ has come up often, but the approach of the art house is more about daily living than radical missions and/or ministry. It is serving the community (as each of us is called to do, missionary or not) around each of us, and serving those with whom we can share, encourage, learn from, inspire, and love in a creative way; in body mind and spirit.

Shaun and Sember have a family of six and are both working artists. Living in the Art House and serving the community, their family is the center of the community house and not peripheral to it. Therefore people are invited to be part of the family, and to find mutual inspiration in the seemingly mundane, and sometimes downright difficult.

What is the art focus?

Shaun and Sember both being working artists hope to encourage, support and collaborate with other artists. More specifically the hope for the Art House is for it to be a place of encouragement and support for those with a calling to marginalized vocations. Everyone from the artist, writer, missionary, and film maker, to those trying to work through money and job security vs. pursuing a calling are all in a similar place of dependance. How does one pursue these things with a family and no benefits or salary? The art house is safe a place to find guidance, ideas, encouragement, and a zealousness for pursuing faithfulness.

Are only artists welcome?

In the broad sense we are all artists in the way we are called to creatively redeem this life in an attractive way. Therefore all who want to live rich and meaningful lives in the everyday routines are welcome. This is not an idealistic outlook in search of freedom from the mundane, but an outlook of finding encouragement for ourselves and others to seek to find inspiration and delight in real life amidst struggles, financial strain, and endless responsibilities. As such anyone who has a heart to share their lives, their passions, fears, and doubts are welcome.

In what way is the Art House Christian affiliated?

The Art House is intrinsically Christian because the core people involved are Christians and as such believe this life has something greater to offer than personal comfort and security. We believe in community and sharing our lives with others. We also have experienced the hardships of close community and have seen the fruits in peoples lives amidst those struggles. As Christians we don’t seek to escape real life nor conquer it, but redeem it in a compelling way. In short the Art House is Christian in the sense that we will open the doors to our home, to our hearts, and our personal lives so that we can love and serve the community around us, (regardless of world view) free of the anxieties of personal risks and trusting God for our security and personal livelihood.

Short term vision:

To open a home and space for community interaction on a regular basis. To have group meals and conversations. To have occasional events such as movie discussions and lectures. To have studio space for our own work and the collaboration of others, including the opportunity for workshops and/or classes. To have an open door on a regular basis for anyone seeking friendship, inspiration, and encouragement. To provide a safe place to ask hard questions and openly challenge each other. This short term vision requires a suitable space for occasional events as well as comfortable privacy. It also requires time and community help to run a household, manage finances, and pursue personal artistic vocations, while serving people. It will require funds for community meals and donations to provide engaging events. Therefore, the primary needs in the short run are the suitable space, prayer for discernment and volunteers to be part of the vision.

The long term vision:

As a long term vision we have been advised to create a board of members who are responsible to help nurture and guide the direction of the vision, which involves everything from making life decisions for Shaun and Sember to finding financial solutions which enable those involved. We have a long term vision for having students or rather resident participants that can be integrated into the lifestyle more full time. We also want to offer studio space and workshops for artists in the future. Ultimately the long term vision is simply an extension of the short term with more time to serve others with more intensity. We expect the long term vision to grow as Shaun and Sember’s kids get older and their margin grows. Therefore it may mean more intentional time in personal discipleship as well as creating a network of resources for the placement of aspiring artists.

This is a loose idea of how the vision may grow, we expect change and unforseen avenues as time goes by. Therefore, we do not feel bound to or limited by this preliminary vision statement. We trust that God will shape the Art House as He sees fit, as it is His calling for us, even to the point of closing the doors, His will is good and will be done.

Wednesday is our wedding anniversary. Three years we have been married. Most of the time it seems much longer, occasionally we are shocked by the time that has passed. The feeling that I can’t really remember life before Shaun LaRose, is quite amazing. I can’t imagine life without him. Our eldest daughter, Manessah Elizabeth LaRose is the same way. We remind her that God sent her a gift of a father when she was four. After we got engaged, people would ask her if she was excited to be getting a new dad, she would tilt her head sideways, and studying their faces closely she would say “I’ve always had a dad,” with a lilt in her voice that implied how sorry she was that they just didn’t understand these things. Expecting some revelation they had not heard of yet, they would inquire as to whom that was, “Well, Shaun of course. My name is Nessah Lizbeth A Rose.”

We have birthed three children in that time. We conceived twins a month after our wedding. Apparently twins are a woman’s business, but I can’t help imagining that it was my husbands overly aggressive sperm that caused the egg to split. A fluke, most OB’s say. Well, I guess I dropped a fluke, if I had dropped two eggs then I would have had fraternal twins. Every day I can’t help but wonder about my identical twin boys souls. I pretend that Elisha’s spirit hovered just a little longer until the moment when the split occurred, perhaps this is why he has always been just a teeny bit smaller than his brother, Kaiden. It was hard to distinguish what was what when they were inutero. The tangle of limbs seemed an endless confusion of what belonged to who. Eventually they chose sides for the last part of the pregnancy, until a week before delivery, when Kaiden did a complete flip, dramatically pushing my belly ten inches to the side, he gave up his head down position for his smaller brother to be born first.

I pushed them both out in fifteen minutes, without a break. I strained as thirteen (most of them unwanted) people in my room imitated panting, grunting, and shouting at me to PUSSSSHHH! Losing it at one point I bellowed at them all to SHUT UP! The response was immediate “OKAY, WE WILL, BUT PUSSSSHHH!!!” They didn’t keep their promise. Kaiden was going into distress and without the aid of contractions I pushed him out to avoid a C-section.

Twins are hard. They are demanding and rarely ready for the same thing at once. Before I knew better, I thought of twins as needing to do their daily routines at the same time. ‘With one,’ I thought, ‘you feed him lunch. With two you just have to feed two lunch.’ It is rarely true. One will be ready to eat the other will have filled his diaper. When they are sick, they take vomiting crying rotations. I’m very sure they consult with each other “Hey, I’m getting bored with screaming, think you could take over for a while?” With another peer to consult about what is right or wrong, chances are it will go more in your favor, especially at the age of two. It is easier to justify playing with your own poop if someone else says “Hey, forget the spanking we might get, this is really cool!” Still, there is nothing like four adoring eyes staring up at you. Double cuddles, hugs, and kisses. The hysterical laughter of two little boys at the same time will steal your heart, and there are always enough people to play a game.

Their entrance into our lives has forced us to redefine what is important in life. It has enriched our days, exhausted our nights, and given me a mental break down, that ultimately changed our day to day lives in dramatically, lovely, ways. Shaun is more of a man than any I know. He sees the care of children as equal between us, and more important than any job. He knows that if a baby wants me more than him, that this is a problem about how much he has helped, and he has never allowed that to happen. He sees the line of his wants versus needs clearly enough, not to compromise his integrity.

The twins were nine months old when Mason was conceived. I could never explain the terror that I went through. God sent me grace despite my little faith. Mason is a gift from him. Serene as stone and as soothing as breeze, he tastes like fresh water and smells like, well, like him. A majority of babies smell the same with a powdery, sour, scent, but they all go through a change and one day, suddenly they have their own scent. They smell human. The day this happened to Mason I buried my nose in his hair sniffed, and it all made sense, yes of course, this is exactly how he should smell.

So, this weekend we will celebrate the sorrows and joys that make up our marriage. Both the good and bad that God turns to beauty for His called children. He is good. He holds us together and blesses us with faithfulness and love for one another. Happy Anniversary, baby, I love ya!