Dear People of St. James’,
St. James’ Episcopal Church has long been a supportive center for artists in Austin. In the 60s, our community worked with Lady Bird Johnson to bring the Ebony Fashion Show to Austin. Over the decades, our music programs have nurtured young singers. We have made visual and spiritual space for visual artists like Arleen Polite. We have kept Jazz at St. James’ going for over 30 years, and each year the Good Friday Project brings together artists to respond to the themes of the crucifixion. We have hosted Lenten Artists Salons for local artists to share their work and their spiritual journeys with each other. Parishioners, including those whom you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see on the big screen, have been a part of Micah Barber’s films. We have even brought genres together, like jazz, poetry, and improvisational painting. All of this, and we have an amazing singing congregation!
So, it was no surprise when our strategic visioning process imagined St. James’ as a particular kind of artistic hub in east Austin through the building of partnerships in the arts. We have taken that charge seriously, and this Sunday, we are taking a first step in building what we hope will become an arts series that is faithful to our church’s identity and mission.
On Sunday, we invite you to join with Rev. Eileen, our Senior Warden Harrison Eppright, Inversion Ensemble’s Artistic Director Katrina Saporsantos, and their Board President Jonathan Riemer as we sign an initial 6-month agreement, which will make St. James’ Episcopal Church the official home of Inversion Ensemble. To have an Ensemble-in-Residence is to establish a partnership with a local ensemble whose work aligns with the mission of St. James’. St. James’ becomes the home for rehearsals and dedicated performances for the ensemble, and we also get to learn how to be great hosts for the music community. This is also an opportunity for East Austin, as many of our city’s choral arts spaces are central or west.
I am personally excited to welcome Inversion Ensemble because of our shared aims: supporting artists in creative endeavors, lifting up new and local creatives, and reflecting the values of ecological nurture, LGBTQIA+ inclusion and rights, social justice, and mental health awareness. This past year, Inversion’s Coda ensemble for singers age 50+ offered an incredible concert at St. James’ which benefitted our partners at Casa Marianella. A number of our own parishioners participated in that performance which highlighted music from a diversity of immigrant communities. Endeavors like this point people to who we are and they bring people together in our sanctuary who might not have discovered St. James’ any other way.
We will talk more about this work on Sunday, but please plan to join us at the 12 pm hour in Founders Hall as we vote on our leadership slate and celebrate this new endeavor!
Rev. Eileen
