OUR MISSION & VISION
Mission
CIVA equips those called to the visual arts to flourish in their holy vocation. CIVA provides its knowledge and resources to help the Church embrace the visual arts. CIVA cultivates an incarnational presence in contemporary culture marked by a spirit of hospitality and service.
Vision
CIVA provides a meeting ground and platform for collaborative work among the various parts of the art and faith movement in order to foster dynamic activity that renews both the Church and culture at large.
Purpose
CIVA encourages Christians in the visual arts to develop their particular callings to the highest professional level possible; to learn how to deal with challenging issues in the field without compromising our faith and our standard of artistic endeavor; to provide opportunities for sharing work and ideas to foster intelligent understanding, a spirit of trust, and a cooperative relationship between those in the arts, the church, and culture; and ultimately, to establish a Christian presence within the secular world.
By faith Abraham . . . looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:8-10
OUR HISTORY
1977
At this time, most Christians in the visual arts faced an impossible situation: the art world did not respect their faith and the Church did not value their vocation. It was difficult to be a Christian and an artist.
Ceramicist, professor, and preacher Eugene Johnson had the vision to bring these worlds together. He served on the faculty of Bethel College and, buoyed by the enthusiastic support of his art faculty colleagues, hosted a conference for Christian artists that drew some 170 participants from across North America to St. Paul, Minnesota.
With support from the Christian College Consortium, over 200 participants met again at Bethel in 1979. At that time, CIVA became an official organization, adopted a charter and bylaws, and released its first newsletter.
1980s
A similar conference was held at Calvin College (1981) and Christians in the Visual Arts became an official 501(c)3 organization in 1982. CIVA members continued to connect at in-person events throughout the decade.
1990s
CIVA experienced great growth. The organization grew in membership, hosted symposiums and conferences as well as created its own CIVA publications. The organization hired its first part-time staff members to serve the growing membership needs.
CIVA’s website (civa.org) was first published in1998.
2000s
CIVA’s signature publication SEEN Journal was first released. The journal includes art and articles by CIVA members and is distributed bi-annually to all CIVA members. Past and current issues are available for purchase in the CIVA store.
2010s
CIVA launched new in-person programming and made growth in the digital landscape by launching an online storefront selling original member art, publications, books, and accessories. CIVA also released its first blog and created an online network/forum (today called the CIVA Network) where members can stay connected as well as share their work, events, and inspirations.
2020s
CIVA has grown to over 1,500 members living all over the world and established its first full-staff team to run the organization’s day-to-day operations and serve the growing membership needs. During the COVID pandemic, CIVA was able to introduce new, virtual programs that allowed members to stay connected and grow at a distance. CIVA continues to grow in membership and programming opportunities.
CIVA is ecumenical.
CIVA members come from a wide range of Christian traditions — Catholic, Non-denominational, Orthodox, and Protestant. We share a common belief in “one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen,” as stated in the Nicene Creed.
Images: Garbage Patch, Maya Markillie (banner); Wall Clocks, Nathan Stromberg (behind quote); The Long Dark Night, Gerik Parmele (bottom)