Anyone who has attended a RedeemerArtes event—perhaps a Friday night Holbrook organ recital or an instrumental or choral concert—knows how art and music (and a wine intermission!) help invite people into community. Through events like these, Redeemer members have served our church community as well as many other friends and neighbors who have a shared appreciation for fine music, art, and beauty.
Several years into this ministry, we hope to share the gifts of an arts ministry with our neighbors even more. To that end, this past spring Redeemer founded a new organization, Arts on Alexander (AoA).
Established as a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, AoA was created under the vision and direction of RPC Senior Pastor Eric Landry and Chief Musician George Dupere to expand on the work that RedeemerArtes started.
The model for Arts on Alexander comes from the Harrison Center, a missional arts organization founded by a PCA sister church in Indianapolis.
Because AoA is being established as an independent nonprofit organization, we hope the programs and operational costs AoA incurs can benefit from an increase in funding from outside foundations, benefactors, and grantors. Likewise, Redeemer will benefit from a strong partnership with AoA.
At the outset, Arts on Alexander will take over sponsorship of the Holbrook Organ Series and will co-sponsor the December Festival of Music, which in 2019 will include two performances of Mendelsohn’s Elijah. Redeemer will continue to open up Covenant Hall for performances by AoA partner organizations, including Texas Early Music Project, La Follia, Austin Baroque Orchestra, Austin Classical Guitar Society, and others, for up to 50 performances and related rehearsals a year.
In October, Arts on Alexander is proud to host the acclaimed Belgian choral group Vox Luminis for a performance at Redeemer during the group’s North American tour. AoA is also working to line up an equally impressive international group for a spring concert.
Were a new sanctuary at Redeemer to be built, AoA board member Barry McBee said, “the hope is that the relationships AoA forms with local arts groups would allow the sanctuary to be a permanent, full-time home for these groups to use for their performances, while allowing Covenant Hall to become a second stage through which more and more Austinites would come to Redeemer’s campus for the arts and for fellowship with believers and non-believers alike.”
As Arts on Alexander grows, the organization may add programs that include youth education and outreach, visual and culinary arts, and more.
Reflecting on RedeemerArtes, George said, “We have been fortunate to open up our church to a number of local instrumental and choral groups that recognize the amazing acoustics in Covenant Hall and want to use it for their performances. This hospitality also exposes Austin residents to Redeemer as they see our commitment to the Gospel and the common grace of the beauty and excellence of music. We are hopeful that the opportunities for ministry and hospitality will grow immensely as Arts on Alexander assumes the work that RedeemerArtes began years ago.”
The current Arts on Alexander Board of Directors includes five Redeemer Presbyterian members: Dr. Ben King as chair, George Dupere as vice chair and executive and artistic director, Scott Admire as treasurer, and members Barry McBee and Carolyn Ahrens. For information on how to support Arts on Alexander, contact George Dupere at gdupere@redeemerpres.org.