We’re looking forward to hosting you in Philadelphia this week! Most of the conference staff are already here, preparing for your arrival on Monday.

A few notes about this week.  Here’s the Philadelphia weather forecast for our event.

Chance of rain is very low (which is delightful). The weather here reminds us of a chilly spring (with the temperature averaging around 60 degrees), though it does get cold at night. We are hosting an evening, outdoor reception on Monday night for conference attendees, so we recommend bringing a jacket (though we will have food and drinks to keep you warm).

If you are staying nearby, your accommodations have likely sent you instructions about their parking facilities. If you aren’t within walking distance of the conference site, we recommend parking here at Central Parking, University Square. It’s the closest and cheapest option for conference registrants. There is also public, 3-hour street parking from 8 AM – 8 PM near the Cathedral, but you must pay at a nearby Kiosk. After 8 PM, street parking is free.

All other information you might need regarding the event (logistics, schedule, etc.) should be readily available on our website. Walk up registrants are welcome during Conference Check-In, and we can take check or credit card as a form of payment.

Conference Check-In is from 4:30 – 6:30 PM on Monday, April 22 at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.

Dillon Gallery is pleased to announce the mid-career retrospective monograph of internationally renowned artist and one of next week’s Bifrost Arts “The Cry of the Poor” Conference presenter, Makoto Fujimura.

The exhibition of new works coincides with the publication of Golden Sea, Fujimura’s first major monograph, as well as his biographical documentary of the same name. This exhibit will showcase the monumental Golden Sea series, three large Walking on Water paintings, as well as Messaien, a painting completed in collaboration with pianist Molly Morkoski at Le Poisson Rouge.

On Tuesday May 7, 2013, Dillon Gallery will hold the premiere of Fujimura’s documentary Golden Sea, produced by Plywood Pictures, hosted by producer Ralph Winter (X-Men and Star Trek, etc.) at 7 pm.  The documentary reveals the process behind Fujimura’s technique and artistic development through interviews conducted in Japan, New York, and his new Princeton studio.

The artist will be present at the opening to sign books (on sale at DillonPress for $100). Seating is limited for the documentary premiere. Please RSVP at http://goldensea.makotofujimura.com/

This is a guest blog post by Brother Emmanuel. Brother Emmanuel is from the ecumenical Taizé Community in Taizé, France.

“United to the Source of all Mercy: From Worship to Community”

Wishing to be a reflection of God’s mercy requires to be ourselves united to… the Source of all mercy! How worship can support this divine-human union in order to draw from it the inner strength and motivation to go to community and radiate this divine mercy offered to all? First by becoming a space where we acknowledge that the “cry of the poor” is also our own secret cry: we are the first poor to be taken care of by ourselves and by God, since the most universal and deepest poverty is linked to the gap between our limited interpersonal life and our unquenchable thirst to be loved and to love intensely.

Dealing with our own frustrations, disappointments, hurts, feelings of guilt, hidden fears, we have to rediscover God’s presence as the Presence who wants to heal the secret wounds of our heart. Dealing with our innermost desires, we also have to rediscover God’s presence as the Presence who eagerly desires to love us intensely but also who eagerly desires to be intensely loved by each one of us, “with all our heart, soul, mind, strength”. Dealing with so many requests -ours and others-, we have to rediscover God’s presence as the Presence who does not have an absolute control over every life as a Dictator showing no respect for human freedom, as the Presence who does not have a magic wand as a Magician solving instantly all difficulties, but as the Presence who stands by our side in this fight against all forms of evil here below, who always listens to our cry and associates our love to the creative force of a tireless divine love in continual activity that will have the last word.

When worship becomes this space that supports the entrance into a real reciprocity of love with God, when worship becomes this space where can grow our trust to be loved intensely, our trust to love intensely Someone who is so much waiting for it, our trust to be united to God in the same fight for the victory of love, then we can draw from this spiritual experience the strength and motivation to go to community, to radiate divine mercy and make life more beautiful for those God entrusts to us.

 - Brother Emmanuel

Bifrost Arts is excited to announce that Sister Mary Grace will join us in Philadelphia for our upcoming conference. Her work will be on exhibit and available for purchase.

Sister Mary Grace Thul graduated from the University of Cincinnati, College of Applied Arts. Sister Mary Grace had a summer internship at the Cincinnati Art Museum, taught art in the Cincinnati Public Schools and established a custom art business with two colleagues before deciding to enter the monastery of cloistered Dominican Nuns in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1962.

In 1989, she moved to St. Dominic’s Monastery in Washington, DC. She now resides at Caterina Benincasa Dominican Monastery in New Castle, Delaware.

Sister Mary Grace has attempted to blend the contemplative and artistic into one in living out her Dominican monastic vocation. Her over forty years as a Dominican Nun have provided opportunities to broaden her use of various art media including sculpture, painting, woodcarving and printmaking in giving expression to religious and scriptural themes. Sister is an award-winning artist who has exhibited locally and has received commissions for many liturgical events and places of worship.

Sister Mary Grace’s book of sixteen monographs entitled The Litany To Our Lady Of The New Millennium was presented to Pope John Paul II in a special ceremony in 1999 and may now be viewed publicly at the Vatican Library.

According to Sister Mary Grace, “Art can be prayer. My artwork is my way of living a contemplative life. Art brings me a lot of inner peace.”

Read an interview with Isaac Wardell on Hopeful Realism about our upcoming conference–and get another sneak peak at the new Bifrost Arts album!

Hear a track from the new Bifrost Album, “He Will Not Cry Out” with DM Stith.  We’ll be releasing the album at this year’s conference in Philadelphia.  Register here.  We hope you can come!

Bifrost Arts is a sacred music non-profit that exists to enrich the church and engage the world with beauty and truth. A variety of musicians are involved in the Bifrost Arts movement, including Sufjan Stevens, Isaac Wardell, Derek Webb, The Welcome Wagon, Denison Witmer, and J. Tillman.

Bifrost is hosting its second conference this April 22-24, 2013 in Philadelphia, PA. This year, we will cover the formation of the local church at the intersection of worship, community, and mercy.

To catch a glimpse of what our April gathering might look like, check out Josh Franer’s video of our 2011 conference that we hosted on liturgy, music, and space.

Bifrost Arts- Liturgy, Music & Space from josh franer on Vimeo.