“ W e often fail to acknowledge that the making
of art — whether visual art, music, dance, poetry, or other forms — is an inherently spiritual process. At the Center for the Arts & Religion and the Doug Adams Gallery, we freely explore the connections between art and spirit, providing meaningful opportunities for both scholarship and community engagement.” — Dr. Elizabeth S. Peña, Director, Center for the Arts & Religion
gtu.edu
The Center for the Arts & Religion promotes scholarship, practice, and reflection in the arts and religion to benefit the GTU and the broader community. Through classes, gallery exhibitions, programs, workshops, and student grants, the Center for the Arts & Religion provides opportunities for GTU students, faculty, alumni, and community members to engage the intersections of the arts and spirituality, pursuing academic goals and furthering personal growth. Academic Programs
Events and Exhibitions
As the arts hub of the Graduate Theological Union, the Center for the Arts & Religion (CARe) is a gateway to the vital arts scene of the greater Bay Area. CARe partners with students in the GTU’s PhD and MA program who are pursuing a concentration in the Arts and Religion, while also serving as a vital resource to students across the consortium seeking to integrate the arts into another field of religious or theological studies. Arts faculty affiliated with CARe and other GTU schools and centers empower creative research in the arts and religion and offer courses exploring the connections between religion/spirituality and visual art, dance, theater, music, and literature. CARe also offers post-doctoral fellowships, a competitive grants program for students planning arts-focused research or projects, as well as a 12-credit Certificate in the Arts & Religion designed for community members with an interest in the arts. Additional opportunities for experiential learning arise through CARe’s partnerships with arts organizatations at UC Berkeley and other universities.
In the Doug Adams Gallery, CARe presents art exhibitions that examine themes of religion and spirituality, broadly defined. Three exhibitions each year and related public programming offer opportunities for learning, reflection, and engagement to GTU students and community members. CARe exhibitions and events support groundbreaking work on the interreligious and interdisciplinary themes central to scholarship at the GTU. Recent exhibitions have included Beyond Words: Art Inspired by Sacred Texts; Religion & Resistance; and Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art. Student involvement might include writing a critical essay for an exhibition catalog, guest curating an exhibition, organizing an academic or public program, presenting at one of CARe’s monthly gatherings, or serving on the CARe Advisory Board. CARe’s membership program offers free or discounted admission to more than 1500 museums across the country.
LEARN MORE Request Info and Apply: GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION admissions@gtu.edu 510-649-2400 gtu.edu
CENTER FOR THE ARTS & RELIGION DOUG ADAMS GALLERY 2465 LeConte Ave., Berkeley care@gtu.edu; 510-649-2470 gtu.edu/care