Forefront 360

Jennifer Greenman interviews Josh & Zac Tiessen, live at Forefront Festival's A Night of Art. They discuss questions of faith, conservation, artistic process, elitism, and dealing with success and failure. 

In this special episode, Nate talks to artists Josh & Zac Tiessen about two upcoming events based on Josh's new painting series, Vanitas and Viriditas. Click below to learn more or get tickets. Grand Opening Exhibition at Rehs Contemporary in NYC, April 28 Forefront Festival: A Night of Art with Josh & Zac Tiessen in Rochester NY, May 4  

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. James Matthew Wilson. James Matthew Wilson is Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and the Founding Director of the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing, at the University of Saint Thomas, Houston. He is an award-winning scholar of philosophical-theology and literature, and he is a poet and critic of contemporary poetry. His work appears regularly in First Things,  The Wall Street Journal​, The Hudson Review, and many other publications. He has published twelve books, including six books and chapbooks of poetry.

Cody, Rich, and Nate discuss how their career journeys intersected with the arts, and whether art is done best as a hobby or a career.

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview James K. A. Smith. James K. A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University, where he holds the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview. He is also the Editor in Chief of Image Journal. Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Smith has expanded on that scholarly platform to become an engaged public intellectual and cultural critic. An award-winning author and a widely traveled speaker, he has emerged as a thought leader with a unique gift of translation, building bridges between the academy, society, and the church.  In this conversation we discuss a number of topics at the intersection of Christianity, philosophy, and the arts, with a focus on James's new book, How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now.

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Paul J. Pastor. Paul J. Pastor is a poet, writer, and editor from Oregon. His work uncovers the inner life of the world, as experienced in nature, literature, and the rich traditions of historic Christian spirituality. Paul is the author of several books, including Bower Lodge: Poems, A Kids Book About God, The Listening Day series, and The Face of the Deep. His work has been widely published in many fine outlets, including Books & Culture, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Windhover, Christianity Today, Fathom, Ekstasis, Solum Literary Press, and has been anthologized by The New York Quarterly Review.

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast continue the second annual Christmas Variety Show! Act II features these artists: The Kenaniah Project Kathryn Sullo The Houghton Choir Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast are back for the second annual Christmas Variety Show! Act I features these artists: M. Jerome Bell Sarah Collins The Houghton Choir Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Nate sits down with author & pastor Jared C. Wilson (while Jared was in Rochester!) to discuss the art of pastoring, Jared's fiction novels (including a secret unpublished one), combat with snakes, and beyond. Jared C. Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, General Editor of For The Church (and host of the FTC Podcast), and a pastor and Director of The Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is an award-winning author of over 20 books. Jared also co-hosts The Art of Pastoring Podcast published by Christianity Today.

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. Glenn Arbery.  Glenn Arbery is a teacher, writer, and novelist currently working as the president of Wyoming Catholic College. Some of his famous works include the oft taught Why Literature Matters; What is a Teacher; and his recent novel, Boundaries of Eden. He has successfully written journalistically, academically, and creatively for decades, to the glory of God. 

Cody interviews Ryan Diaz, a writer and poet from Queens, NY, about his new book Skipping Stones. In Skipping Stones, Ryan writes about many things, long-dead saints, personal tragedy, everyday observations, and the nature of prayer. But what connects this collection is Ryan's desire for a transcendent experience. His vivid and story-driven poems create a secondary world for the reader to explore, worlds in which belief is possible and the divine looms large. For Ryan, "the Christian poet, and storyteller as well, is like the blind man whom Christ touched," and poetry "an invitation to deeper and stranger visions."

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Gregory Wolfe.  Gregory Wolfe is a writer, editor, publisher, and teacher. He has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion. He is the founder & editor of Slant Books, which is an independent, not-for-profit literary press. In 1989, Wolfe founded Image, which Annie Dillard has called “one of the best journals on the planet.” Now one of America’s top literary quarterlies, Image is a unique forum for the best writing and artwork that is informed by—or grapples with—religious faith. 

Heather and Rich talk to Gage Forster, a photographer living in Southern California with a unique penchant for travel. Gage takes us through the unique joys & challenges of being a freelancer who is focused on building relationships with people rather than simply gaining industry clout.

Rich, Nate and Megan discuss the new series from Amazon Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This is a long episode—but so are the best adventures. It is divided up into three "rings," so you can listen to different parts depending on how many spoilers you want. 00:02:44 Ring 1: General Reactions (Spoiler-Free) 00:38:41 Ring 2: Specific Reactions (Spoilers for Season 1) 00:43:21 The Harfoots & the Stranger 00:49:28 Galadriel, Halbrand and Numenor 01:20:43 The Southlands 01:28:38 Elves and Dwarves 01:37:08 Favorite Characters 01:40:23 Favorite Scenes 01:51:03 Ring 3: Speculation on the Future of the Series 01:57:36 Closing Thoughts

Rich and Zack discuss Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 film, Spirited Away, including its depictions of beauty and its resonant themes.   Film synopsis: During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.

Forefront podcast host Heather Morgigno talks to photographer Caroline Jensen. Caroline is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and a creative artist. While she adores making all sorts of photographic art, her biggest passion is guiding other people to success, whatever that may be.  Caroline's images strive to always take one step out of reality, be that digital painting, moving photos (cinemagraphs, time-lapse, or stop-motion), or creative editing. Photography can be therapeutic in many ways, and making the connection between this art form and stress relief is a huge part of her work. To learn more from Caroline, check out the Creative Photography Network!

Nate and Zack talk to tap dance artist & TED fellow Andrew Nemr about his all-new virtual course developed in partnership with Forefront, Spiritual Formation for Artists. As artists, we are always in the act of formation: crafting sentences, mixing colors, shaping sounds, cultivating audiences. But as we practice our disciplines, how are we being formed? Taught by Andrew Nemr, an internationally renowned tap dance artist & TED fellow, this course will consider the link between our art practices and who we are becoming as we create. Sessions will include discussion on spiritual formation and disciplines, artistic practices in both personal and professional spheres, and draw from authors such as Dallas Willard and Makoto Fujimura. It is our hope that in considering how we are formed by our art making, we will be formed into the likeness of our loving Creator. Learn more at ForefrontFestival.com and register starting August 30.

We're excited to share this breakout session led by Josh Tiessen, recorded at Forefront Festival '22: Making New. It's called Becoming a Professional Artist while Keeping Your Faith (and Sanity!). Renowned painter Josh Tiessen shares the practical side of making an art career, from a Christian perspective. How do we regularly produce quality work? How do we network or market ourselves to have our work seen and appreciated by others? Josh does Q&A afterward and provides encouragement to aspiring artists.

Forefront podcasters Rich, Cody, and Heather, plus returning guest Dan Becker, discuss all things Stranger Things. Note: the first 20 minutes are spoiler-free, but spoilers abound after that. 02:19 - When Did You Start Watching Stranger Things? 05:59 - What Made Stranger Things Successful? 20:08 - Spoilers Begin / What Did You Think of Season 4? 28:14 - Should Everyone Watch Stranger Things? 34:56 - Biblical Themes in Stranger Things 01:02:09 - Favorite Character / Which Song Would You Play?

Cody and Nate interview poet Sarah Collins about her new book, Recovery from Unusual Attitudes. Sarah Collins is a copywriter, poet, and emerging author. Sarah's writing style is fluid, flexing between different writer identities. And her work explores a variety of themes — faith, identity, emotions, nature, the mundane, the extraordinary. Her parents are from Jamaica, so she's proud of being a second-generation American. Her culture informs everything she does, from her creative expression to how she cleans the kitchen or folds fitted sheets. She lives in the Greater Rochester Area with her husband Ed and their sassy house rabbits, Buddy and Birdie.