“Art and Soul” program at Multifaith Center invites Wellesley on a self-reflective journey

The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is currently coordinating the first full year of the “Art and Soul” program, a series of coffeehouse events and performances exploring spirituality through art. The “Art and Soul Café” series consists of guest artist performances and an open mike component inviting the audience to share their own art, in forms ranging from poetry to dance. The program also features larger events, such as the upcoming “Celebrating Diwali: An Exploration of Indian Music” on Nov. 4.

Phoebe Dent Weil ’58 and Claire Droste ’10 came up with the idea of an “Art and Soul” program last year after attending a coffeehouse event in Cincinnati that brought together spirituality and the arts. Inspired, Weil and Droste approached the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, hoping to introduce similar events to Wellesley. The Office of Religious and Spiritual life eagerly adopted their idea and experimented with three events in the fall of 2009 and six in spring 2010. The first few events ranged broadly in medium and subject matter, from “Sharynne MacLeod NicMhacha/Ben Beirs: Transatlantic Rhythms” to “Iyeoka, Spoken Word Poet” and “The Afro-Semitic Experience with JJ Keki.” Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life Victor Kazanjian notes that the program “bring[s] particular voices from different traditions and share[s] them with everyone.”

This year the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life has planned a more structured program. It is intended as the first of many years of the program, which the members of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life hope will continue to benefit future generations of Wellesley students and faculty. Two successful and well-attended events, the “Wellesley Faculty/Staff Music Jam” and “Voices of our Ancestors,” have already occurred. As for coming up with new ideas for guest artists and speakers, Dean Kazanjian says, “We put out the word to students, cultural advisors, faculty. Anyone can propose an idea.” The efforts of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life to make the events more accessible to everyone by publicizing them off-campus have succeeded. Kazanjian observes that the audiences have been a “50/50 balance between Wellesley College students and faculty and the Wellesley community.” Food is also served, notes the advertising flyer, to “nourish the body as performances feed the soul.”

Four more events are planned for the remainder of the semester, one of which will bring the renowned poet Mary Oliver to campus on Oct. 20. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life incorpooated her poetry into the Flower Sunday service and partnered with the Office of Residential Life to create the “Poetry in the Res Halls” program in order to increase student awareness and interest. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life plans to host activities themed around future events to garner additional excitement and attention from students. Besides the partnership with the Office of Residential Life, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life has also been collaborating with the art and music departments at Wellesley. Dean Kazanjian stresses the importance of “partnership” in the “Art and Soul” program and aims to work with various departments in the future.

“Spirituality and the arts have really resonated with the community,” observes Dean Kazanjian. The series’ openness and encouragement of audience participation enables journeys of self-exploration. As Dean Kazanjian states definitively, “One of our goals is to move beyond narrow notions of spirituality… questions of meaning, spirituality, and purpose are questions for everyone.” The “Art and Soul” program has certainly succeeded in sharing spirituality with the community through art. Students should look out for a similar exciting variety of events and café series next semester.