archangel art center

Art Center Rooted in Gospel Message Seeks to Expand

By Pauline Hovey
Special to the HERALD
(From the Issue of 3/22/07)

MADISON — With the help of the Holy Spirit, and some generous benefactors, Archangel Arts Center (AAC) soon may be guiding more people to discover the holiness of beauty through art. Offering a variety of classes and workshops for preschoolers through senior adults, this Christian-based visual and performing arts center located in Madison County and run by a Catholic couple has outgrown its facilities after less than five years of operation. That says a lot for an art center situated in the midst of a rural farming community with a Catholic population less than 2 percent.
Cofounders Tomas and Bonnie Fernandez — themselves both professional artists — envisioned the center as a place to promote artistic excellence for the glory of God and inspire the next generation of artists and worship leaders. That vision has certainly come to fruition in ways they couldn’t have counted on when they first opened. This husband and wife team, parishioners at Our Lady of the Blue Ridge in Madison, took a huge risk in opening AAC while raising their four young children. Tomas, a gifted and nationally known sculptor, gave up commissions in the secular market to take on this project. “It’s been a big sacrifice for me — an act of faith — to let go of sculpturing,” he said. “A lot of people told me I was crazy to do this.” But if one can judge the discernment of his calling by the fruits of his actions, then Fernandez knows this has been the right path.
On any given weekday AAC is a hubbub of commotion and activity, offering classes in ballet, jazz, tap, guitar, hammered and lap dulcimer, stained glass, sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, fiber arts, piano, mandolin, violin, drama, voice, and music theory. As Fernandez explained, with a work area and administrative office space located in the basement, concentration can be challenging. “When ballerinas are tippy toeing upstairs, down below it sounds like a herd of wild yak,” he said. “I’ve tried to do stained glass work on Saturday mornings when the dancers are dancing, and you can’t do much work downstairs when they’re practicing.”
Space has always been limited in this renovated three-bedroom house, but with AAC’s growing membership and expanding classes, finding space has become challenging to almost impossible. Currently the center needs another piano room, another room for voice coaching, and, most importantly, space to hold recitals. AAC has been forced to hold its recitals, whether guitar, piano or ballet, at a local Episcopal church to accommodate all the parents and guests. And that reason in particular is what prompted the founders to seek expansion. Their plan is to build a Wolfe Trap-type barn on the property, encapsulate the current building and create a second story, and expand the parking lot. Fernandez envisions more solidified gallery space for Christian artists to display their work, the addition of a state-inspected kitchen for refreshments and the ability to hold activities simultaneously without interruptions.
At a cost of $1.4 million, however, the challenge is finding funding. “It’s exciting that we’re busting at the seams, but we’re wondering when and how the funds will become available to do these things,” Fernandez mused.
“My prayer is that people would partner with us even if they’re not locally connected,” he said. “We’re seeking the benevolence of someone who understands how important the culture is,” and is willing to make a tax-deductible donation to this nonprofit organization to allow it to further spread the Gospel message. “People without a vision of beauty and excellence will perish,” Fernandez said matter-of-factly, paraphrasing verses from Proverbs. “The secular world has a vision of what the culture should be — rooted in sex, violence and solving issues with war and terrorism. The Christian message is a voice against fear that says beauty is stronger, and beauty should be rooted in God.”
Often AAC spreads the Gospel message indirectly by the way staff greet people and the level of caring and interest shown, whether it be through the instructors or even the person behind the front desk. “People who come here know when they come in, if they need someone, behind that counter sits a Godly person,” Fernandez said. “We’re not trying to be church, but there’s so much to living the Christian life Monday through Saturday, and that’s another very important dimension of the center that can be found here. It’s important to any Christian to genuinely demonstrate that they sincerely care about people, whether it’s in a rural community or a city community. We convey that we’re welcoming people, even via email.”
Simultaneously with envisioning this expansion Fernandez felt God “releasing” him to return to his art and creative pursuits. He plans to teach more classes at the center and hopes to develop a collection of sculpture, which he will display in an outdoor sculpture garden showcasing his work. Dotting the exterior with his sculpture is one way Fernandez sees himself playing a part in stimulating attraction to AAC through the estimated 20,000 people a day who drive by their location on Route 29 in central Virginia.
But pursuing this call meant searching for an executive director to replace Fernandez. In early March, his vision became a reality when an AAC board member, Jackie Casso, officially took over as executive director. Like her predecessor, Casso has taken a leap of faith to pursue this calling. She left a lucrative career as a wealth management associate for a bank, where she dealt with the top 2 percent of clientele. This was no easy decision for a single parent of an 18-year-old daughter who was accustomed to a certain way of life. But, as Casso explains, despite the financial rewards and attractiveness of her banking position, “I was at a place where I asked myself, is this all I’m going to be doing [with my life]?” So when Fernandez approached the AAC board with the idea of finding someone to replace him, Casso wondered if this was her answer.
Initially, both Casso and her daughter were uncertain about taking such a risk, but, amazingly, both women came to the same conclusion. “It was a matter of trust that I needed to take the step and God would be there,” Casso said.
Now, as Casso begins what she sees as a “calling” from God, she hopes to be able to raise the level of participation and take AAC to “more efficient heights,” broadcast its offerings to the community, and establish a solid financial base to support the AAC administration. Recently a four-year grant, which had enabled AAC to meet its administrative needs, ended, causing Casso to actively seek other grants to replace it. Establishing financial security for their administrative base is a priority, Casso said, but she is encouraging people who are excited about the AAC’s expansion to donate funds to that effort as well.
One way Casso hopes to build financial support is by developing a rapport with pastors and ministerial associations. “We will invite local churches to take us on as a mission project,” said Casso, who expects to be doing quite a bit of public speaking for AAC. Casso sees herself as “head cheerleader” for the center, and, she said, “I want to open it up to the whole community and let them know this is a place to come for high-quality instruction in a positive environment.”
Coming from a Richmond-based church that has identified music and fine arts as its ministry, Casso felt a strong connection to the AAC’s mission, so much so she was not only willing to leave her profession and take a drastic salary cut, but travel 50 miles one way to get here. “Lots of people are making sacrifices to make this happen,” Fernandez said, referring not only to Casso but to the AAC’s many volunteers and instructors, some of whom travel great distances to be part of this ministry. “Everybody is here because they’re a dedicated Christian,” he said.
And that apparently is changing lives. Fernandez said he has heard children and adults witness about the impact AAC has had on them. Recently one young woman, about 15 years old, revealed that she had been in deep depression when she first came to the center. “Then she connected with our music program and, subsequently, with Michael Vinson, who is our string-everything person,” Fernandez said. “Michael’s extremely talented and very animated about his craft, and has a deep Christian base.”
The instructor, who treks in from Front Royal to teach at AAC, affirmed the young woman by encouraging her to develop her artistic talent as a musician, songwriter, and vocalist, and even attended her performances. As a result, the teenager found an outlet to express her God-given gifts and gained a strong sense of herself. “The Holy Spirit working through Michael rescued this young lady. Pure and simple, that’s what happened,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez, Casso, and everyone associated with AAC believe there is only one way to demonstrate the gospel message, and that is “through truly serving the needs of your neighbor.” As Fernandez explained, “People can sense whether you’re genuine or you’re just flapping the gums. In general, people are very suspicious; they’re wondering what’s in it for you. That’s what makes spreading the gospel in theory such an advantage, because people aren’t used to experiencing true love and compassion. We have to gain their trust that we are genuinely interested in producing the best possible environment for them to learn and be stimulated by the spirit of God.”
Judging by the artistic expression of those artists displaying their work at AAC, from local artist Jennifer Wallace, to Philadelphia-based painter Sylvia Castellanos, the message clearly comes across that true beauty is artistic expression rooted in God. As Fernandez explained, “My feeling is, if you’ve invited the Lord to participate, He’s going to anoint the work. And if He anoints the work, then it’s not just a pretty picture on the wall; there’s something about it that is going to move people’s spirit, which is really the bottom-line goal here—that we’re trying to bring people into the presence of God. And that truly is the best artistic experience we can give anyone, adult or child.”
To view the offerings and mission statement of the Archangel Arts Center, visit www.archangelarts.com, or for information on making tax-deductible donations, call 540/948-5628.