By Matt Patneadue

Stand-up comedy, independent film screenings, and poetry readings in church? For the past year and a half, Green Lake Presbyterian Churchıs Art Nights have been a place for Christians and non-Christians alike to display and appreciate art. The quarterly celebrations have included music, drama, poetry, visual art, and film.

The creative events also have hands on painting and poetry activities. ³The whole point is just to have fun,² says Assistant Pastor Jason Dorsey.

Dorsey, an accomplished painter himself, was the catalyst in creating the Art Nights series. Through his connection with other artists, the first show was organized in December 1998. From that point, other artists in both the church and the community stepped in to make the event successful.

The Art Nights are a way of affirming the human capacity to create. Each night explores a different universal theme. These have included longing, beauty, listen, mercy, and laughter. Participants come from a wide range of backgrounds. Included are those just beginning to discover themselves as artists to those who have already displayed their work in many shows and museums. ³We want art that has depth, integrity, and truth,² says Dorsey.

Occasionally, artists from well outside the Seattle area are brought in for the Art Nights. Holly Newberg, a singer and songwriter from Nashville, Tenn., was flown in to play a concert at the ³Listen² Art Night. Musician Kyle Liedtke came from Bend, Ore., to play at the ³Longing² Art Night.

Libby Sturman, an artist who displays her pen-and-ink drawings at the Art Nights, believes the events are a good way for artists to come together and express themselves. She sees the fusion of different art mediums as a culmination of Seattle culture. ³It is a great chance to not only show stuff, but to also see what other people have done,² she says.

Sturman and Dorsey both think that art is a good way for the church to be involved in the community. Many who attend the Art Nights are not church members. A crowd of about 80 to 120 people is typical, with attendance slowly growing as the word gets out. ³It is a cool way for us to be a part of the community,² Dorsey says.

Encouraging and promoting artists within the church and the community is important, according to Dorsey. Having a place to display their work is something that many artists need. This can give them needed incentive and direction when creating art.

Each Art Night is set up to assist a different charitable organization. Visual art at the event is for sale, with 40 percent of the proceeds designated for charity. Past events have benefited the 45th Street Clinic in Wallingford and the construction of a home for the poor in Tijuana, Mexico. Betty Clifton, a lifelong artist and prize winner at many local art shows, has shown her work at the Art Nights since the series began. She thinks that the events are amazing. ³Jason (Dorsey) should be an art gallery director,² she says.

The next Art Night will take place on Saturday, Oct. 28. Local musicians and artists interested in participating can call the church at 206-789-7320. Green Lake Presbyterian Church is located at 6318 Linden Ave. N. (