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University Art Professor Uses Public Spaces to Create Artistic Pieces
Tim Lowly works on "Bower" on the third floor of Brandel Library. He plans to take the painting to at least two exhibitions this year.
Brandel Library to host exhibition by University art faculty
CHICAGO (February 18, 2013) — is preparing an exhibition of his art pieces this spring, which includes a large piece he's painting on a plywood frame mounted on a wall on the third floor of ºÚÁϳԹÏ's . With permission from the library staff, Lowly chose the library location because he needed a wall big enough to hold his creation, "Bower," and because it seemed fitting in his role as the University's artist-in-residence.
"What that has meant is just being present to students as a professional artist in addition to being a teacher," said Lowly, assistant professor of art. "It's intentional so that the making of art becomes 'present,' so that people just walking by can see how a work of art comes into being." Lowly's creative work in public places such as the Carlson Art Gallery, , and now, Brandel Library, has resulted in opportunities for conversation with students, faculty, and staff. In this case, some have inquired about "Bower," while he paints. They often describe to him what the painting means to them, Lowly said.
"Bower" is an artistic depiction of Lowly's daughter, Temma, a frequent focus of his work. The larger-than-life image of her, with head bowed, is the result of a photograph with a texture overlay. Temma, 27, lives with physical and mental impairments.
As he looked at the photographic image he created, Lowly said he wondered how it would look if it were a 10-foot tall painting. "It becomes really powerful for me because you have this person who is utterly humble, and she's bowing to you," he said. The size of the piece also tends to make viewers think about scale, the size of life, and the close proximity of the painting's subject, he added.
Lowly started his artistic creation in the gallery last summer before relocating it to the library where he has worked on it since. In March, he will take "Bower" to an exhibition at the College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo. This fall, it will be part of a large, one-person exhibition at the , Sioux Falls, S.D., Lowly said.
Sally Anderson, Brandel Library director, said she was happy to make it possible for Lowly to create the painting in the library for all to see. "Other artists have displayed artwork in the library, but we've not had someone actually working on a piece in the library," she said. "We see this as part of the library's mission."
Art faculty exhibition to open February 22
When he began working on his art piece in Brandel Library, Lowly asked if art faculty could display original pieces on the library's walls, Anderson said. Currently, the library displays art pieces in the second and third floor gallery areas, she said.
Beginning February 22, Brandel Library will display about 20 original pieces throughout the building, the creations of seven University faculty members: Kristen Althoff, Deb Hendriksma-Anderson, Josh Ippel, Tim Van Laar, , , and .
"It's really exciting for students who are studying here to see original work. They will walk down the library hallway, and see something unexpected," said Joanna Wilkinson, the library's technical services and digitization coordinator. Wilkinson is responsible for art installations in the library.
The faculty art exhibition will remain in the library through the spring semester. A reception to open the exhibition will be held on the first floor of Brandel Library from 4:30 to 5:30 pm on Friday, February 22.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
Nyvall at 150: The Founding President's Enduring Impact at ºÚÁϳԹÏ
Alumnus Dr. Scott Erickson will present a lecture on the legacy of ºÚÁϳԹÏ's founding president David Nyvall on Thursday, October 10.
Dr. Scott Erickson to Give Lecture on University President David Nyvall
CHICAGO (September 25, 2013)—In honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of early leader and founding ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï president David Nyvall (1863–1946), University alumnus and leading Nyvall scholar Dr. Scott Erickson C'89 S'93 will present a lecture on the leadership role Nyvall played at the University, and how his influence continues to shape its mission and culture.
Presented by the and the Zenos E. Hawkinson Covenant Heritage Fund, Erickson’s lecture, "," will also explore the ways in which Nyvall's strong character and resolve helped him withstand external pressures to conform to the religious and cultural landscape. This ensured the University would endure and, in turn, inspire others to leadership and “the life of the mind and heart,” according to Erickson.
The presentation is free and open to the public, and will be held on Thursday, October 10, at 6:00 pm in the University’s Hamming Hall. Erickson’s lecture coincides with the opening of “David Nyvall: 150 Years Young,” a special exhibit on display during the 2013–14 academic year in the lower level gallery of . A light reception in the gallery will follow the lecture.
Erickson is head of school at the Phillips Brooks School in Menlo Park, Calif. An Episcopal priest, Erickson earned his undergraduate degree in music at ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï and a master of divinity from North Park Theological Seminary, followed by a post-doctoral program at Harvard Divinity School.
Erickson’s doctoral dissertation at Uppsala University, Sweden, focuses on David Nyvall and draws on voluminous primary sources housed at the F.M. Johnson Archives and Special Collections.
Memorial Service for Darlene Kelley Planned for Thursday, December 12
Dear friends:
North Park Theological Seminary and University mourn the death of alumna Darlene Kelley, a 2012 master of divinity graduate. Darlene hailed from the Boston area and began studying at ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï in 2008. While a student, she was involved with University Ministries working with commuter and transfer students to increase their sense of community belonging. She also worked with the Collaboratory for Intercultural Learning, participating in their events and leading workshops for the Student Diversity Leadership Conference.
Darlene’s life and death remind us that life is fragile and requires great care. It also reminds us that we have suffered the losses of other students in recent years. As we remember the loss of these friends, we also recall that the gospel calls us to a faith beyond what we can see, and to a hope that reaches beyond the finality of death. May God grant us grace in this season of mourning, and may God grant peace to the memory of Darlene Kelley.
A memorial service to honor Darlene’s life will be held Thursday, December 12, at 7:00 pm in Isaacson Chapel, North Park Theological Seminary. A coffee reception will follow in Olsson Lounge.
Dave Kersten, Dean of North Park Theological Seminary
ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Professor Working in International Bible Translation Project
Recordings for the Bible translation project are being produced at this recording studio in Nagpur, India. (Photo provided by Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson.)
Project seeks to translate Bible into common language, original poetry form
CHICAGO (January 21, 2013) — A ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï professor is working with a team of people to create a version of the Christian Bible written in —a common Indian language—and express it in a poetic form so it can be sung. , professor of , used part of a sabbatical in 2011 to begin translating the Bible. The translation in poems, "seeks to be faithful to how the text is intended to be sung," he said.
Johnson, a native of India, developed an interest in translating the Bible into poems during his doctoral studies, when he read original biblical texts, including ancient interpretations found in the and interpretations before the time of Christ. He learned that the ancient biblical texts were poems—nearly all of the Bible except for . " seeks to understand the poetry, and bring that into English," Johnson said. "Unfortunately the later translations of the Bible into English have lost the poems."
In addition to the translation and poetic expression, recordings have been made of the first five chapters of , which describe the creation story and God's initial dealings with humanity, and first five chapters of the Gospel of John, an account of the public ministry of Jesus, Johnson explained. "We're trying to do is what the biblical texts originally intended," Johnson said. "Prose was not originally conceived in the early church. In its original form, the gospels are songs, and were sung by the early church."
Johnson, who travels often to India, has researched tribal societies in India and lived among them. He chose to translate into their language because they worship using poems, he said. "Poets or village bards sing songs, and the people respond. They've been doing this in worship for a long, long time," he said.
Collaborators in this unusual Bible translation project include , who co-founded , an international organization that advocates for lower-caste people living in India. The project's purpose is to bring the Bible to millions of people who have no access to it because of language barriers, he said. "They don't have a book of their own," Sardar said in a telephone interview from Delhi. "The language is not the same." Sardar explained that most lower-caste people don't understand the higher-caste Indian language in which the Bible has been published previously. But they do understand the poetic language of the Bible written in Hindi.
Sardar said that when he met Johnson, they each learned the other had concluded the need to translate the Bible and put it into its original poetic expression. "It was like a meeting of the minds, a "God thing." It was the right time, and the right message. God has baptized us with this project," he said.
"Now is the time to get the whole Bible in both the language of the people and in the language of poetry," Sardar added. "People love to have this book. We can hardly keep up with the sales."
In addition to recording biblical poems in Hindi, Johnson said he hopes to publish the poems in English. He is also working with students to turn the poems into music familiar to them, such as rap. "I think this a project for the future of the church. Young people want to use their own theologies. This is a way to do it, to give them texts of the Bible in a genre that was originally intended."
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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Learn more about ºÚÁϳԹÏ's Christian, multicultural, and urban .
University President Addresses Student Recruitment, Planning, New Construction
Construction on the Johnson Center is in full swing. The new building is expected to be ready in fall 2014.
David Parkyn welcomes University community to spring semester
CHICAGO (January 30, 2013) — ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï faculty and staff returned to the campus for the spring semester amid a strengthened effort to recruit students for future years, a long-range institutional planning process, and sounds of new construction as the foundation is prepared for the .
Faculty and staff gathered January 25 for worship, and , University president, provided updates on campus initiatives. "Being together at the beginning of the spring semester reminds us of our common purpose, and I trust renews within each of us our common commitment to this purpose," he said.
The University welcomed 105 new undergraduate students for the spring semester, up from 91 new undergraduate students in 2012. Retention of returning students was also strong for the spring, Parkyn reported. For the upcoming academic year, the number of undergraduate applications is high, and this spring, North Park will host several . Parkyn urged faculty and staff to help in recruiting students and "warmly welcome each one."
The North Park president also addressed other topics:
Strategic planning continues: In January and February, Parkyn said he will meet with 20 groups of faculty and staff to discuss the strategic and long-term direction for the University. Planning documents will be revised and combined with information learned through a planning process underway with , a higher education consulting firm.
Continued fundraising: Staff with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations is working on concluding aspects of , a comprehensive fundraising effort, and developing a robust post-campaign effort, Parkyn said. "Our donors are optimistic about ºÚÁϳԹϒs future, and for this we are deeply thankful," he said.
New construction in full swing: Parkyn noted that center of the campus is noisy and filled with construction activity at the Johnson Center building site. Regular communication will be provided to North Park community with updates on building progress, he said. The building is expected to be ready for use in Fall 2014.
Campus leadership transition: Parkyn announced that , vice president of student development and dean of students, will leave the University in mid-February to assume a new role in the Office of Student Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The president said he has appointed Elizabeth Snezek, assistant dean of student development, as interim dean of students through the end of the academic year.
New faculty and staff who joined the University community for the spring semester were introduced:
Janet Cullen, visiting assistant professor, nursing and biology
Professor Nnenna Okore Featured in Sculpture Magazine
Nnenna Okore, associate professor of art
Artist discusses her goal to "engage the viewer visually and provoke questions"
CHICAGO (September 3, 2013) — , associate professor of art, is , a publication of the International Sculpture Center. In the piece, "Political by Nature," Okore discusses her process and approach to creating, her use of a wide range of materials, and her subtle approach to issues of poverty, social class, status, and wealth through her work.
Okore began teaching at ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï in 2005, and returned this year after a sabbatical leave spent at the University of Lagos in Nigeria.
about Sculpture magazine and where to purchase the print edition.
'Chicago Reload' Urban Youth Worker Conference at ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï April 6
Speakers, workshops highlight event; early registration through April 2
CHICAGO (March 19, 2013) — A youth advocate, author, and corporate vice president, plus a Chicago gang intervention specialist, are keynote speakers at this year's , April 6, at ºÚÁϳԹÏ, with the theme "Kingdom-Minded Ministry." Reload is a daylong continuing education event for urban youth workers, pastors, parents, teenagers, volunteers, and more. It is expected to attract as many as 500 attendees from the Chicago area and Midwest region.
"Chicago Reload is a one-stop shop for people to gather for training and engage in networking that is urban-specific and youth-specific," said , director of the University's (CYMS), and assistant professor of youth ministry. Participants will learn and discuss a wide-range of topics from both academic and experiential points of view, he emphasized. The event also offers participants a chance to be refreshed, hear stories of hope, and meet people engaged in urban and youth ministry, said , CYMS associate director.
Early registration for individuals and groups ends April 2. Walk-in registration is available April 6 at the North Park Gymnasium.
Chicago Reload are Steve Pemberton and Amy Williams. Pemberton is a child advocate, motivational speaker, and author of A Chance in the World, a personal memoir published in 2012. He is chief diversity officer and divisional vice president for Walgreens, Deerfield, Ill. Pemberton has become recognized as one of the nation’s leaders on matters of diversity and inclusion, and their importance to the growth of the American industrial complex. Forbes named Pemberton one of the top 20 chief diversity officers in corporate America in 2006.
Williams is an 18-year youth ministry veteran, working with teens involved in gangs, youth on probation and parole, and teens in the juvenile justice system. She is a certified gang intervention specialist who moved into a Latino gang neighborhood in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community to be a "hope dealer" where she does street outreach. Williams has pursued her callings as a youth pastor, reentry coordinator for paroled youth, and mentor trainer and coordinator.
More than 20 are planned throughout the day, including early-morning and concurrent sessions, plus lunchtime forums, said Burkhardt. New workshop offerings focus on veteran workers in urban and youth ministry, "living in Spanish and English," a workshop that addresses cultural identity for Latino youth, and best practices for working with undocumented youth. There is also a teen leadership track to teach storytelling, communication, and leadership skills.
A Chicago Reload planned the event. Reload is sponsored by ºÚÁϳԹÏ's Center for Youth Ministry Studies, in partnership with .
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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The Center for Youth Ministry Studies offers free and a series.
ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Among Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students
List of institutions with highest yield of Fulbright students announced
CHICAGO (October 31, 2013) — ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï was among the colleges and universities that yielded the most students in 2013–2014, according to a list announced by the U.S. Department of State. The list of top-producing institutions was published in the of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Three ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï students won 2013–2014 Fulbright awards: , completing a Binational Business Exchange Grant internship in Mexico; , serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Bulgaria; and , serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Turkey. Including these three, the program has awarded to ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï graduates in the past five years.
, Fulbright Program faculty associate, brings her experience as a Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist to the University, and is committed to encouraging students to seek out opportunities offered by the program. “North Park students can compete with the best college students in the country,” Parkyn said. “Our success in this program shows the faculty commitment to mentor students. If students take learning seriously and are ready to excel in their courses, internships, and community service, the faculty is eager to steer them toward opportunities like this.”
The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, is an excellent way for high-achieving undergraduates to gain work experience after graduation, said Parkyn. “Crafting a life takes more than a diploma,” she said. “I have worked with some wonderful students who make it their mission to show the best of the spirit of service in their first year after North Park, working in schools and universities throughout the world.”
The application process for the Fulbright Program is rigorous. The ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Fulbright Committee, comprised of and five faculty members, interviews each applicant. “In the process of writing a competitive application and in faculty conversations, students mature in their outlook and in their essay cohesiveness,” said Parkyn. “These grantees have worked hard.”
More than 1,800 U.S. students, artists, and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study have been offered Fulbright Program awards in more than 140 countries this fall.
The Fulbright Program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1946, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. It is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.
University Mourns Loss of Former President Lloyd Ahlem
Dr. Ahlem at the inauguration ceremony of President Parkyn, 2006.
Ahlem retained and expanded North Park’s strength and stability during challenging decade
CHICAGO (September 30, 2013) — Dr. Lloyd Ahlem C’48, president of North Park College and Theological Seminary from 1970 to 1979, died September 29 in Turlock, Calif., after a period of hospitalization. Ahlem, 83, served as the sixth president of North Park.
As president during a financially challenging decade for many colleges, Ahlem’s leadership was critical to establishing a firm base for North Park’s four-year undergraduate curriculum, granting approval for female students to be admitted to the master of divinity program, and setting the context for the decision in the 1979–1980 academic year to keep the school in its historic urban location. An athlete himself, Ahlem cheered the men’s basketball team to two NCAA Division III national championships during his time as president.
During Ahlem’s presidency, areas of career preparation for the undergraduate programs were broadened. Several new concentrations, including computer science, accounting, and public administration, were added, and a Sweden exchange program was launched. added programs and students as the voted to ordain women.
Students, colleagues, and friends of Ahlem’s were often struck by his open-door office policy, listening ear, and personal warmth. “Even before I officially became president at ºÚÁϳԹÏ, Lloyd reached out to warmly welcome me to this community,” said . “It had been two and a half decades since he had led North Park, yet he still loved this school deeply.”
Parkyn continued, “As president, I’ll miss Lloyd’s occasional pieces of communication and encouragement—an unexpected email message to introduce a prospective student, a phone call to inquire about the beginning of the school year, or a knock on my office door whenever he visited Chicago.”
A native of Minnesota and California, Ahlem graduated from North Park Junior College in 1948. While a North Park student, Ahlem was a member of the missionary volunteer group, the choir, the Seminary forum, the football team, and served as North Park College News cartoonist.
Ahlem earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from San Jose State College in 1952, a master of arts in psychology in 1955, and a doctor of education in educational psychology from the University of Southern California in 1962.
Prior to his presidency, Ahlem worked for eight years as an administrator and professor of psychology at California State University, Stanislaus, (then Stanislaus State College), Turlock, Calif. He served there as chair of the division of social science, academic senator, speaker of the faculty, and founder of the school’s basketball and golf programs.
Dr. Ahlem, third from left, at the dedication of the Lina Sandell statue on North Park's campus, 1976.
Ahlem also served on North Park College and Theological Seminary’s board of directors from 1966 to 1970, including terms as chair of the College committee of the board and vice chair of the board of directors. A member of Turlock Covenant Church (originally Beulah Covenant Church), Ahlem also worked in student personnel services in Los Angels County before becoming president.
In 1976, Ahlem was knighted by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden for his interest in “the preparation and enhancement of Swedish culture in America.” He wrote five books on psychology, including two during his presidency: Do I Have to Be Me?: The Psychology of Human Need (Regal, 1973), and How to Cope … with Conflict, Crisis, and Change (Regal, 1978). He also wrote a regular column for throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
After serving as president, Ahlem became director of ., under the Evangelical Covenant Church Board of Benevolence. He joined the County Bank, Merced, Calif., board of directors in 1995, and served as board chair for three years. Upon his retirement in 2002, Ahlem assumed the role of director emeritus.
Ahlem is survived by his wife, Anne, and their five children, Dan (Karen) C'79, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Ted (Gretchen) C'80, Broomfield, Colo.; Carol Eide (Timothy) C'83, Ventura, Calif.; Aileen (Bob) Callahan C'85, Mt. Prospect, Ill.; Mary Jo Lee (Jay), Turlock, Calif.; fifteen grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Seminary Launches Doctor of Ministry in Urban Ministry Leadership
North Park's Dr. Soong-Chan Rah has developed this innovative doctor of ministry program alongside Fuller Theological Seminary.
Dr. Soong-Chan Rah to lead program
CHICAGO (October 25, 2013) — , in partnership with Fuller Theological Seminary, is launching a new this academic year. The doctoral degree program is designed for ministerial leaders to develop the theological foundation and practical skills for effective urban leadership.
The program’s cohort model allows students to learn and build relationships with peers also committed to urban ministry. are being taken now, and the first cohort will begin coursework in April, blending online learning throughout the year with face-to-face intensive courses. Students will meet annually in June in three different cities—Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta—for one week. This combination of online and in-person courses allows students to continue serving while they study, and immediately apply what they are learning in their ministry setting.
After completing three cohort years, students work with faculty on an independent study project, then begin a two-to-three-year doctoral project that focuses on individual ministry interests. The doctoral project will culminate in a paper that represents individual learning, theological reflection, and response to a significant issue in ministry.
, the Seminary’s Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism, was approached by Dr. Kurt Fredrickson, associate dean for the doctor of ministry program at Fuller, about developing a joint program. Rah and Frederickson, both ordained ministers in the , share a belief that urban ministry is of growing importance to the University’s sponsoring denomination.
“Our denomination has seen significant growth in urban areas,” said Rah. “This degree is a great opportunity to connect with the work that God is already doing within the denomination. This may be a unique calling that God has given to us as a Seminary and University.”
, dean of the Seminary, believes the degree program is a significant asset to the Seminary. "Dr. Rah is one of the leading urban, multicultural scholars and missiologists of our day,” Kersten said. “We are thrilled to offer this important and practical resource to pastors and practitioners around the country."
While the Seminary already offered a certificate in urban ministry, Rah sees the doctoral degree as an opportunity for students to delve deeper into integrating theological preparation and ministry practice, enabling them to more effectively serve urban congregations. “This is for seasoned pastors,” Rah said of the degree, “and folks willing to get a renewed sense of calling for ministry in an urban context. They may be saying, ‘I want to go deeper into what I’ve already experienced, so that I can continue in ministry.’”
Rah finds the program to be ideal for pastors who have made a long-term commitment to active engagement with urban ministry. “This is not necessarily so that you can find a new job, but to go deeper into the job you already have,” he said. “It will strengthen the work you’re already doing.”
The doctoral degree enables students to identify the skills necessary for practicing sociocultural analysis, said Rah, expanding their understanding of the relationship between the church and the urban environment. “After being in ministry for a little while, you start to ask good questions that you don’t have easy answers to,” Rah said. “The questions you’re asking are deep, important questions. This program will examine real-life scenarios that people encounter in ministry, allowing for theological engagement of practical ministry.”
Rah brings extensive experience and scholarship in urban and multicultural ministry as director of the new program. A nationally recognized author, speaker, church planter, and professor, Rah was the founding senior pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, Cambridge, Mass., a multi-ethnic church committed to ministry in the urban context. He served on a church-planting team in the Washington, D.C., area, and worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in Boston.
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