By Katie Ginn
MCL Editor Katie Ginn recently interviewed five Mississippi artists who glorify God on canvas, onstage, and on the potter’s wheel. For the full interview, listen to “A Closer Walk” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Plus, check out the artist who painted our cover, Sabrina Howard!
Meet the artists
SAM CLARK
Ceramic artist, Madison
- Favorite ceramic artist: Joe Lawrence. ‘He sculpts fishermen in a very angular surface treatment, slightly abstracted.’
- Favorite work of art: ‘The pottery trades I have gotten from other working artists doing the art festivals I attend. It is a grand time meeting a fellow craftsperson where you have a mutual appreciation of each other’s work, then agree to each pick a piece out for a trade.’
- Scripture that inspires his art: Psalm 107:9
- Find him at: https://www.samclarkart.com/
ALI DINKINS
Actor, primarily at New Stage Theatre, Jackson; former preschool librarian at Jackson Academy; graduate of East Rankin Academy, Baylor University, and Wayne State University.
- A local actress she admires: ‘Joann Robinson has held many leading roles at New Stage. She is sincere onstage and in life … She is consistently welcoming to new artists to the Jackson theatre community. In rehearsal, (she) doesn’t speak out about things that only impact her own comfort.’
- A scripture that inspires her as an actor: Romans 12:15
- Find Ali at: New Stage Theatre! https://newstagetheatre.com/
MANDY KING
Dancer and dance educator at Amplify Joy Studio, offering classes in metro Jackson and all over the country!
- Dancers she admires: Michelle Brogan, owner of Epicenter for the Arts in Texas, and Bridget Hunt, owner of River Pointe Academy in Vicksburg.
- Scriptures that inspire her art: 1 Timothy 1:12, Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 30:11
- Find her at: https://www.amplifyjoystudio.com/
Abigail recently completed this painting of Jesus’ Good Samaritan parable.
ABIGAIL MYRICK
Painter, Jackson. A former psychotherapist with a master’s from Reformed Theological Seminary, Abigail now transforms biblical scenes into beautiful visual art! She’s also joining the staff of Christ Covenant School this fall.
- Favorite local artist: Sarah McTaggart
- Scripture that inspires her art: Colossians 3:23-24
- Find her at: https://www.facebook.com/Amyrickpaint
MARCUS SINGLETON
Arranger, producer, and musician; music director at Jackson Revival Center
- Favorite album: “Aeolianology” (vols. 1 and 2), by The Aeolians
- Favorite Christian artist: Doobie Powell
- Favorite secular artist: Anita Baker
- Scripture that inspires his art: Psalm 46:1
- Find him at: https://www.instagram.com/lilbambam_27/
The interview
Katie Ginn: Who or what has influenced each of you as an artist?
Ali Dinkins: My first acting class was taught in a technique called Meisner, and that technique is all about listening. The professor really helped us to listen to what the other characters in each story would say and to understand why our character would respond the way our character would.
I think good actors are good listeners, are good friends, are compassionate people. (And) I think that’s how Jesus loves us. (When) we understand the brokenness of other people, we have so much more grace, and acting teaches us (how) to have that.
Sam Clark: As a kid, I loved to draw, loved cartoons, loved Star Wars, loved J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Lord of the Rings.’ (My) mom also was a ceramic artist.
I think the things that influence me are really fantastic, wild things. We inhabit a physical world, (but) there are creatures that God has flying around with eyes and fire and wheels and just insane things that we would not be able to handle now. But one day.
Mandy King: I grew up in a studio locally, in Byram. (Later) I came to Ballet Magnificat! when I was almost a senior, and I was put in a class with like 7- or 8-year-olds because I didn’t have the training. That sparked my journey to find the technique.
(Later) I was noticing in the dance world – or at least this was how I perceived it – that either you have a Christian studio that loves on you to the core but the training is not as strong, or you’ve got a studio where (they have) amazing technique, and then these kids are walking up to you saying, ‘I just don’t feel like I’m any good.’
I love on (my students) like Christ would love me. (Let) me connect with you here first, and then we’ll get to the dancing.
Marcus Singleton: My early remembrance is my grandmother. Her name is Lillian, God rest her soul. She used to play piano for about five churches. So my early remembrance is always riding in the car with her to each location, just kind of mesmerized by what she did.
As I got older, she saw my interest in piano a little bit, so she kind of started showing me things here and there. I still didn’t take it quite serious until around 17. Once I finally took it serious, I started playing for the Mississippi Mass Choir the following year. So I learned pretty fast.
Abigail Myrick: I think the biggest influence on my art is just the love for the Word of God. In a time when there are so many unwholesome things to look at, getting to enjoy painting things that provoke people back to Him.
KG: Sometimes as Christians, we’re afraid to go to a secular play or production unless it’s specifically family-friendly. Ali, has there ever been a conflict like that for you as an actor?
AD: I think probably when I was younger, there were more conflicts. And I admire people who are deliberate about what they expose themselves to. (Scripture says) guard your heart, it is the wellspring of life. I think there’s a place for that. And in secular work, the content isn’t going to be as protected.
My most essential Christian value is, love the person in front of my face. If a story helps me understand another person, it’s probably going to help me love another person.
KG: Sam, what makes you want to create your whimsical ceramic dragons, and have people ever tried to tell you that’s not ‘serious’ art?
SC: God created us uniquely, and we might strive to do one thing, and the only thing for me that comes out is this whimsical side. And I think when I was younger, I thought if I’m going to be serious, I need to make art that has a political statement, or it needs to be deep and brooding and raw. And everything I made was silly.
(Also, you) put little things in your home that make you smile, (and I) hope that what I put out into the world can become those things on bookshelves (that lighten) your mood.
KG: Mandy, you choreographed a dance video to Lauren Daigle’s ‘Hold On To Me.’ You also teach hip-hop dance classes. What connects those things? What inspires you?
MK: It’s the story. (A lot) of the music that I use for hip-hop is actually Christian (and has) that little silver lining.
‘Hold On to Me’ came out of a place where I heard that song, and part of that story is my story, stepping into my own thing here with Amplify, can I do it, is this really what God wants me to do … ? (The) only way I’ve always known how to get out those emotions (is) to put it to music.
If you can (create) something that somebody watches … (if) only one person comes to Christ, it was (worth it).
KG: Marcus, in honor of Black History Month this February, you posted daily on Facebook about one or more of your fellow black musicians from the metro area and beyond. What inspired you to do that?
MS: Because of what we do (as musicians), we try to create more competition than honor. So the thought just came to my mind, since I’m surrounded by so many people, why not just take time to honor those who have had some type of impact on me or (vice versa)? It was kind of hard to sift through the list because I still didn’t get to everybody.
I’m a huge proponent for just showing honor and showing love, especially in the climate we’re in.
KG: Abigail, how do you pick which biblical scenes to depict?
AM: Most of my art is commissioned. So people have come to me with a passage that means a lot to them. (Then I’ll) sit with that passage and really try to accurately portray it. I’ll put a couple of thumbnail sketches down, and they’ll pick from those.
(But) I don’t have a mad skill in painting. I’ve always wanted to take painting classes. I’m a psychotherapist by skill, and the Lord just rerouted us through beginning a family. So I have in my studio a piece of cardboard with a line from one of (Lauren Daigle’s) songs, ‘From this death I will rise with You.’ I think my art is typically the result of having died to myself – died to the laundry or the dinner I need to make …
KG: Has there been a Bible passage that was especially hard to depict visually?
AM: One time I was painting in Acts where Cornelius was on earth, but his acts of kindness and compassion, they were rising to heaven, and the Lord took those prayers and acts of kindness and built a memorial with them – whatever that really means. So that was one that was difficult, because I had to capture two scenes on one canvas. But (God) did it.
KG: I would love to hear from each of you the biggest way your faith has impacted your art, or the biggest way your art has impacted your faith.
SC: My sister had someone come to work on her air conditioner. She had had a rough couple of days, and (the repairman) told her that he felt like the Lord was asking him to pray for her. (He’s) not, like, wiring the air conditioner to spell out a verse. (laughs) I’m sure he does a good job and asks a fair price, but he’s also living his faith and not ashamed to pray for someone or really pay attention.
So I want to show up for work, 8 to 5, be diligent, (and) when I go to a show, I want to be listening to the Holy Spirit and live my faith. I had a lady come in (at one show), I think she was a witch. (I told her), ‘I’m a Christian. I do believe in the supernatural. I believe we (sometimes) play with things that are dangerous.’ So I was able to talk to someone who might not go into church … She came to something that didn’t look like church-oriented art.
MK: I think the biggest way my faith impacts my art is just being able to love on the student or the adult. (I) just had one of my (students) working on emotion. She’s 13, we’re in that weird stage where she knows how to be bright, but she doesn’t know the dark or how to feel that angst.
At this last competition, she got out onstage, and she was finally able to be vulnerable. (That) wouldn’t have happened if Christ hadn’t come along and said (to me), ‘I’m your (business) partner. This is how we’re going to do this.’ Because I would’ve been too focused on (technique).
MS: Before I got an understanding of who God was, I used the arts to connect the dots. So for me, it was the vehicle to get to know Him. I still use that vehicle today, because a lot of times, where words fail me, the music speaks for me. (I’ll) always feel the connection, because I know He’s understanding what I’m trying to say.
AM: The thing that has grown my faith the most, in my being a vehicle for Him, is just how much it’s so clear, He loves people so much. (He) will put something on my heart to share with them, or add something to a painting just for them specifically. I can’t come up with that stuff.
AD: (In the movie ‘The Truman Show’), Truman is the art, but he is alive, he is living, and people are watching his life. So I think that if we all are integrated into our connection as Christ followers, (we) get to be both. We get to be Truman. We get to just live and be the art.
So when I think about, my best art is my life, that feels like my entire existence is creative, not just when I’m on a stage.
KG: Sometimes people think they’re either an artist or they’re not. For those who don’t ‘feel’ artistic but want to try something artistic, how would y’all encourage that person?
AD: Whenever I have enough life inside of me to want to create something, that desire to create is creative. If they want to act on it, that’s also great. But even having the desire is a creative life happening inside of you.
MS: Be patient with yourself. Sometimes we see people’s end goals and their now, and we try to manifest those things without realizing they may have been doing this for 20 years. Most people lack patience with themselves. I used to be like that because I used to see something great and be like, man, I can do that. And I didn’t realize the workload they had until I started doing it.
MK: I would say just start. (Michelle Brogan) told me, you can pray about it, but then you’ve also got to get up and do something. And then remembering that the only way to learn is to fail.
SC: There’s an illusion with social media that if you haven’t figured something out by the time you’re 14, then there’s no point. But (a) lot of people pick up things in their 40s or 50s (or) after they retire.
My grandmother loved watercolor painting. She just loved taking classes. She’s very social. She (had) boxes of really beautiful watercolor paintings. I think people think that ‘Either I do this and I’m a professional, or I don’t do it at all.’ And I think that’s a lie.
AM: I would just encourage them to begin, like Mandy said. But let it be a witness to you as you begin, if you find yourself getting super frustrated with the failures, (maybe) your attention’s on yourself versus trying to discipline yourself to let it be between you and the Lord and an act of worship. It can be freeing to enjoy the process instead of it being about perfection.
Cover artist Sabrina Howard, in her own words
“In the beginning, GOD created … ” – Genesis 1:1.
This verse anchors my identity as an artist. I believe God’s Holy Spirit dwells within us, and as I yield myself to Him, I become a vessel through which He creates pieces that speak to justice, restoration, and hope.
My faith in Jesus Christ shapes every brushstroke. Each piece is prayerfully created, with the hope that it invites others into a deeper relationship with Him.
I am Sabrina Howard, an artist, a mother of four beautiful children and one gorgeous granddaughter from Jackson. Through art, I worship, witness, and reflect the Creator’s glory.