Season One Artist Highlight: Pastoring, Journal Songs, and Meditations on Love with John Friedrick

Synovium Podcast

John Friedrick is an artist, songwriter and pastor. He serves as the pastor of Oak Street Church in Silverton, OR. John graduated from Oregon State University in 2017 with a BS in Community Development. As an artist and pastor John seeks to cultivate a rich interior life while inviting his friends and neighbors to do the same. Emphasizing love as the central theme of life, while consciously dismantling harmful beliefs within his religious tradition and his own experience. John has helped organize community art events in Silverton since 2012 and currently volunteers as an artist in residence at the Borland gallery with the Silverton Art Association. He performs music as Friendmaker and is currently recording an EP of folk songs entitled, Balms. John’s art practice is primarily interested in inner and outer landscapes, contemplative spirituality, our relationship and responsibility to the earth, and the importance of accessibility in both spirituality and art. He relies on observation, reflection, and humor in exploring these topics through plein air paintings and drawings, journal comics, songs, and whatever other medium he happens to be exploring at the moment.