By: Arielle Estoria December 8th, 2019

As an arts-centered organization, we are always looking for opportunities to exemplify God’s grace and point his beloved people back to his goodness through the arts, and that’s why we love the Christmas season. 

It is so easy to become caught in the hustle and bustle of parties and events and making sure there’s enough money in the bank for gifts. But there is so much more. We can seek out opportunities to find the stillness, to take in moments of rest and intentionally experience, hear, and see God in new ways. There are so many ways to experience the Christmas story through performances, nativity reenactments, and timeless hymns. 

In everything we do this season, there are opportunities for intention. This season is a time to be thankful. To truly see the beauty of those around you and to bring people into the greatest gift of all. To share the message that they are perfectly loved as they are. The savior of the world came to this world as a child and gave his life for them.

What a beautiful season of cookies, gratitude, and overwhelming joy that can bring us to the table with people we love, reflecting on the greatest love known to man: Jesus, and we believe that indeed, is the reason for the season.

We encourage you to look for glimpses of the sacred. To step out of the stress and open your hearts to the beauty and worship in this season. 

This month, Cantinas Arts celebrated and honored all of our staff and artists in our music program with Music Week in Nashville. We kicked off the week hosting a showcase with our long-time partner, the Gospel Music Association. The showcase performance featured our 2019 Rising Artist Worship Song Contest winner, Amanda Guillory, where she debuted her song, “Never Stop Singing” for GMA board members and other industry professionals. The whole night was buzzing with excitement for the 50th annual Dove Awards.

The next night, 2017 Rising Artist winner, David Ashley Trent, 2018 winner Carrington Gaines, and 2019 winner Amanda Amanda Guillory accompanied by one of Cantinas Arts’ first artists, Ryan Kennedy, all walked the Dove Awards red carpet with smiles and magnetic energy. Cantinas Artists walked the carpet while being interviewed by various marketing and PR teams. Last year’s Rising Artist Winner, Carrington Gaines, said, “The red carpet was absolutely amazing! I felt so honored to walk the carpet with my Cantinas brothers and sisters and to be among so many great artists that I’ve looked up to for years!” 

The award ceremony kicked off with an audience captivating performance by Toby Mac. It progressed into a journey of nostalgia and future vision with welcoming newer artists into the industry and family of Gospel Music and beyond. Our Cantinas Arts family took in every breathtaking performance that graced the stage, Amanda commented on the beautiful throwback performance of Dove Award classics by Cici Winans, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Steven Curtis Chapman. While reflecting on the ceremony, Amanda noted, “It brought me back, being able to hear so many artists that I grew up hearing all together on one stage. It really brought me back to hearing them for the first time all over again.”

In the next few days, the Artists were in the recording studio working with Producer Andy Davis and Cantinas Arts Creative Director Seth Philpott recording the 2019 Rising Artist worship song and working on other future projects. The week ended with everyone’s creative cup overflowing with innovative ideas individually and collectively for the next year of Cantinas Arts performances and programming. Being able to bring artists to the Dove Awards is just one piece of the of our programming that works to create an impact. We want to thank those who have faithfully supported us through the years. We could not do what we do without these gifts. The impact of this support does not end after the Dove Awards and red carpets. It is only the beginning. If you would like to learn more about what we are doing and how to support and partner with us, please visit www.cantians.org.

To read more details of highlighted moments and recaps from the Dove Awards, check out these featured articles:

USA TODAY

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/10/15/dove-awards-2019-moments-aaron-cole-lauren-daigle-amy-grant/3994330002/

People Magazine

https://people.com/music/gma-dove-awards-2019-photo-booth/

By Arielle Estoria, September 19, 2019

Do you remember in the early school days up until even highschool, where the teacher would assign group projects, and an objective sound would escape from the majority of students?

There were those who didn’t want to be placed in the group of students who cared too much about school, and there were those who didn’t want to be the person who was left doing all the work. These formative moments whether we knew it or not shaped how we viewed teamwork and collaboration, it often became work that we would rather do on our own than to exhaust the effort of working with others.

As our professionalism and life experience grew, however, we realized how beneficial the power of collaboration really was. We realized how much transformation and tangible impact can be had when forces are united. At Cantinas Arts, we not only recognize the importance of collaboration, but we thrive because of it.

If you’re familiar with who we are and what we do, then you know that every year we have the opportunity of creating an extensive, interactive performance featuring amazing well-known artists and our own community of artists for the Paso Robles County Fair. This “Night of Faith” performance is the epitome of our definition of collaboration, it is where our Dancers, Poets, and Musicians of all different genres come together to create a beautiful seamless story and a reminder of how much Jesus loves us and others.

We realize that in order to make kingdom impact that stretches past individual reach, we have to unite, we have to come together with dance, original song, and poetry that contributes to the bigger story being told. That’s what our heart for collaboration is all about, the bigger story, the story that permeates John 3:16 into every dance move, every metaphorical line, rhyming chorus and every stage our artists step onto. That is the power of not only artistic collaboration but collaboration as believers which creates a uniting moment where we can stand together in every aspect of Imago Dei and share with others the BIGGER community (Heaven) that they can be part of.

Check out our most recent 2019 Night of Faith performance with featured artist Danny Gokey and Cantinas Artists below and see how we exemplify collaboration!

Carrington Gaines is Winner of the Cantinas Arts Foundation Songwriting Contest – RISING ARTIST: Cantinas Worship Song Contest

Nashville, TN  March 28, 2018 – The Cantinas Arts Foundation, an L.A. based non-profit which serves to develop Christian leaders in the arts, celebrates the release of worship mainstream artist Carrington Gaines new single “Prodigal Son.”   In the Cantinas Arts Foundation 5th Annual RISING ARTIST: Cantinas Worship Song Contest, Trent took top honors. This led to  a music industry showcase in Nashville, getting Gaines’ winning new single, “Prodigal Son,” co-produced with Grammy award-winner Andy Hunt (Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, Phil Wickham), and Dove award and Grammy award nominee Seth Philpott (Crowder, All Sons, and Daughters, Sandra McCracken, Hillary Scott). “Prodigal Son” releases TODAY and is available via Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon mp3, Google Play, and all other digital retailers and streaming services.

The Georgia based worship and mainstream artist was welcomed into the Cantinas Artist Foundation community as of 2018 when he won the Rising Artist: Cantinas Worship Song Contest. As the winner was provided access and mentorship by Grammy and Dove award nominated Singer/Songwriter and A&R director, Seth Philpott. Cantinas currently boast a roster of over thirty musicians, dancers, actors, and speakers, committed to glorifying God through the arts.

“Carrington is just one example of how our foundation is supporting artists and providing them with access to resources like mentors, and exposure to major industry influencers representing labels such as Capitol Records or Brickhouse,” states Kimberly Cowan, COO for The Cantinas Arts Foundation. “We know this song is going to inspire and move everyone who listens to it.”

Gaines, whose sound is best described as mainstream and gospel, collaborated with Hunt and Philpott and an A-list team of Nashville instrumentalists to craft “Prodigal Son.” This song, in 6/4 time, includes crystal clear floating pianos tones mix with the rich, flawless grit and refined texture of Gaines’ voice to produce an introspective ballad true to Gaines’ pop and gospel influences with a sound similar to John Legend, Marvin Winnans, Travis Greene.

“Partnering with Cantinas has re-inspired a connection to my music,” Gaines says. “As a worship and mainstream artist, it is, so life-giving to find an organization who is willing and able to support me in the calling God has placed on my life.” Carrington Gaines also states, “Prodigal Son is a song of reconciliation, coming back home to the Father, and much like this, Cantinas has provided me an encouraging and supportive home for me to rebuild and reconnect to my music.”

Five years ago, Carrington began writing songs as personal prayer and acts of worship and in Buffalo New York, but he soon embraced opportunities to share his artistic approach to worship along with his honest and contemplative lyrics with the church. Gaines is currently collaborating with worship songwriters in Atlanta, Nashville, and Los Angeles as he seeks to write songs for the church. He desires to write songs that bridge the gap between different church cultures. Gaines’ favorite hashtags on Instagram is #bridgethegap. For the past three years, Gaines has cultivated his craft and followed God’s voice that has led him to the position music/worship director at Global Impact Christian Ministries in Stockbridge, Georgia.

Carrington Gaines plans to release a steady stream of singles in 2019. Gaines’ is committed to increasing the depth, reach, and kingdom impact of the music he makes. Gaines proclaims, “For the music to bridge the gap, it has to be about the kingdom of God.” Gaines is most excited about inspiring the church of all races to declare the glory of God through his music.

To download the mp3 of Gaines’ new song, “Prodigal,” visit his website: www.carringtongaines.com

For more information about the Cantinas Arts Foundation, visit their website at www.cantinas.org

About Cantinas Arts Foundation

 The Cantinas Arts Foundation is a Christian non-profit foundation that exists to create opportunities, to educate, in order to transform our modern-day culture, utilizing the arts to magnify the teachings of God. The Foundation is an outreach arts ministry, with a main focus on outreach to the Christian communities and beyond spreading the message of hope through education, to magnify God’s message. Through the arts, and development of Christian leaders the Foundation continues to spread the message of God with the tools of modern-day culture focused on music and dance, creating opportunities for the all to share their artistic gifts through dynamic performances and inspirational concerts. The Foundation also takes special interest to ensure they are educating and developing artists, while also providing opportunities for, exciting workshops, retreats, mentoring, and community services. http://www.cantinas.org/