AEM Catalyst Program's
Art & Faith Forum:
Honestly Depicting Evil in Art
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
for Artists, Filmmakers, Writers, Musicians
and Creative Professionals
Can an artist portray evil truthfully without glorifying it?
From Dante's Inferno to Grimm’s Fairy Tales, artists have wrestled with how to accurately depict evil, violence, and sin in art and media.
Today's creators face the same tension:
The truth is, both the artist and their audience experience the consequences of sin and the fall. People endure hardship, abuse, betrayal, rape, and many other atrocities.
- How do we resist the temptation on the one hand to sanitize reality for fear of corrupting our audience, while also resisting the temptation of glorifying evil because we want to be raw, authentic and gritty in a way that is “true-to-life?”
- When do we help avert their eyes, as we do with little children, as we do in children’s books and films?
- When do we invite, or even compel, them to see the raw truth about evil and sin in this world as Picasso did with Guernica?
Register Now to discuss these issues with other like-minded Christians in the art world and entertainment industry.
Honestly Depicting Evil in Art
June 28, 2026, Online 5PM(PDT)
Art & Faith Forum Begins in:
Why This Forum Matters:
As artists and creative professionals, we do not create in a vacuum.
We and our audiences live in a broken world marked by betrayal, abuse, violence, injustice, and suffering. The question is not whether evil exists—it's how we depict it responsibly.
This forum will explore:
- The artist's moral and spiritual opportunity to influence how people understand evil and redemption.
- How audiences can be influenced and shaped by what they see in the art they experience.
- When to avert the eyes of the audience—and when to compel people to look.
- Examples from literature, film, visual art, and culture.
- Practical principles for creating work that is truthful, powerful, and redemptive.
You'll Leave With:
Greater Clarity
A clearer framework for portraying difficult subjects on your work.
Practical Wisdom
Practical insight into how to engage your audience effectively while honoring biblical principles.
Meaningful Community
A chance to engage with other thoughtful creatives wrestling with the same questions.
Who Should Attend?
- Visual Artists
- Filmmakers
- Video Game Developers
- Writers & poets
- Musicians
- Designers
- Content creators
- Anyone interested in the intersection of art, ethics, and faith
Join the Conversation
This is a discussion every serious artist eventually faces. Register now and be part of a thoughtful, honest exploration of how art can confront evil without becoming captive to it.
Your Art & Faith Forum Hosts Joel & Michelle Pelsue.
Joel & Michelle Pelsue are the founders of both Arts & Entertainment Ministries(AEM) and the Arts & Entertainment Institute(AEI) in Los Angeles, California. They are both artists in their own right. Joel is a classically trained musician, who plays the soprano and tenor saxophones, oboe, flute and clarinet. Michelle is a classically trained actor who turned professional at age 15 and has done TV, Film, Commercials and Professional Regional Theatre. Joel & Michelle have been the "boots on the ground," ministering to artists in major art and entertainment hubs for over 30 years- places like New York, London, and Hollywood ---where they live now. Their mission is to equip and train artists and creative professionals working in the mainstream art world and entertainment industry to succeed creatively and grow spiritually. Their teachings are born out of three decades of "hands-on" experience in the entertainment and art capitals as well as theological training and research.
Honestly Depicting Evil in Art
June 28, 2026, Online 5PM(PDT)
Art & Faith Forum Begins in:
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