i think the public/private thing re: collective driven action and art thing is a more modern dichotomy that does not happen as much in alt church groups whose members are often working artists or in non-church collectives who are focused on their creativity and how it affects those who create with art changing the particpants first and if others come upon it, great. most collectives i know operate in a ‘collective to collective network and local scene more than a ‘collective to general public’ realm.

we do installations in galleries, on the street and in the church, as they are just different
‘venues’ and most collectives i know do guerilla art and ops in any venue the can get access to, from illegal warehouses to public spaces to old churches. the point is to ‘make art make a difference.’ our latest ‘installation’ (not at all appreciated by our neighbors)
was to allow two local homeless man to live on our porch in public view. some neighbors cheered and others jeered this ‘real life installation’ we have still to set up a meeting so the neighbors can talk to the homeless men they are afraid to come near. it was performance art in some ways of the serious kind. we were very aware we were being ‘watched.’

our sister abbey ‘monkfish’ in seattle participates with a float in our giant local pagan happy solstice parade, and their float is a giant ‘garbage dragon’ that recycle bottles and cans for the crazy parade goers, art/church/life are a flow, the gospel point is made by us doing what we do, for God to evangelize us more thsn us to evangelize us and perhaps some in our local zipcodes whether in a local pub or the church building or in a street fair, as it is internally motivated, the venue does not so much matter. if it is real art we can invite folk into our church space as well as doing it outside on the corner of fremont avenue.

also in seattle now we are joining in with the local burning man community to raise a public home made temple’ as a memorial for six murdered kids in seattle. it may be illegal as the city of seattle may not give the permits, especially as the whole thing will later be burned!
once again, art/life/soul are uniting at least on the alt church fringe.