The Thickand the Clear
Begin with C.S. Lewis at the Wade Center. Look closely at a painting. Watch an idea become movement. Join Ballet Five Eight for two days of art, faith, shared meals, and conversation about what endures.
Wheaton · Chicago · Orland Park, Illinois
About
The Thick & the Clear invites participants to encounter Lewis, learn how to see, practice that way of seeing in the galleries, and then experience those ideas embodied through dance.
Gather with artists, pastors, students, educators, scholars, and people who love the arts. Read Lewis in the company of his books and letters, practice sustained attention in the museum, and share what you notice over a meal. No background in ballet or art history is required.
Faith, Imagination, and What Endures
Explore Lewis through The Weight of Glory and Meditation in a Toolshed—then carry those ideas into the Wade Center, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the living language of dance.
The Experience
Learn to see. Practice attention. Encounter Lewis through art, place, and performance.
Encounter Lewis
Begin at the Marion E. Wade Center with The Weight of Glory, the Lewis collection, and a Friday evening reception with time to talk over food and drinks.
Practice Attention
Learn a devotional framework for encountering art, then put it into practice through a self-guided experience at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Experience Embodiment
See theology, literature, and imagination become choreography through Ballet Five Eight’s creative process and live performance.
Speakers & Artists
Meet the voices connecting Lewis’s writing, the practice of looking, and the art of choreography.
Portrait courtesy of Wheaton College.
Jim Beitler
Director, Marion E. Wade Center
Wheaton College
Jim Beitler brings Lewis’s writing into conversation with the books, letters, and objects preserved at the Wade Center. He opens the weekend with a reflection on art and The Weight of Glory and an encounter with the collection.
Friday · 6:00–7:00 PM
Opening program at Bakke Auditorium and the Wade Center museum.
About Jim
Terry Glaspey
Author, teacher & creative mentor
The author of Discovering God Through the Arts and 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know, Terry Glaspey explores how art can deepen our life with God. His Saturday session offers a practical way to slow down, look closely, and sit with what an image asks of us.
Saturday · Morning
Teaching on encountering art devotionally, preparing participants for the museum experience.
About Terry
Julianna Rubio Slager
Artistic Director, Resident Choreographer & Co-Founder
Ballet Five Eight
Julianna takes participants inside the studio with Ballet Five Eight’s professional dancers. See how a page of Lewis becomes a choice about weight, timing, gesture, or the space between two people, then continue the conversation through live performance.
Saturday · 3:00 PM
Creative-process session, followed by company performances and conversations with the artists.
Schedule
Two days across Wheaton, Chicago, and Orland Park. All times are Central.
Planned itinerary. The Friday opening at the Wade Center is confirmed. The Kilns reception, Saturday morning venue, and museum group arrangements are being finalized. Session times and venue details may be adjusted; registered attendees will receive the final itinerary.
March 19, 2027 | Wheaton
Opening with Jim Beitler
Begin in Bakke Auditorium at Wheaton College’s Marion E. Wade Center. Jim Beitler connects art with C.S. Lewis’s The Weight of Glory, with a brief guided experience in the Wade museum space.
Friday Reception
Food, drinks, and conversation with fellow attendees and speakers.
Planned venue: The Kilns · final arrangements pendingMarch 20, 2027 | Chicago + Orland Park
Encountering Art Devotionally with Terry Glaspey
Start with continental breakfast and a practical session on attention, reflection, and learning how to see. Terry’s teaching prepares you to carry this practice into the galleries.
Planned venue: Chicago Cultural Center · time and room to be announcedArt Institute of Chicago
Practice what you have learned through a curated, self-guided devotional experience. Use selected works and reflection prompts to look longer and consider what you notice. Museum admission is included.
To Ballet Five Eight
A boxed lunch is provided as the group transitions from downtown Chicago to Ballet Five Eight in Orland Park.
Creative Process with Julianna Rubio Slager
Watch Julianna work with the dancers as Lewis’s ideas become decisions about weight, timing, proximity, and gesture. Ask questions about the choices you see.
Of Splendors and Horrors
Experience Ballet Five Eight’s work inspired by The Weight of Glory, followed by conversation with the artists.
Meditations
Continue with Meditations, connected to Lewis’s Meditation in a Toolshed, and reflect with the artists on perception, attention, and what we carry from the experience.
Closing Dinner
The conference concludes with a catered dinner and unhurried conversation together.
Conference Registration Includes
Your registration brings the full weekend together—sessions, museum experiences, performances, conversation, and meals.
Stay for the Weekend
Plan Your Stay
Traveling to join us? Use the dedicated Hilton booking link for The Thick & the Clear to view the conference group rates and reserve your room.
Hotel accommodations are booked and paid for separately from conference registration. Check the booking page for available dates, room options, rates, and reservation terms.