World-acclaimed Calligrapher and "Man of Letters" Timothy Botts in Southwest Florida, February 1

The International Network of Creatives is honored to welcome world-acclaimed master calligrapher Timothy Botts to its 5^th Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs Concert to be held on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bonita Springs, FL. Botts’ calligraphic works will be featured at INC’s Art of the Song Exhibit, which opens on the evening of the concert.

Timothy R. Botts, often referred to as “A Man of Letters,” is one of the world's leading calligraphers, skillfully expressing Scripture through his divinely inspired artistry. Combining his artistic talent with the beauty of Scripture, Botts has created hundreds of full-color pieces and authored over 60 books, They include Doorposts, Windsongs, and Messiah, all of which won the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s Gold Medallion Award, and The Holy Bible, Botts Illustrated Edition, which won the Award of Excellence at the Chicago Book Clinic, and Bound for Glory, which is preserved in the permanent archives of Wheaton College, among others.

“When I make a word picture, in a way I am listening to God’s Word and then translating it; afterwards, my prayer to him is what I got out of it. God understands that we need to see him through creation, and then through Jesus — I also think that is the gift of the artist.”

Botts has exhibited in “Calligraphie et Musique” in Obernai, France; “Visions of the Spirit” at the Washington National Cathedral; and held a one-person show at the Billy Graham Center Museum in Wheaton, Illinois. He has served on the faculty of eleven international calligraphy conferences and has taught throughout the United States, in Tokyo, Toronto, Frankfurt, and Johannesburg. He was honored with the prestigious Purchase Award from Chicago’s Newberry Library in 2000.

Tim comments on the power of the visual arts and how they impact us:

“As a visual artist, I'm particularly aware that what we take in through our eyes has the power to affect our whole being. I believe the language of visual art can sometimes fall on deaf ears.” Timothy Botts

Tim studied calligraphy at Carnegie-Mellon University with Arnold Bank. Additionally, he spent three years in Japan, where he says he learned “the freedom of the brush and a broader understanding of space and asymmetry.” Botts describes his work as word pictures—words expressed to look like what they mean.

For over thirty years, Tim served as a graphic designer and senior art director, producing more than 600 books at Tyndale House Publishers in Carol Stream, Illinois.

In 1995, Mr. Botts co-founded Masterpiece Ministries, a week-long Christian arts camp for high school students (rising freshmen to rising seniors). The camp features focused studio tracks led by professional artists and Christian creators who share how their faith influences their work, fostering a sense of community among participants.

Botts uses word pictures in Scripture. Handel’s “Messiah” Exhibition, held at Wheaton College in 2014, accompanied by orchestral songs from Scripture, exemplified the artist's signature technique. In the verse Isaiah 40:1-2, this word picture reads, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.” Grammatically, this phrase reads as a stream of thought, but the juxtaposition of different artistic styles serves to accentuate each component and the passage’s meaning as a whole. Words such as calm, pastel, inviting, and hopeful describe the feelings evoked by this piece (The Wheaton Record, 2014).

He said of this presentation,

“Because of my interest in making words look like their meanings, I naturally related to Handel’s picturesque music. The decision to use the horizontal format worked especially well here with the exceptionally long, drawn-out notes of the tenor.”

About the Concert

The concert and art exhibit will feature a mass choir of over 100 voices, accompanied by a full orchestra, conducted by acclaimed conductor and director Dr. Jeffrey Faux. It will also feature acclaimed soloist Dr. Lindsey Graham, a bluegrass quartet, and rich, timeless hymns and classics performed with congregational participation and worship. The art show opens at 6:00 p.m., and the concert begins at 7:00 p.m.

Admission is free; tickets are required. Make your reservations now by visiting: https://app.onechurchsoftware.com/fpcbonita/forms/135 or calling the ticket box office at First Presbyterian Church 239.992.3233. At the concert, attendees will be invited to support INC’s ministry programs and hear stories of transformation.

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INC impacts hundreds of artists, who in turn impact their communities through their faith and art and are touching the lives of thousands of adults in recovery, as well as hundreds of area children and youth. Since 2015, INC has positively impacted the lives of more than 7,000 local individuals.  Find out how to become a sponsor by calling 239-234-2745 or emailing Dr. William Barnett, Inc. CEO, at bill.barnett@incswfl.org.

About INC

The International Network of Creatives is not just a local non-profit; it’s a global movement. Based in Southwest Florida, INC has been discipling creatives to reflect and proclaim Christ in their lives and work for over a decade. INC’s impact has changed over 7,000 lives in Southwest Florida and thousands more worldwide. By supporting INC, you become part of a global movement of culture changers!

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