Artist Georges Rouault’s Celebration Of Life

GEORGIA BULLETIN
By David King, PhD

“Head of Christ” (1937) by Georges Rouault

GEORGIA---The priest and philosopher Jacques Maritain argued in his book, “Art and Scholasticism,” that “we must above all be careful not to disengage and isolate Christian art from the great movement of contemporary art.” Maritain knew that the Christian artist could not dissociate himself from the spirit of his times; in fact, Maritain argued that the Christian artist simply needed to look for God in different places and in different ways. For Maritain, one essential Christian artist of the 20th century was the French painter Georges Rouault, the artist who was a central influence upon the writing of “Art and Scholasticism,” and who in many ways represents the ideal Christian artist Maritain describes in that work. [link]

Ohio College Hosts Exhibition: Religion in Modern and Contemporary Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"Macarena Esperanza" by Audrey Flack

OHIO---The Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College announces the opening of a new contemporary religious art exhibition, "Religion, Ritual, and Performance in Modern and Contemporary Art" as part of a year-long series of programs from antiquity to the present. As in earlier periods, the art of the 20th and 21st centuries engages in a dialogue with the important themes of religion, ritual, and performance. Examples by artists such as Louise Bourgeois and photographer Holly Wright address religion, ranging from the Christian tradition to other beliefs from around the world. Other artists like Jackie Winsor employ the idea of ritual as an art-making strategy, while Alison Saar and José Bedia present it as a subject. The exhibition is on view from August 28, 2012-June 30, 2013.

Doris Duke's Shangri la Comes to NYC This Fall

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

18th-century Indian rosewater sprinkler

NEW YORK---Ever the global adventurer, tobacco heiress and philanthropist Doris Duke was just 23 when she began collecting Islamic art in 1935, buying as she toured on her first honeymoon. By the time she died in 1993, she had amassed 3,500 objects spanning the Muslim world from Spain, through the Middle East and into Asia, dating from the early first millennium B.C. to the early 20th century. Her acquisitions, including the 18th-century Indian rosewater sprinkler, are housed at her Honolulu estate, Shangri La. Highlights of the collection, shown outside Hawaii for the first time, also will travel to six other American cities. 'Doris Duke's Shangri La,' Museum of Arts and Design, New York, Sept. 7-Jan. 6 [link]

A Hindu Take on "The Empty Chair"

CNN | BELIEF
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN

An empty chair in Bali.

When I went to Bali a few years ago...I went for the religion. Balinese Hinduism differs from Indian Hinduism in many ways...for me the most arresting religious image I encountered was the empty chair. I saw this chair, typically crafted of stone, everywhere in Bali—And it symbolizes, among other things, the indescribability of the divine. In Bali, to stand in front of the empty chair is to reckon with your limits, and particularly with what you don’t know. Clint Eastwood has now turned “the empty chair” into a meme of a very different sort. What struck me as I saw this performance was how different Eastwood’s use of the empty chair was from how people use it in Bali. [link]

Five Faiths Friday (PHOTOS): Conceptualizing Faith

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

Can an image convey the power of faith, or can it merely hint at the mystery you are invited to discover? This week journalist Malcolm Browne died, and the world again fixated on his most famous/infamous image, "The Burning Monk". It was/is an image about faith-in-action. Others who have captured faith-in-action include: Nicollo Cosme, Barbara Krueger, Gavin Jantje and Anil Revril. [Interfaith links]

Journalist Malcolm Browne, who photographed the 1963 "Burning Monk" died this week.

Nicollo Cosme's Christian iconography engaged in the fight against AIDS

Jewish artist-poet Barbara Krueger questions on faith filled a DC museum lobby.

Gavin Jantje's painting at the Smithsonian cast our eyes toward the stars of our birth.

Anil Revri's "Wall for Peace 2011" in DC returned our focus to politics and religion.

Mythical Star Throwers, Celestial Bodies and Darkness at the Smithsonian

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Holland Cotter

Gavin Jantjes’s painting of mythical star throwers is in
“African Cosmos: Stellar Arts,” at the National Museum of African Art in Washington.

WASHINGTON, DC---“African Cosmos: Stellar Arts” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art here, an exhibition packed with celestial bodies and patches of darkness sending forth light, invites comparable responses. Broadly it’s a show about the extent and persistence of cosmological consciousness in art, old and new, from the African continent. It’s also a bold demonstration of a more specific reality: In Africa art and science, including astronomy, have always intersected. [link]

Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art: "African Cosmos: Stellar Arts," (Ends Dec. 9), 950 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, (202) 633-4600, africa.si.edu.

Award-Winning Bible Comedy Banned in Wisconsin

WISCONSIN GAZETTE
By Louis Weisberg

WISCONSIN---As religious right extremist groups have grown in number, so have their attempts to censor art they view as objectionable. “The Bible –The Complete Word of God (abridged)” features three actors taking on dozens of characters from biblical lore. Since its award-winning 1995 premiere at Washington’s Kennedy Center, the play has been performed for audiences all over the world. But it will not be seen in Delafield. Responding to a wave of protests from fundamentalist Christians incited by right-wing talk radio, the Department of Natural Resources abruptly canceled a version of the comedy that was scheduled to run at Lapham Peak State Park’s SummerStage. [link]

Colorado's Third Annual "Religious Fine Art Show" in the Abbey Monastery

DENVER POST

Sculpted cross included in the exhibiton. Image courtesy of Arts SA.

COLORADO---Third annual "Religious Fine Art Show" in the Abbey Monastery through Sept. 30. More than 80 pieces of art by 25 local artists are included. Admission is free. Artist reception: 5-7 p.m. Sept. 14, tickets are $10 and include refreshments. Proceeds benefit the restoration of the Abbey Bell Tower. 2951 E. Highway 50, Canon City, 719-275-8631 [link]

Mormon Religious Artist Attacks Obama in "Obamanation" Painting

CBS | NEWS
By Peter Milo

"Obamanation" (2012) by Jon McNaughton

UTAH---Artist Jon McNaughton released yet another painting about President Obama. More epic in scope compared to the previous “One Nation Under Socialism,” [or the one before that: "Forgotten Man"] “Obamanation” depicts Obama smiling over a dystopian wasteland that McNaughton believes the president created. McNaughton, in a classical-realistic style, shows a cast of characters and objects that are included to provoke debate amongst the left and right. Some of these characters include a caricature of a Muslim man who McNaughton says represents the “Radical Islamic Free Pass” and a corpse on a gurney that represents the Affordable Care Act, or what McNaughton deems as “Obamacare.” [link]

(VIDEO) Todd Dayton Fox: "Portrait of the Passion" to Petra's "We Exalt Thee"

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Britton



Artist Todd Fox is one of America's amazing religious artists, and he lives in Kansas. This past March, A&O named him our INSPIRE ME! Artist of the Month, and since then we've continued to monitor his progress closely. His new video series of his works is a wonderful way to get another introduction to this wonderful artist who we all should consider collecting. I'm also interested in a new line of Artist Trading cards he's producing, and am looking forward to details on collecting those too.

Art at Carkeek: Buddhist Teachings? Or Teenage Hangout?

SEATTLE TIMES
By Michael Upchurch

"Four Noble Truths" by Alan Fulle

WASHINGTON---"Rootbound: Heaven & Earth IV," the fourth annual outdoor-sculpture show in Carkeek Park curated by the Center on Contemporary Art, is uneven in the extreme. But it does feature one piece that clearly works, although perhaps not exactly as intended. It's Alan Fulle's "Four Noble Truths," a fancifully built wooden "skyscraper" that supposedly reflects "the primary teachings of Buddhist wisdom" (from the artist's statement). On a sunny day last week, it was functioning as the perfect teenage hangout. Whether the kids inside it were pondering Buddhism is difficult to say. But they looked as if there were nowhere else they'd rather be. [link]

Carkeek Park: "Rootbound: Heaven & Earth IV" curated by the Center on Contemporary Art (Ends Oct. 31), 950 NW Carkeek Park Rd., Seattle, WA. For more information, call (206)728-1980 or visit www.heavenandearthexhibition.org.

Lalla Essaydi Featured in Newark Museum of Art's Opening Exhibition on Female Photographers

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

Lalla Essaydi, Converging Territories #9

NEW JERSEY---The Newark Museum of Art opens its 2012-2013 exhibition season on September 12 with, "In Her Eyes: Women Behind and in Front of the Camera" featuring photographs by women who examine female identity in their work. The artists include both historical and contemporary practitioners such as Cindy Sherman, Sally Mann, Dorothea Lange, Lalla Essaydi and Ana Mendieta. The exhibition represents a wide range of styles and interpretations including the role of religious identity for women of diverse faiths. The photographs also evoke a range of ideas related to acts of veiling, masquerade and role-play. All the works, including some just recently collected are drawn from the museum’s own collection, and many have never before been on view.

My Tweetcloud is About Religious Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

Have you ever done anything that was plain ridiculous but also curiously fun? That's my experience with  Tweetcloud. In their own words, "Tweet Cloud is a service that lets you generate a cool looking cloud of the words you tweet about the most." While I know there is an argument for keeping track of what words you use in your personal messaging, they've packaged those words in such a way kitschy, cute way, I don't know whether to be embarrassed or proud! But either way, it's 100% all me. Thanks Karen Chinetti for suggesting this curiously delicious experience.

“The Trials” by Niccolo Cosme's “Resplendor: The Blinding Light”

IN THE THEATER OF ONE WORLD
By Randy Gener

“The Trials” (“Pagsubok”) by Niccolo Cosme

NEW YORK--- “The Trials” — (or “Pagsubok”) in which two men locked arm-to-arm with their backs against each other — glamorizes the strain and hardship of being thy brother’s keeper. [Niccolo] Cosme says it was inspired by St. Camillus de Lelis, the patron saint of the sick, as well as of people who provide health care. He dedicates “The Trials” to the brothers and priests of St. Camillus, those who have devoted their lives to people living with HIV and AIDS in the Philippines and around the world. “I am greatly inspired by the pain and the sorrow of Christian iconography,” Cosme says. [link]

Philippine Center: “Resplendor: The Blinding Light,” photographs by Niccolo Cosme (Ends September 7, 2012), 556 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, NYC. Artist reception: Friday, August 31 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The King of Pop: Michael Jackson, (Hoosier, August 29, 1958)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Britton

"American Jesus" (2009) by David LaChapelle

INDIANA---The King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson was born 54 years ago on August 29, 1958 in the state of Indiana, also known as the "Hoosier" state. Following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, NYC-based photographer David LaChapelle created a series of religious-themed portraits as a memorial to Jackson whose genius and humanitarian impact were felt throughout his home state of Indiana, but also around the world. LaChapelle's photograph"American Jesus" is based on the traditional scene of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Christ.

Artist Anil Revri's Interfaith "Wall for Peace 2011" at DC Airport

WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"Wall for Peace 2011". Image courtesy of the artist's website.

WASHINGTON---Artist Anil Revri's "Wall for Peace 2011," a sculpture featuring quotations about peace from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, is on display at Washington Dulles International Airport. Revri, originally from India, moved to the U.S. 30 years ago and lives with his family in Northwest D.C. [link]

A Higher Love—The Getty Presents The Art of Devotion in the Middle Ages

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"Noli me tangere" (about 1500), Master of the Chronique scandaleuse, French

CALIFORNIA---Prayer, both personal and communal, was an integral aspect of life in Europe during the Middle Ages. The readings, rites, and prayers contained in medieval Christian devotional books were often accompanied by lavish decorations that were key in both fostering and expressing the religious zeal of the faithful. Drawn primarily from the Getty Museum’s permanent collection, "The Art of Devotion in the Middle Ages", on display August 28, 2012–February 3, 2013, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center, features elaborately illuminated books executed in precious pigments and gold. These prayer books not only played an important role in everyday worship, but also served as material testaments to the piety of the books’ owners. The exhibition focuses on three aspects of religious life: public devotion, private devotion, and devotional literature.

Evangelical Seeks to Unite Believers to Influence Art and Culture

EXAMINER
By Paula Parker

CALIFORNIA---Confident that the Bible can once again be an influence on art and culture, Jonathan Bock has founded a nonprofit organization As 1. “For centuries, Christians were vibrant Patrons of the Arts commissioning the best artists to create some of the greatest art in human history which defined Christianity in a positive light,” said Bock, President of Grace Hill Media in Los Angeles. “But along the way, we walked away from culture, allowed our faith to be portrayed in a negative light and, as a natural result, culture moved on without us.” Bock founded As1 to unite Christians to impact the culturally significant art of today – film, television and music – through its demographic size and collective buying power. [link]

Monks Create Mandala Art at San Luis Obispo Museum of Art

THE TRIBUNE | SAN LUIS OBISPO
By Julia Dickey

Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in southern
India create a sand mandala at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art on Thursday

CALIFORNIA---"It’s hard to breathe near it,” onlooker Barb Thomkins said of the sand painting that six Tibetan Buddhist monks were creating before visitors to the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. Made of millions of tiny particles of hand-crushed and dyed river rock, such artwork could be ruined with a sneeze. But the monks, wearing deep red robes and sneakers, worked intently and stayed calm. Each held a thin metal funnel, rasping a metal rod on its grated surface to cause tiny amounts of sand to flow out like water. It had taken 17 hours over three days to create the mandala. In acceptance of the impermanence of life, the monks destroyed the artwork just after its completion Thursday in a meditative ceremony by sweeping up the brightly colored sand and distributing it to onlookers. [link]

Eboo Patel: Teaching Kids Religious Diversity in America

USA TODAY
By Eboo Patel

The first time I heard my 3-year-old son say the Lord's Prayer, I felt like a fraud. We are, after all, Muslim. When I speak before audiences, one of the most frequent questions I get as the founder of an interfaith youth group is, "How young is too young for children to engage with kids from other religions?" In a world of many different people and prayers, perhaps the most relevant lesson we teach our children is this: a religiously diverse world makes your religion even more relevant; it marks your concern with and care for your friends from all religions. [link]

Long-Exposure Photo Exhibit By Atta Kim At NBMAA

THE HARTFORD COURANT
By Susan Dunne

"ON-AIR Project 110-2, The New York Series, Times Square" (2005) By Atta Kim

CONNECTICUT---Change is the only constant in life. That philosophy drives the work of Korean-American photographer Atta Kim, both in his cityscapes and his depictions of human interactions. His artist's statement declares "Disappearance is the reality of all existence. Reality is not clear to us; it must be interpreted to be revealed."A new exhibit of long-exposure photographs by Kim at the New Britain Museum of American Art, six photos in all, emphasize this transitory nature of human existence, a key feature in Buddhist philosophy, which Kim studies. [link]

New Britain Museum of American Art: "NEW/NOW: ATTA KIM" (Ends November 25), 56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT, (860) 229-0257 or nbmaa@nbmaa.org

'Snapshot' Exhibit Closing at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

Co-founders of The Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary
Religious Arts taking in the final days of the Snapshot exhibition.

Closing on September 2, 2012 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art is "Snapshot", an exhibit highlighting the influence of photography on Post-Impressionist painters. The exhibition includes both paintings and photos with information on the photographic technology available at the time to the seven artists featured. My favorite part was using the huge green magnifying glasses to view the tiny photos, along with the brushstrokes of some really wonderful paintings.

A&O Meetup: NYC With Artist Niccolo Cosme

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Disney-Britton

NEW YORK---Blending images from Christian iconography with messages on HIV and AIDS, the conceptual photographs of Niccolo Cosme delve deep into the realities of HIV and migration, particularly for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Entitled "Resplendor: The Blinding Light", the 20 conceptual photographs in this collection provoke and inspire, and share Niccolo’s thoughts and perspectives as an artist and advocate. While the exhibition opens today at the Philippine Center on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, guests may meet the artist at a reception on Friday, August 31 at 6pm at the center.

San Francisco Museum Displays Lord Ganesha at International Airport

OYE TIMES
By Tapa Menon

CALIFORNIA---SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (USA) is holding an exhibition “Deities in Stone: Hindu Sculpture” till February next, containing sculptures of Hindu deities and other Hindu artifacts. This exhibition at F2 – North Connect Gallery on Terminal 3 contains granite, stone, sandstone, schist and gabbro stone sculptures of Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, Surya flanked by Pingala and Danda, Shiva as divine teacher, Durga killing the buffalo demon, Ganesha, Parvati, Tripurasundari, four of the seven Mother Goddesses, Chamunda, Garuda and Harihara. A collodion silver print of Kalyana Mandapa in Jalakanteshvara Temple is also reportedly exhibited. [link]

Cincinnati's Nationally Touring Interfaith Exhibit, 'Blessing' Returns After Seven Years

THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER
By Jackie Demaline and Janelle Gelfand

OHIO---"A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People," an interfaith exhibit created by Xavier University, Hillel of Cincinnati and The Shtetl Foundation in 2005, returns to Cincinnati after a national tour where it was seen by more than 800,000 people. It opens Sept. 10 at the Skirball Museum on the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (3101 Clifton Ave., Clifton), where it continues through Dec. 31 before embarking on a European tour in 2013. [link]

Buddhist Religious Art Form Transcends Boundaries

GLOBAL TIMES
By Xu Ming

Thangka painting by Gyatso

CHINA---Though a favorite for collectors at the present, Thangka remains an obscure art beyond the Tibetan areas, not palpable to people outside the industry. An effort is being made at the Grand Hotel Beijing, where over 30 pieces of selected Thangka paintings by two artists are exhibited. Chudri and Tashi Gyatso, two brothers from Qinghai Province, learned the technique for painting Thangka, a type of religious scroll painting mounted on colorful satin and fabric and hung for worship, 30 years ago. In the past decade, Thangka has taken off rapidly, but meanwhile, the traditional religious aspects of the art are becoming secularized. [link]

The Contemporary Search for "Shambala" in Boston, MA

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

"The Shambala in Modern Times" (2008) by Gonkar Gyatso

MASSACHUSETTS---For Buddhists, "Shambala" symbolizes the ideal world, or "The Pure Land" where peace reigns, wealth abounds, and no illness exists. Through September 30, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is exhibiting "Seeking Shambala" featuring a collection of restored 400-year-old works of art along with six contemporary works by two artists: Gonkar Gyatso (b. 1961) and Tadanori Yokoo (b. 1936). For more information, visit www.mfa.org or call 617.267.9300. The MFA is located on the Avenue of the Arts at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.

Missouri Artist Rebecca Ruppar Expresses Belief, Embraces Tradition by Creating Icons

COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE
By Amy Wilder

Icons created by Rebecca Ruppar include these of Archangel Michael,
left, the Holy Trinity, the original of which is in St. Louis, and Our Lady of Kazan.

MISSOURI---Attempting to unmask the mysteries of life, be it through science, religion, esoteric or less conventional means, we must inevitably come to terms with our own smallness in the face of the immensity of reality. Rebecca Ruppar is interested in the mystical contemplation available through Catholicism. The Columbia resident also is interested in communicating at a deeper, more powerful level through visual art. She has amalgamated her passions, combining artistic knowledge and skill with deep and vibrant faith in the creation of religious icons. Icons are one manifestation of the Christian, particularly Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, mystical tradition. [link]

New Opera of One Mary, or Three: Magdalene, Bethany or Other?

LOS ANGELES TIMES
By Reed Johnson

CALIFORNIA---Mary, the mother of Jesus, needs no introduction to much of humankind. But the "other Mary" of the New Testament — or "Marys," as the case may be — is a more elusive figure. So when composer John Adams' new oratorio-opera "The Gospel According to the Other Mary" had its world premiere in May at Walt Disney Concert Hall, it touched off a lively discussion among a handful of religious scholars and bloggers. In an interview before his work's premiere, Adams  said, he viewed Mary Magdalene as "an archetype of a woman who's had a hard past." In a sense she is a universal female figure, an Everywoman who transcends any specific time and place. [link]

Artist Barbara Kruger Covers Hirshhorn Lobby With ‘Belief+Doubt’

THE WASHINGTON POST
By DeNeen L. Brown

WASHINGTON DC---Barbara Kruger’s ‘Belief+Doubt’ is site-specific not just to the Hirshhorn lobby but in its proximity to power: ‘It is a museum, but it is also in D.C.,’ she says. In the exhibit, which runs through Dec. 31, 2014, words confront museum visitors, confounding them, prompting them to pause in a harried world to interpret what the artist has rendered in an unexpected gallery. Kruger, whom one artist called “the poet laureate of the age of spectacle,” says the exhibit raises questions about desire, money, faith and power. Doubt is good, Kruger says. “Belief is tricky because left to its own devices, it can court a kind of surety, an unquestioning allegiance that fears doubt and destroys difference.”[link]

Movie Review: "Premium Rush" (3 Stars for fun)

THE WASHINGTON POST
By Stephanie Merry

Bicycle messengers have to deal with a lot of risks. Car doors suddenly fling open, minivans make right turns without signaling, potholes can be a one-way ticket for a trip over the handlebars. Or, as is the case in “Premium Rush,” a dirty cop can get in the way of what should be a straightforward courier job, shepherding an envelope from Morningside Heights to Chinatown. That’s the premise of the breezy and entertaining, if imperfect, action flick starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the appropriately named Wilee, a Columbia Law School grad who opted for a life of adrenaline over one of suits and torts. It might not be a noteworthy film, but “Premium Rush” delivers what it promises. The summertime diversion will give audiences a little jolt of nervous energy along with a few laughs. A rush is about making the most of the present, not creating lasting memories. [link]

RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Britton

During this week's annual physical, the doctor alerted me that my blood sugar count was high, and he invited me to do a new thing---to go on a low-carb diet. Later, while eating a brownie along with a chocolate shake, I wrestled with the difficulty of giving up the comforting foods of my past when I saw this painting, "Eating the Known" (above) by Michal Na'aman. Changing your diet can be compared to taking a new spiritual path. In Isaiah 43:18-43:19 the Jewish people are invited to forget the past, to do a new thing. What are you being invited to forget today? Are you ready to do a new thing? That's why this work, currently hanging in a new show at the Jewish Museum in Tel Aviv, Israel is my NEWS OF WEEK.

In other Religious Art news from across the USA, and the world:

• Christianity in the Arts: Does God care what we wear? Thoughts on Mormon undergarments. [More News]
• Judaism in the Arts: Israeli artists explore body imagery in Judaism and Christianity. [More News]
• Islam in the Arts: Artists in San Francisco paint over Islamophobic ads on buses. [More News]
• Hinduism in the Arts: Artist Kota Neelima explores karma and creation stories. [More News]
• Buddhism in the Arts: Afghanistan seeks to rebuild Buddhas destroyed by Taliban. [More News]
• In Tahlib's 5 Faiths Friday, he compares "Hate Speech" to "Freedom of Speech". [More News]

ALSO, are you registered yet to "vote" for the A&O Prize for Contemporary Religious Art of the year? Register Today! Lastly, for more interfaith art news: join us on Facebook and/or Twitter, or just come back each day. It's another great way to keep up with gatherings of like-minded people who share your interest in Religious Art. After all, who is Religious Art for? Yes, it's for Believers, but also Skeptics too!

For Auction: 1613 King James Bible in San Francisco

ARTDAILY

Third folio edition of the King James Bible. Est. $12,000 - 18,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

CALIFORNIA---As part of its October 10, 2012, Fine Books and Manuscripts sale, to be held in San Francisco with a simulcast in New York, Bonhams will offer several items of literary and historical importance. Among them is a unique, extra-illustrated copy of an early printing of the King James Bible, featuring a large, mystical fore-edge painting by 19th-century bibliophile John T. Beer, one of the great practitioners of the genre (est. $12,000-18,000). The third folio edition of 1613, the book later belonged to the collection of Alfred Sutro, noted collector and president of the Book Club of California, who, in 1938,[link]

Is Nothing Sacred? Thoughts on Mormon Undergarments

RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE
By Robert A. Rees, Ph.D.

Mormon undergarments. Image courtesy of Dr. Mike Dash's Blog

It is not uncommon for Latter-day Saints to hear jokes, ridicule and derisive remarks about the sacred underclothing Mormons wear. Because Mormons tend to be regarded as square rather than as simply quaint, media commentators have less compunction in mocking their sacred clothing than they would a Jewish yarmulke, a Sikh turban, or the mitre worn by Catholic bishops. That is, every religion has liturgical practices, rituals, ceremonies, or rites of passage that they see as sacred but which others might see as strange or even aberrant. And so it is with sacred undergarments worn by Latter-day Saints. [link]

Additional thoughts on Sacred Apparel, including underclothing:

• Genesis speaks of “coats of skins” made by God for Adam and Eve 
• Exodus speaks of “holy garments” worn by Aaron and other priests
• Orthodox or Hasidic Jews wear an undergarment called a tallit katan (see Numbers 15:39-40)
• Sikhs wear Katchera, cotton underwear signifying their commitment to purity

Truly Moving Pictures Readies for 2012 Heartland Film Festival

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Britton

"The Odd Life of Timothy Green", "Salmon Fishing in Yemen" and "Brave" are three of the 2012 Truly Moving Picture award winners created by people who believe that the movies we see can change the way we see the world; and on Thursday night a group of such believers gathered in Indianapolis for a gala event launching the 21st season of the Heartland Film Festival.

Managed by the national nonprofit ground Truly Moving Pictures, Inc., they are a team of volunteers and staff who seek out motion pictures with high moral and artistic values, and annually mount three major programs: an internationally regarded film festival, the Heartland Film Festival; a highly coveted industry award, the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Awards; and a youth development program entitled the Heartland Institute. It is however the ten-day film festival, October 18-27, 2012 which will draw the crowds of thousands and where over  $130,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. Most importantly though, guests this October will screen the very best from over 1,000 entries of transformative independent films from around the world that artistically explore the human journey, engage with the creators of those films and be inspired to engage the world in new ways.

Since 2008, we've been inviting A&O readers to follow our Saturday Nite movie journey but since they have not always been religious in nature, a few A&O readers have wondered why we post movie reviews at all? Perhaps in 2013 we need to consider a new approach to presenting those movies which also reflect A&O values? Maybe not. In the meantime, we will see you at the movies.

(PHOTOS) Five Faiths Friday: "Hate Speech"

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

Two words dominated the religious art news landscape this week: "Hate Speech" vs. "Freedom of Speech", raising the question of how do reasonable people tell the difference between the two? The difference is simple. If you agree with the message, then blocking it is violation of your freedom of speech. That is the feeling of Buddhists whose statues were destroyed by Islamists in Afghanistan. On the other hand, if you disagree with the message, then you are fighting hate speech like the Christian leaders in Germany seeking to remove a controversial cartoon from a museum. Is there a right, or wrong way to proceed? At A&O, our position is to never restrict artistic freedom, and never to attack another's faith.

 

Artists in San Francisco respond to what they consider to be a hate speech against Muslims

Questions raised about rebuilding the Buddhist statues destroyed by the Taliban.

Christian leaders in Germany are outraged by a museum display featuring Jesus on cross

Orthodox priest in Russia mounts campaign to restore traditional values

Arts educator looks at the current cultural wars in USA through the lens of "Piss Christ"

"Piss Christ", Revisted in 2012

PATHEOS
By Daniel Siedell

"Piss Christ" by Andres Serrano

The culture wars are back. And they seem to have a corporate sponsor that sells fried chicken sandwiches. With the Presidential election looming the political pundits are active, as are the Reformed and evangelical bloggers, girding themselves for battle, urging their minions not to retreat and fight for traditional middle American values in the face of those liberals on the coasts. The icon of the culture wars in the 1990s was Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ. But the power of Piss Christ is in the space it creates where grace operates, even beyond the intentions of the artist and those who would use the work as a weapon in the culture war. The chief victim in the culture wars is grace. And if we listen, we just might be able to see it at work in the world. [link]

"Prince of Peace" By Akian Kramarik Wins 2012 Christian Retailers Choice Award

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"Prince of Peace" by Akiane Kramarik

FLORIDA---Child prodigy, and Idaho native Akiane Kramarik's "Prince of Peace" was chosen as the Winner of the 2012 Christian Retail Choice Awards for Wall Décor. This prestigious award was presented at this year's annual International Christian Retail Show held in Orlando, Florida in July. Art & SoulWorks is the exclusive licensor of Art by Akiane(tm) including this magnificent portrait of Jesus.

Vatican's Old-Fashioned Nuns Say the Past is Key to the Future

RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE
By David Gibson

The Vatican's proposed takeover of the LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) had been the focus of widespread interest since April, when Rome announced that the group – which represents about 80 percent of the 56,000 nuns in American religious communities – was infected with “radical feminism,” marred by dissent and in need of a top-down overhaul. Yet the LCWR delegates, buoyed by an outpouring of public support, in the end forcefully rejected the Vatican’s charges and opted to try to pursue dialogue with Rome to resolve the dispute. But what of that other 20 percent of American nuns? Often overlooked in the coverage of the LCWR showdown, they largely belong to a separate organization, called the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, that the Vatican set up in 1992 as traditional alternative – some say a conservative rival – to the more progressive LCWR. The CMSWR umbrella comprises convents with a total of about 10,000 nuns. [link]

Bamiyan Buddhas: Should They Be Rebuilt?

BBC NEWS
By Stephanie Hegarty

One of the Buddhas was 55 feet tall

AFGHANISTAN---The destruction of Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001 led to global condemnation of the Taliban regime. But the decision by Unesco not to rebuild them has not put an end to the debate about their future. But whatever the reason, the Bamiyan Buddhas have captured the international imagination and ideas for what to do with the site still pour in from archaeologists, architects, artists and historians. [link]

Today there is only a shell where once housed a buddha statue

Hyper-Realism Artist: Pedro de Mena (1628-1688)

THE INDEPENDENT
By Michael Glover

Mary Magdalene Meditating on the Crucifixion, 1664, By Pedro de Mena

SPAIN---Art itself is a kind of prestidigitation, illusionism, magic. It cajoles us into giving credence to the reality of pretence. There is the illusionism of art – and then there are the various additional levels of illusionism that seem to be encouraged, if not demanded, by religious belief. Here on this page is another way of selling the idea of religious belief to the credulous onlooker. It involves the shock of what we have in recent years come to call hyper-realism, which was a very fashionable tactic in Spain during the 17th century. Pedro de Mena, born the son of a sculptor in Grenada, was celebrated for his intensely realistic sculptors of religious subjects. Famous in his day and much in demand, he became especially renowned for his lifelike, contemplative depictions of Christ as the Man of Sorrows and The Virgin of Sorrows. [link]

Indiana Church is Model for Fast Growth: Multisite Church Growth Soaring

FAITH VILLAGE
By Adelle Banks

The number of congregations that host worship services at more than one physical location has grown to more than 5,000 in the last decade, according to a new report. Researchers say these "multisite" churches, which may share worshippers across town or many miles apart, are growing at a much larger pace than traditional megachurches. Without the burden of additional expensive buildings, congregations find they grow faster in new places, said Warren Bird, research director of Leadership Network, who announced his conclusions Tuesday (Aug. 21). While the vast majority of multisite churches are on the other side of town or at least in the same region, there are exceptions. The Bridge Community Church, a congregation based in rural Indiana, has campuses in Anderson, Decatur and Muncie but also has one in Bihar, India. [link]

Chicago Artist, Daniel Mitsui's Completed His Move to New Studio-Home

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

Chicago artist, Daniel Mitsui has moved. He wrote in his newsletter, "I now reside with my family in an apartment in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago." The family's unexpected move was funded by the unique sale of his drawings and prints. "Thanks to the funds raised by this sale, the cost of moving was not difficult to bear," said Mitsui, but it has set the highly productive artist behind, and it may take months for him to catch up. We will continue to monitor the progress of this exceptional American religious artist.

      

Thomas Kinkade's Last Known Paintings Now Being Unveiled

NBC 40 
By Lynda Weed

NEW JERSEY---History was made this weekend when one of the last ever Thomas Kinkade paintings was unveiled. A picture is worth a thousand words, and for the dozens of paintings that hang on the walls of the Victorian Walk Gallery; a thousand is just the start. The pieces are all part of the Thomas Kinkade Limited Edition Series. On Saturday the first in a series of paintings was unveiled in historic Cape May. The works were discovered in Kinkade's studio following his death. [link]

'The Absent Body,' Exhibition Explores the Human Body and God

HAARETZ
By Hila Skolnik-Brenner   

"Eating the Known" (2010) by Michal Na'aman

ISRAEL---"The Absent Body," an exhibition that explores body imagery in Judaism and Christianity, presented by eight Israeli artists, is profound. Like an anthropologist, it examines the concept of the body from all directions, through artists of different generations and a wide range of media. The eight artists participating in the show are Etti Abergel, Larry Abramson, Pesi Girsch, Moshe Gershuni, Erez Israeli, Sigalit Landau, Motti Mizrachi and Michal Na'aman. They offer a variety of artistic renderings on the theme of the body, some of which clearly represent the preoccupation with the body, while others offer a jarring surprise. [link]

The Jewish Museum: "The Absent Body - Body Imagery Between Judaism and Christianity in the Work of Eight Israeli Artists" (Ends November 15),  Tel Aviv University campus, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel (972)-3-7457800 or http://www.bh.org.il 

"Hand and Foot" (1988) by Pesi Girsch

Christian Imagery As Inspiration, Decor, More

THE ADVOCATE
BY Leila Pitchform-English

LOUISIANA---Visual communication through art in Christian churches dates almost to the church’s beginning. Often art was used in churches because most people couldn’t read, so religious stories were portrayed in pictures to make them memorable. In addition to education, the art serves to inspire, sometimes just from the beauty of the decorative objects. Often objects were designed to point the way toward God or to honor God. In Lafayette, a museum has gathered artifacts from the region to display. See the related story, “The art of faith.” [link]

KEY TERMS IN CHRISTIAN ART/ARTIFACTS:

• STAINED GLASS WINDOWS: a practice that dates to at least the 800s.
• CHALICE: This is the cup holding wine in Communion.
• CIBORIUM: This is a lidded vessel that holds the Eucharistic bread.
• CHASUBLE: This is a priest’s or bishop’s outermost vestment while celebrating the Eucharist.
• MONSTRANCE: This object shows the Eucharistic Host or bread so it may be venerated. 
• ICON: The word comes from the Greek “eikon,” which means “image.”

Why Arts Managers Short of Cash Are Looking at Detroit.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
By Mr. Teachout

When it comes to the fine arts, things are really, really rough all over.  That's why everybody in the art world is now talking about the Detroit Institute of Arts, a world-class institution that just came within inches of closing. What to do? DIA director Graham Beal responded by hacking away at the museum's budget and raising enough money to retire its current debt. But he knew that the DIA was doing no better than running in place, and that the fiscal road ahead would soon grow sharply steeper. Mr. Beal went to the voters, asking the residents of Michigan's Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties to pass a modest 10-year-long dedicated property-tax increase known as a "millage." It would supply up to $23 million in public funding each year for the next decade—91% of the DIA's annual operating budget—thus buying time for Mr. Beal and his colleagues to build up the museum's operating endowment to the point where it can bring in sufficient income to pay the bills. [link]

Wild Goose West Draws Progressive Christians to Intersection of Faith, Art and Justice

THE OREGONIAN
By Nancy Haught

OREGON---In the Bible and in many Christian circles, the Holy Spirit is portrayed as a dove, swooping down from heaven, bearing a message from God. But in Celtic Christianity and some progressive circles, the Holy Spirit is a wild goose, one worth chasing not only as it flies but when it struts and squawks, too. Organizers of the first Wild Goose Festival in the western United States hope to attract fans of the latter to the Benton County Fairgrounds Aug. 31-Sept. 2  for a weekend devoted to what they see as the unpredictable movement of the Holy Spirit. "Wild Goose is a festival at the intersection of justice, spirituality and art," says one of its organizers, Gareth Higgins.  "We're mostly trying to provide an alternative to some of the louder voices that sometimes claim ownership of religion and spirituality – especially Christianity." [live]

Christian Leaders Want Offensive Cartoon Removed From Museum

SPIEGEL INTERNATIONAL

Mario Lars complete caricature. Image courtesy of HNA.

GERMANY--- Several religious leaders in Kassel, the western German city that is currently hosting the semi-decadal art exhibition Documenta, have protested against a drawing advertising a show in the city's caricature museum. The cartoon in question is hanging outside the Kulturbahnhof, a cultural center which houses the caricature museum, known as Caricatura. It depicts Jesus in agony on the cross as a voice calls down from heaven, "Hey, you. I fucked your mother." Museum head Martin Sonntag has rejected calls to remove the poster. The artist behind the caricature, Mario Lars, likewise expressed surprise at the burgeoning debate. [link]

This detail from the original caricature (above) is causing a commotion
among Christians in Germany but the museum and the artist won't back down.