NYC Gala Postponed in Face of Pogroms Controversy

SikhNN
By Anju Kaur

About 3000 Sikhs were killed in 2 days in Delhi, Nov. 1984

WASHINGTON, DC – The Sikh Art and Film Foundation in New York City has postponed its annual gala this week in response to the rising controversy about its decision to honor Indian government officials on the 28th anniversary of the 1984 pogroms. This festive event coincides with the anniversary of the government-planned systematic slaughter and rape of thousands of Sikhs throughout the length and breadth of India following the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Since 2004, the foundation has held its annual Sikh International Film Festival as its mission of community outreach and awareness, said Tejinder Singh Bindra, its president, in an email to SikhNN. “Above all, the Sikh Art and Film Foundation’s raison d’être was founded as, and remains to celebrate Sikhi, not to divide the Sikh community,” Tejinder Singh told SikhNN.  [link]

Benoy K Behl, Part IV: Bamiyan and Beyond

FRONTLINE
By Benoy K. Behl

Buddha from Faya-Tepe, 1st-2nd Century, CE Collection: Tashkent National Museum, Uzbekistan

INDIA---One of the greatest examples of the dissemination of philosophic and artistic ideas is the spread of Buddhism from the Indian subcontinent to the other countries of Asia. One of the seeming miracles in the story of man is the spread of ideas, across formidable mountains, vast oceans and national boundaries. The warm acceptance of concepts from distant lands goes to underline the deep similarity of human nature and aspirations everywhere. One of the greatest examples of the dissemination of philosophic and artistic ideas is the spread of Buddhism from the Indian subcontinent to the many other countries of Asia. [link]

A Vatican First: Confirmed For Venice Biennale 2013

NEW STATESMAN
By Kamila Kociallowska

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. (Photo credit: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/GettyImages)

The Catholic Church is set to embark upon a new engagement with contemporary art, after confirming that the Vatican will be given its own pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2013. This is the first time the Holy See will be represented at the event – undeniably one of the most prestigious art exhibitions in the world – after several years of discussion. In the past, the Vatican has described the Biennale as a “debacle” which demonstrates “the breakdown of art in modern times”. Italy’s La Stampa newspaper revealed that the “subject matter will be the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis”.[link]

Turkey Claims Restitution of Stolen Art From the Louvre

ANSAmed

FRANCE---Turkey has accused the Louvre's new Islamic Arts wing, which French President Francois Hollande inaugurated last month, of exhibiting artwork stolen from Istanbul's Piyale Pasha Mosque in the 18th century. Turkish Minister of Culture Erturul Guenay secretly sent two experts to Paris, who confirmed that three terracotta murals now on exhibit are those taken from the mosque, designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for the vizier and grand admiral Piyale Mehmed Pasha and built between 1565-1573. [link]

Book Review: Ross King’s "Leonardo and 'The Last Supper'”

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Michiko Kaktuani

By the age of 42 (in an era in which life expectancy was 40), Leonardo da Vinci had yet to create anything commensurate with his lofty ambitions. At that point, Ross King writes in his new book, “Leonardo and ‘The Last Supper” he “had produced only a few scattered paintings, a bizarre-looking music instrument, some ephemeral decorations for masques and festivals and many hundreds of pages of notes and drawings for studies he had not yet published, or for inventions he had not yet built.” In this volume Mr. King — gives us a gripping account of how that painting was created and how it represents, in his view, one of the few times in Leonardo’s life that he managed to “harness and concentrate his relentless energies and restless obsessions.” [link]

UK Queen's Art Brings Protestant Reformation to Life

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
By Stephanie Pett and Paul Casciato, Rueters

"Pieta" (c. 1520-30) by Gerard David

UNITED KINGDOM--- Religious rivals of the Protestant reformation, murderous royal patrons and other 15th-16th century power brokers are brought to life in a new London art show telling the tale of northern Europe's renaissance. Some of the characters on show in drawings and paintings put together for "The Northern Renaissance: Duerer to Holbein" at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace come straight from the pages of Booker prize-winning novelist Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall", with Martin Luther, Thomas More and Henry VIII playing key roles. Works by Albrecht Duerer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Francois Clouet, Leonardo da Vinci, Hans Holbein the Younger and others capture images of people and convey some of the drama from an intense period of religious, political, artistic and philosophical upheaval which convulsed northern Europe. [link]

Singapore's Thai Art That Stuns With Strong Statements

ASIA ONE | THE BUSINESS TIMES
By Helmi Yusof

"Namo Buddhaya: A Path Towards The Divine Light" by Phatyos Buddhacharoen

SINGAPORE---Singapore Art Museum's excellent exhibition on Thai contemporary art is certainly worth a look. Titled "Thai Transience," it is conceptually tight, curatorially elegant and mightily theatrical. And it proves once again why Thailand's art scene is one of the most underrated in the region. Some of these artworks are reactions to the turmoil the country faced in recent years.... But largely, the works reflect the changing values of Thai people against the backdrop of Buddhism. [link]

Barocci Exhibit Shows His Devotion, to Art, Reverence

SAINT LOUIS REVIEW
By Teak Phillips | editor@archstl.org

"Entombment of Christ" (1579-82) by Federico Barocci

MISSOURI---When Christians pray and worship at Church of the Cross in Senigallia, Italy, they face a bold painting of Christ's burial. The picture depicts the crucified Christ being carried by St. John the Evangelist, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea. The narrative found in this painting clearly follows the story of Christ's burial found in all four Gospels, but with a strong influence of the style common in the Renaissance. The oil on canvas "Entombment of Christ" is among the 16th- and 17th-century works of Federico Barocci on exhibit through Jan. 20 at the St. Louis Art Museum.  [link]

Saint Louis Art Museum: "Federico Barocci: Renaissance Master," Through Jan. 20. For more information, call (314) 534-1111, or visit www.slam.org

Chapel Bar's Religious Ad Blasphemous? 'Jesus' And 'Mary' In Bed May Raise Eyebrows

HUFFINGTON POST
By Cavan Sieczkowski

NEW ZEALAND---Chapel Bar & Bistro, located in Ponsonby, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, is celebrating its seventh anniversary. In honor of "seven years of almighty nights," Chapel released an ad depicting "Jesus" and "Mary" in a compromising position. In the ad, a rocker-type man with long, shaggy hair and layers of bracelets portrays "Jesus." He lays sprawled out on messy bed strewn with tangled sheets. His arms are stretched and his feet are crossed, echoing the crucifixion. Beside him lays "Mary," curled up at his torso with her hands folded in a sort-of prayer and a blue sheet covering her head and body. Clothes are tossed around the room and a half-eaten pizza is left in a box on the floor. [link]

1st Native American Saint Stirs Pride, Skepticism

THE OKLAHOMAN
By Associated Press

OKLAHOMA---Some traditional Mohawks are treating the naming of the nation's first Native American saint with skepticism and fear that the Roman Catholic Church is using it to shore up its image and marginalize traditional spiritual practices. They see the story of Kateri Tekakwitha as yet another reminder of colonial atrocities and religious oppression. "I was a recipient of these historical profanities and want to ensure this does not happen again," said Doug George-Kanentiio, a Mohawk writer who left Catholicism to follow traditional longhouse spiritual practices. Traditional Mohawks recognize the reverence their Catholic relatives and friends have for Kateri, said Chaz Kader, a Mohawk journalist who was raised Catholic but follows ancient longhouse traditions now. But many remain troubled by how the church portrays her life. [link]

Perception and Presence Come Together in Hindu Art Exhibit

COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE

By Amy Wilder

MISSOURI---Visitors to "Seeing the Divine in Hindu Art" at the University of Missouri's Museum of Art and Archaeology might have the sensation of being watched. This isn't because there are badly disguised eyeholes cut into paintings for spying, or due to the abovementioned optical illusion. Curator of Collections Jeffrey Wilcox explained that images of Hindu deities are created to serve as vessels or conduits for an active divine presence — that can see the viewer — when ritually invoked. He pointed out one image, a silver plaque showing the eyes of the goddess Devi from 19th century India. [link]

Museum of Art and Archaeology: "Seeing the Divine in Hindu Art," Pickard Hall on the Missouri University campus.  Through Dec. 16, 2012. Website: maa.missouri.edu

Canadian Artist Angela Bulloch Turns Our Gaze to the Sky

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

Detail of Angela Bulloch - Night Sky: Mercury and Venus (2010)

In 2010, Canadian installation artist Angela Bulloch (b. 1966) mimicked a night sky to shine above the altar at Basel's Münster cathedral. The installation was a hit in an short career of many hits for her works with sound and installation. Bulloch's piece reveals a wide "view" into the universe to the upward-gazing spectator, and what better place to gaze towards the sky than in a cathedral? At A&O, we are grateful today to Kianga Ellis who tweets @ModernChrist for introducing us to Angela Bulloch.

"Night Sky: Mercury and Venus" courtesy of @ModernChrist

RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

In "Magnetism" (above), Saudi artist Ahmed Mater al-Ziad’s creates a doorway through which even non-Muslims can experience the powerful pull of the Hajj. This week as over 2 million pilgrims went to Mecca to walk in prayer around the sacred black cube known as the Kaaba, Ahmed Mater's photograuve series was on view in London at the Edge of Arabia exhibition. Hajj participants say that strangers who meet during this annual journey leave forever bound. Similarly, in this week's film release, "Cloud Atlas" adapted from David Mitchell's novel about faith, choices, and all the things that bind us, one of his characters declares, “...there ain't no journey what don't change you some.” The magnetism of such journeys makes Ahmed Mater’s photographs my NEWS OF WEEK.

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

• Judaism in Art: Rosa Katzenelson's paintings explode beyond Expressionism. [More News]
• Christianity in Art: Rapper Game's controversial "Jesus Piece" album art. [More News]
• Interfaith in Art: Secularization breeds collaboration of faiths at Catholic gallery. [More News]
• Buddhism in Art: Neglected Buddhist sites in India raise few alarms. [More News]
• Islam in Art: Lalla Essaydi makes Islamic contemporary art a hot commodity. [More News]
• Art Book of Week: Atheist Camille Paglia warns of a future without religious art. [More Books]
• Holyday of Week: Muslim pilgrims mark Eid Al-Adha in Mecca. [More Holydays]

A&O PRIZE 2012 voting begins November 1, 2012, but you can still register today: [join here]. It's an annual opportunity to join a journey with creators, believers, and skeptics too celebrating the  impact of the Religious-in-Art within the United States. Who is this Religious Art prize for? It's for you.

Ghilaf-e-Kabaa changing ceremony held

Hajj 2012: Muslims Embark On Pilgrimage To Mecca

Idul Adha: A Period Of Great Sacrifice

Ahmed Mater al-Ziad demonstrates his use of magnets and iron filings (2008)

Movie Review: "Cloud Atlas" (3 Stars)

HOLLYWOOD JESUS
By Elisabeth Leitch

Ask Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and even the publisher of the award winning novel what "Cloud Atlas" is about, and you'll probably have no better idea than before. Just Google the title or read the jacket description, and you'll know what I mean. Basically, "Cloud Atlas" jumps back and forth between six different stories, they all take place in different time periods, and they are all connected. The question that most of the book's descriptions leave unanswered—what the stories actually about. And one which filmmakers Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and Tom Twyker skillfully answer in their seemingly impossible, yet brilliantly executed adaptation of not only each individual story in the book, but the themes that weave them together. [link] ★★★

Neglected Buddhist Sites in Odisha, India

ORISHA DIARY
By Akshya Rout

INDIA---Buddhism held sway over large parts of coastal Odisha in ancient times and the region forms an important part of Buddhist history. The excavation of numerous Buddha images is not only historically significant but also revels the artistic excellence and iconography know-how during the Buddhist era. Magnificent remain of Buddhist edifices and images of the Vajrayana pantheon have been unearthed at Ratnagiri. The Buddhist art in the region attained a high degree of excellence under the patronage of the Bouma-Kararulers, most of whom were devout Buddhists. But the Buddhist historical places are being neglected by the Archeological Survey of India and the locals. [link]

See ‘The Hobbit,’ or just eat ‘The Hobbit’ at Denny’s

WASHINGTON POST
By Jen Chaney

Most people find it impossible to think of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” without simultaneously thinking, “Man, I could really go for a turkey melt at Denny’s.” Actually, that sentence is only true if you change the words “most people” to the “marketing staff at Denny’s.” Which is why, starting Nov. 6, there will be an entire “Hobbit” menu available at Denny’s, as a tie-in with the upcoming Peter Jackson movie.  For example, you could have the Hobbit Hole Breakfast, which consists of two fried eggs on a cheddar bun with bacon and hash browns. (Hobbits all have super-high cholesterol.)[link]

Secularization Breeds Collaboration in “Blessed Are the Artists” Exhibit at Caldwell College

ALGEMEINER
By Elke Reva Sudin

Finding Home #79 “Ishq”, 2006 by Siona Benjamin

NEW JERSEY---Threatened by secularization in the wake of modernization, members of different religions are joining together to give strength and inspiration to one another, even if their practices, backgrounds, and beliefs differ. Comes to play, "Blessed Are the Artists," an exhibit at Caldwell College bringing together 20 artists from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds. Historically a Catholic college, the institution considered doing an exhibition on Christian art, when curator Yulia Tikhonova decided to make the exhibition theme broader. The exhibition shows such a variety of approaches to religion in art and does not make one stance or another, allowing for each approach to be right. [link]

Blessed Are the Artists runs from October 11 to November 10th, 2012. Caldwell College is located at 120 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell, N.J. 

Muslim Pilgrims Mark Eid Al-Adha in Mina

PRESSTV

SAUDIA ARABIA---On Friday, Muslim pilgrims mark Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) holiday, when they proceed to Mina, a small village east of Mecca, and throw stones at the devil. Following the symbolic stoning of the devil, Muslim pilgrims also perform the ritual of sacrificing sheep and cattle, marking the first day of Eid al-Adha. The day marks the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage and Muslims around the world celebrate the following three days in honor of the occasion [link]

Artist Rosa Katzenelson: Paintings Beyond Hasidic Expressionism

JEWISH PRESS
By Richard Macbee

"Dancing in the Rain" by Rosa Katzenelson

NEW YORK---Passion of belief can certainly lead to passion of expression, especially for an artist. Rosa Katzenelson’s paintings and digital artwork, currently at the Hadas Gallery in Brooklyn, could easily define the very essence of religious expressionism. As a Chabad devotee, every aspect of her work exudes a passion for both the chassidic subjects she depicts and the visceral act of making a painting. Nonetheless, upon closer inspection her work yields considerably more complexity. [link]

Hadas Gallery (hadasgallery.com) 541 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, New York info@hadasgallery.com 215-704-2205 Until October 28, 2012

Book Review: "The Serpent and the Lamb" by Steven Ozment

AMERICA
By Denis Janz

It is common knowledge that Martin Luther (1483-1546) changed the religious landscape of Western Europe. Fewer of us are familiar with Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), the most prolific and arguably the most accomplished artist of the time. And only specialists know that the two were close friends who struggled together on a united front for many of the same goals. Steven Ozment, a distinguished Harvard historian, scrutinizes this relationship between theologian and artist and argues that working in tandem, they shook “the foundations of established religion and established art.” Ozment’s book is no stodgy, dreary tome on art history or the history of theology. Rather it is an example of scholarship at its best: carefully researched, elegantly written, spirited and provocative. [link]

Kentucky's Ark Encounter Promotional Video

ARK ENCOUNTER

Rutger's Presents "Ornament and Narrative: Women Artists of Eastern Diasporas"

JEWISH ART SALON

"Lilith in the New World" by Siona Benjamin

NEW JERSEY---Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts presents the exhibtion, "Ornament and Narrative" in conjunction with The Fertile Crescent: Gender, Art, and Society program of Rutgers Institute for Women and Art. This exhibit proposes two streams, ornament and narrative, that animate the work of the participating artists. Strictures against figurative representation have been, to varying degrees and at different moments in history, a part of Muslim, Christian and Jewish cultures and societies. [link]
The artists:

Siona Benjamin (India), lives and works in New Jersey 

Lalla Eassaydi (Morocco) lives and works in New York 

Sissi Ferassat (Iran) lives and works in Vienna 

Naomi Safran-Hon (Israel) lives and works in New York 

Roya Akhavan (Iran) lives and works in New York 

Soody Sharifi (Iran) lives and works in Houston 

Najla Arafa (Egypt)

Mitra Tabrizian (Iran) lives and works in London 

Shahar Yaholam (Israel) lives and works in New York

RUTGERS-CAMDEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS STEDMAN GALLERY, Third and Pearl Sts. Camden, NJ 08102 October 15 – December 15, 2012.

Western Images: Nice Buddhists, Not Killer Buddhists

RELIGIOUS DISPATCHES
By Joanna Piacenza

There are a bunch of Buddhist monks killing Muslims in Myanmar and no one seems to care. Prompted by the alleged rape of a Buddhist woman by three Muslim men in June, violent clashes between the two groups keep popping up in western Myanmar. This sort of ethnic repression is not new; the Burmese have long viewed the Rohingya (members of the local Muslim community) as illegal immigrants, despite the fact that many belong to families that have resided in Myanmar for generations. This is the realistic image our Western culture needs to add to its vision of the cross-legged men in the funny robes: the powerful and political Buddhist monk. [link]

France's Artistic Move to Win Muslim World

PAKISTANI OBSERVER
By Sana Jamal

PAKISTAN---In a rapprochement bid between the Muslim world and the West, France has initiated a gigantic task by introducing a section dedicated to Islamic Art at Louvre Museum in Paris. The innovative architectural extension to the world’s largest museum is an endeavour to recognize the remarkable Islamic civilisation, and its contribution to the world, said the Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Mr. Philippe Thiebaud, speaking to journalists at the Alliance Française of Islamabad on Wednesday. The objective of the renowned museum is “to build bridges between the East and the West where we can speak of our differences but also, and above all, our shared history and reciprocal influences over the centuries”, informed the French Ambassador.  [link]

Kafou: Haiti, Art and Vodou, Nottingham Contemporary

THE ART DESK
By Mark Hudson

Madson Mompremier's ‘Les Generales’, 1988, Gassen Collection

UNITED KINGDOM---I’ve rarely come across an exhibition as loaded with context as this one. Voodoo – or Vodou, as the show has it – is a massively complex and contested phenomenon, from the pin-sticking and zombies of legend and fantasy to the no-less colourful reality. Haitian history is tragic and dramatic, fraught with misinformation stemming from the country’s creation in an 18th century slave revolt. The religion, the history and the art produced from them feed in and out of each other in fascinating ways which the exhibition’s promotional material presents as a great slab of facts and ideas that have to be negotiated before you can even get your foot in the door. [link]


Kafou: Haiti, Art and Vodou runs at Nottingham Contemporary until 6 January

Mecca’s Hera Cave, One of Early Islam’s Rarest Relics

RUETERS 

(Pilgrims stand at the entrance of Hera Cave at the
top of Mount al-Nour, November 2, 2011. REUTERS/Ammar Awad)

SAUDIA ARABIA---Millions of Muslim pilgrims congregate in Mecca for the haj every year. The come from all corners of the globe, carrying with them their own versions and interpretations of Islam, but some things unite them: their simple white robes and rituals such as circling the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure that Muslims believe was built by the Prophet Abraham, standing at Mount Arafat and the hurling pebbles at a wall in an act of ritual stoning. But in the shadow of these sacred rituals lurk some practices that Saudi Arabia’s austere Wahhabi clerics describe as sinful or “innovative”. One of those innovated rites is visiting Mount al-Nour, which Muslims believe is the place where the Koran was first revealed to Prophet Mohammad as he was praying in a small cave tucked between slabs of rock near the top of the mountain. Its name is Hera Cave. [link]

Artists at the Edge of Arabia in London This Month

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

Magnetism" by Ahmed Mater

UNITED KINGDOM---London's "Come Together" exhibition brings together 25 artists: Arab and Islamic of the Gulf to Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, including Ahmed Mater (above), widely considered one of the Middle East’s most fascinating contemporary artists. The exhibition title is a deliberate reference by the producers: Edge of Arabia to social networking channels, which have transformed the nature and power of individual voices and expression in the Arab World in recent years..

"Come Together" exhibition is on view through October 28 at Old Truman Brewery, 81 Brick Lane, London, England

Hot And Getting Hotter: Islamic Contemporary On The Block At Christie’s Dubai

ARTINFO | BLOUIN

Lalla Essaydi, Harem 16, 2009 (c. Christie's)

DUBAI---Tonight and tomorrow, Christie’s Dubai will hold its Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian,and Turkish art sales, featuring some of the stars of the region including Charles Hussein Zenderoudi, Shirin Neshat, Lalla Essaydi, and Farhad Moshiri, along with modern masters Mahmoud Said, Louay Kayyali and Paul Guiragossian. “About thirty pecent of the Dubai sales are bought by non-Middle Eastern clients globally – in London, the US, and elsewhere,” Christie’s specialist for this sale, Michael Jeha said, “and also from institutions: Tate, MoCA, the Met.” More artists are emerging, as well, particularly coming out of Saudi, according to Jeha, and from Egypt. “I think the whole region in the next five to ten years will show a stronger awareness and appetite for art from collectors,” Jeha told me, “and an increase in the quality of art – the whole package.”[link]

Issac Witkin's "United We Stand" at Purchase College--A Celebration of Religious & Racial Tolerance

HARRISON DAILY VOICE

United We Stand-A Celebration of Religious & Racial Unity & Tolerance Through Art

NEW YORK---There is a strong connection between the famous Henry Moore sculpture, which has graced the campus of Purchase College for over 30 years, and the life and work of Isaac Witkin. Isaac was first recognized as a promising young sculptor in a seminal exhibition of then modern sculptors of the 60’s, in London, England, entitled “The New Generation”, which, to quote Witkin’s New York Times Obituary, “met with critical acclaim and public bewilderment”! Faculty, staff, students, and the community are invited on October 24th at 4:00 pm when this lyrical sculpture "United We Stand-A Celebration of Religious & Racial Unity & Tolerance Through Art" will be formally introduced. [link]

LSU Airbrushes Crosses Out Of Fan Photo

HUFFINGTON POST

Painted Posse with cross on chest

LOUISIANA--- Louisiana State University landed in hot water last week when the school appeared to have airbrushed Christian crosses out of a photo of several LSU fans who had painted the symbols on their chests. But when the students saw their picture in the school's email newsletter, they noticed the crosses had been removed. The airbrushing prompted anger and a certain amount of confusion, since the crosses remained in pictures posted on Facebook and on the school's website, the Daily Reveille reported. LSU is unapologetic. [link]

Crosses airbrushed out of printed photo

Why Camille Paglia is Alarmed About the Future of Art

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE 
By Camille Paglia

As a 40-year veteran teacher in art schools, I am alarmed about the future of American art. Young people today, immersed in a digital universe, love the volatile excitement of virtual reality, but they lack the patience to steadily contemplate a single image—a complex static object such as a great painting or sculpture. Although I am an atheist, a religious perspective shapes my view of art. I spent the past five years writing a book (Glittering Images), which charts the evolving styles of Western art during the past 3,000 years. [link]

Museum of Biblical Art Has a New Exhibit Entitled 'Louis C. Tiffany and the Art of Devotion'

DAILY NEWS
By Katelyn Hruby

May Memorial Window by Louis Comfort Tiffany at Temple Emanu-El

NEW YORK---A new exhibition offers a window on the talents of Louis Comfort Tiffany — and a reminder that the city is chock-full of his sometimes hidden gems. “Louis C. Tiffany and the Art of Devotion” is on display through Jan. 20 at the Museum of Biblical Art, arriving with a $55 coffee-table book of the same name. Both the exhibition and its book underscore how Tiffany oversaw production for religious institutions, leaving a legacy of artistic achievement and elegant craftsmanship. [link]

Running through Jan. 20, 2013, the new exhibit features memorials and church decorations Tiffany oversaw and publicized during the 1880s. He created for a range of Catholic, Jewish and Protestant congregations. 1865 Broadway, at 61st St. (212) 408-1500. 

Islam vs Christianity or Islam and Christianity

YAREAH
By Isabel del Rio

Islam vs Christianity: Mozarabic art

In fact, we are speaking of two extended religions that have conformed two extended cultures. Face to face, Muslims and Christians have been living together for centuries and not always fighting. In the Iberian Peninsula, they coexisted during 800 years (from 711 to 1492). The consequence brought some artistic jewels. Today I would like to honor the Mozarabic art, humble but beautiful, poor materials but great architectonic solutions, the real art of a legendary time. [link]

Inspired by Prayer, Evelyn Williams Art Takes Flight in Georgia Art Gallery

TIMES  FREE PRESS
By Clint Cooper

"Freedom Flight" by Evelyn Marie Williams

GEORGIA---A bluebird flies free as the cage and chain imprisoning it break apart and fall through the air in a dusky light. Artist Evelyn Marie Williams said the idea was given to her during prayer. The painting symbolizes the heritage of the United States but could well be her life. It illustrates "the freedom to be who we are, to worship God, to be who we are created to be," she said. [link]


The exhibit continues in the gallery, located at 7825 Nashville St., through Nov. 9. Hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Part of the proceeds from the exhibit go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Rapper Game's Controversial "Jesus Piece" Album Art

SHOHH.COM
By Cyrus Langhorne

Add caption

West Coast rapper Game may be opening up a can of worms in light of his new Jesus Piece cover art which shows a gang-inspired version of the religious figure. In the cover art, Game's version of Jesus showcases Blood-related symbols including a red bandana, gold chain and tattooed tear drop. "I'm calling [my new album] Jesus Piece 'cause last year in August I got baptized and so I've been going to church, but I still been kinda doing me out here," Game said in an interview. "I still love the strip club and I still smoke and drink. I'm faithful to my family, so I wanted to make an album where you could love God and be of God, but still get it poppin' in your life." (Jenny Boom Boom TV)[link]

RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

All the worlds religions promise lives filled with problems, but they also promise miracles. At A&O, we believe in miracles. Miracles are moments when divine power is channeled through men and women we call saints---models of holiness to be imitated. Saints are known in Judaism as Tzadik, in Islam as wali, in Hinduism as guru, in Buddhism as boddhisatva, and in Sikhism as sant or bhagat. This morning, Pope Benedikt XVI named seven new saints (miracle-makers) including the first Native American: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, an Algonquin-Mohawk and patron of ecology.  That's why "Blessed" (above) by Tony Melendez is NEWS OF WEEK.

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

• Judaism in Art: Yaakov Stark's Zionist monument uncovered in Jerusalem. [More News]
• Christianity in Art: Warner Sallman's "The Head of Christ" gets new home. [More News]
• Sikhism in Art: California Temple celebrates 100 years in the United States. [More News]
• Buddhism in Art: Zen master, Jitsudo Ancheta brings spiritual teaching to art. [More News]
• Islam in Art: Film makers offer "Muhammad: The Legacy of the Prophet." [More News]
• Others in Art: Conceptual artist Nathan Coley explores miracles; and we revisit Francis Alÿs (2002) "When Faith Moves Mountains." [More News]

A&O PRIZE 2012 voting begins November 1, 2012, so register today: [join here]. It's an annual opportunity to engage with creators, believers, and skeptics too about the impact of the Religious-in-Art within the United States. Who is this Religious Art prize for? It's for you.

Pope Names 7 New Saints as Vatican Seeks to Revive Faith in Places Where it's Lagging

FOX NEWS
By Associated Press

Native Indians hold an image of Kateri Tekakwitha
 as they wait for the start of a canonization ceremony.

VATICAN CITY---Some 80,000 pilgrims in flowered lei, feathered headdresses and other traditional garb flooded St. Peter's Square on Sunday as Pope Benedict XVI added seven more saints onto the roster of Catholic role models in a bid to reinvigorate the faith in parts of the world where it's lagging. Two of the new saints were Americans: Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint from the U.S., and Mother Marianne Cope, a 19th century Franciscan nun who cared for leprosy patients in Hawaii. It seemed as if a third saint, Pedro Calungsod, a 17th century Filipino teenage martyr, drew the biggest crowd of all, with Rome's sizeable Filipino expat community turning out in flag-waving droves to welcome the country's second saint. In his homily, Benedict praised each of the seven as heroic and courageous examples for the entire church, calling Cope a "shining" model for Catholics and Kateri an inspiration to indigenous faithful across North America. [link]

Tyler Green on Religion and Faith in Contemporary Art

ARTINFO
By Tyler Green | Modern Art Notes

"When Faith Moves Mountains" (2002) by Francis Alÿs

I’m on vacation this week. Instead of new, original content, I’ll be featuring past reviews/criticism that are particularly relevant now. America’s art museums hold much of Europe’s best religious art. But it was with that idea in mind that I considered one of Francis Alÿs’s best pieces when MoMA and its satellite PS1 hosted a two-venue Alÿs survey in 2011. Does Alÿs’s work address faith more than is typically acknowledged? [link]

The Head of Christ Moves Into New Indiana Home

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

"The Head of Christ" (1941) by Warner Sallman

INDIANA---Widely considered the most well collected American portrait of Christ, "The Head of Christ" is part of the Warner Sallman Art Collection at Anderson University, and last month, the collection moved into a new home. On September 23, 2012 the university opened the doors to a new $5 million state-of-the-art 24,000 square foot Krannert Fine Arts building with classrooms, performance spaces, and a new gallery for the Sallman collection. The collection includes includes oil paintings, pastels, watercolors, pen and ink drawings, and bits of typography produced by Warner Sallman. “We have referred to this facility as a sanctuary for the arts because it is a space on our campus like no other, created to enhance the student experience and lift up musical performances at their very best,” said Dr. James L. Edwards, president of Anderson University. Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. It was established in 1917 by the Church of God.

Damien Hirst's 66 Foot Naked "Verity" Statue Unveiled

PRESS ASSOCIATION

Sikh Temple Centennial Party in USA Culminates in Parade

RECORD
By Jo Ann Kirby

Thosands of Sikhs march down California Street near Market Street in the annual Sikh Parade through downtown Stockton.

CALIFORNIA---The Sikh community came from near and far this weekend to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Stockton Gurdwara - a temple on South Grant Street that holds special meaning, because it represents the first permanent Sikh settlement in the United States. A weekend of events, including the reading of a state resolution honoring the centennial, culminated Sunday with a colorful parade through downtown Stockton. Attended by a throng of thousands, the stop-and-go parade was punctuated by martial arts demonstrations, live music and a veritable rolling potluck of sorts. [link]

Buddhist Teacher, Jitsudo Ancheta, Brings Spiritual Practice to Artwork

LOCAL IQ
By Kayla Sawyer

NEW MEXICO---The artistry of Zen Buddhist teacher Jitsudo Ancheta began with gift-giving in celebration of New Year’s Day. He would carve on linoleum and multi-plate woodblock prints, embedding them with spiritual images and words, and each new year, give them to members of the local art and Buddhist communities. The Albuquerque art scene and the Buddhist community support each other, said Ancheta. “The art supports the practice,” he explained in a recent talk with Local iQ. While creating his pieces, Ancheta employs mantra chanting, like the “Heart Sutra,” a famous sutra in Mahayana Buddhism. [link]

Film Explores the Maze of Spirituality That Was Artist William Kurelek

THE GLOBE AND MAIL
By Kate Taylor

"This is the Nemesis" (1965; mixed media on masonite). This was Kurelek's apocalyptic vision of the destruction of Hamilton, Ont.

CANADA---In 1969 the Canadian artist Willliam Kurelek told the American filmmaker Robert M. Young: “First of all, I would like to state quite categorically that I don’t believe I was ever mental … I wasn’t mental.” Today, it is that statement that opens William Kurelek’s The Maze, a remake of Young’s original documentary about the artist undertaken by the filmmaker’s sons, Nick and Zack Young. The remade film tells the story of Kurelek’s remarkable spiritual journey from a British psychiatric hospital to the Toronto art world. Meanwhile, the story behind the documentary, which will be screened at the Rendezvous with Madness film festival next month after a Toronto premiere Friday, is also remarkable, as a filmmaking family unearths an unseen treasure from its own vaults and restores it to view. [link]

Pussy Riot Joins Power Art List

BLOOMBERG
By Farah Nayeri

Pussy Riot, the female Russian punk rock band with two members still in jail, landed on ArtReview’s annual ranking of the 100 most influential people in the art world, the Power 100, published today. The band was 57th on a list topped by Carolyn Christov- Bakargiev, curator of Documenta 13. ArtReview Editor Mark Rappolt said in an interview that Pussy Riot were “not on the list for their music. It’s much more for the fact that they raised the issue of freedom of speech and expression, which sometimes get ignored.” Every year, Art Review gathers an international panel of art-world professionals to pick the 100 most influential people in their field. Below is the complete list, with last year’s ranking in brackets:

1. Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev [14]
2. Larry Gagosian [4] 
3. Ai Weiwei [1] 
4. Iwan Wirth [8] 
5. David Zwirner [9] 
6. Gerhard Richter [11] 
7. Beatrix Ruf [10] 
8. Nicholas Serota [6] 
9. Glenn D. Lowry [3] 
10. Hans Ulrich Obrist & Julia Peyton-Jones [2] 
11. Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani [90] 
12. Anton Vidokle, Julieta Aranda & Brian Kuan Wood (e-flux) [5] 
13. Cindy Sherman [7] 
14. Alain Seban & Alfred Pacquement [12] 
15. Adam D. Weinberg [13] 
16. Annette Schoeholzer, Marc Spiegler & Magnus Renfrew [20] 
17. Marc Glimcher [15] 
18. Marian Goodman [27] 
19. Massimiliano Gioni [80] 
20. Jay Jopling [31] 
21. François Pinault [19] 
22. Klaus Biesenbach [16] 
23. Matthew Slotover & Amanda Sharp [24] 
24. Barbara Gladstone [22] 
25. RoseLee Goldberg [18] 
26. Eli & Edythe Broad [17] 
27. Patricia Phelps de Cisneros [25] 
28. Bernard Arnault [29] 
29. Nicholas Logsdail [30] 
30. Liam Gillick [32] 
31. Ann Philbin [33] 32. 
32. Victor Pinchuk [35] 
33. Maja Hoffmann [37] 
34. Tim Blum & Jeff Poe [39] 
35. Marina Abramovic [23] 
36. Dakis Joannou [40] 
37. Udo Kittelmann [43] 
38. Monika Sprüth & Philomene Magers [44] 
39. Matthew Marks [45] 
40. Gavin Brown [46] 
41. Damien Hirst [64] 
42. Rosemarie Trockel [41] 
43. Wolfgang Tillmans [Reentry] 
44. Agnes Gund [38] 
45. Chus Martínez [NEW] 
46. Isa Genzken [Reentry] 
47. Iwona Blazwick [42] 
48. Anne Pasternak [57] 
49. Sadie Coles [60] 
50. Daniel Buchholz [61] 
51. Toby Webster [62] 
52. Adam Szymczyk [49] 
53. James Lingwood & Michael Morris [55] 
54. William Wells & Yasser Gerab [56] 
55. Michael Ringier [58] 
56. Theaster Gates [NEW] 
57. Pussy Riot [NEW] 
58. Jeff Koons [66] 
59. Steve McQueen [59] 
60. Takashi Murakami [47] 
61. Boris Groys [53] 
62. Emmanuel Perrotin [51] 
63. Richard Chang [73] 
64. Tim Neuger & Burkhard Riemschneider [77] 
65. Slavoj Zizek [65] 
66. Thaddaeus Ropac [67] 
67. Chang Tsong-zung [70] 
68. Elena Filipovic [89] 
69. Tino Sehgal [Reentry] 
70. Christian Boros & Karen Lohmann [92] 
71. Luisa Strina [NEW] 
72. Claire Hsu [70] 
73. Jose Kuri & Mónica Manzutto [NEW] 
74. Brett Gorvy & Amy Cappellazzo [68] 
75. Tobias Meyer & Cheyenne Westphal [69] 
76. Budi Tek [NEW] 
77. Walid Raad [75] 
78. Cuauhtemoc Medina [NEW] 
79. Massimo De Carlo [78] 
80. Bernardo Paz [76] 
81. Christine Tohme [72] 
82. Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi & Maurizio Rigillo [79] 
83. John Baldessari [Reentry] 
84. Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi [NEW] 
85. Dasha Zhukova [81] 
86. Vasif Kortun [82] 
87. Anita & Poju Zabludowicz [94] 
88. Candida Gertler [71] 
89. Gisela Capitain [NEW] 
90. Carol Greene [NEW] 
91. Franco Noero & Pierpaolo Falone [98] 
92. Jacques Rancière [NEW] 
93. Miuccia Prada [85] 
94. Maureen Paley [91] 
95. Don, Mera, Jason & Jennifer Rubell [87] 
96. Paul Chan [NEW] 
97. Victoria Miro [93] 
98. Adriano Pedrosa [NEW] 
99. Johann Koenig [96] 
100. Gregor Podnar [100]

Celebration Begins for First Native American to be Sainted

KANSAS CITY STAR

By Roy Gutman

In this Dec. 21, 2011 photo, Phyllis Tessitore of Amsterdam, N.Y., says a prayer in front of a statue of the the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha at the National Kateri Shrine and Indian Museum in Fonda, N.Y.

ITALY---The Roman Catholic Church began final preparations Wednesday for what will be a watershed event in the church’s relationship with Native American cultures, the canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk Indian who lived in the 17th century, who on Sunday will become the church’s first Native American saint. More than 700 Native Americans, many in full regalia, are expected to take part in the ceremony in St. Peter’s Square honoring the woman who is known as the Lily of the Mohawks. A choir singing an Indian hymn will be among the participants. At a Mass on Monday inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Native Americans will conduct a “smudge” ceremony by burning sage, according to an American church official. [link]

Turkish Pianist on Trial for Insulting Islam on Twitter

SEATTLE TIMES
By Susan Fraser and Frank Jordans

Photo of pianist at the piano courtesy of National Turk

TURKEY---A top Turkish pianist and composer appeared in court on Thursday to defend himself against charges of offending Muslims and insulting Islam in comments he made on Twitter. Fazil Say, who has played with the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and others, is on trial for sending tweets that included one in April that joked about a call to prayer that lasted only 22 seconds. Say tweeted: "Why such haste? Have you got a mistress waiting or a raki on the table?" Raki is a traditional alcoholic drink made with aniseed. Islam forbids alcohol and many Islamists consider the remarks unacceptable. Prosecutors in June charged Say with inciting hatred and public enmity, and with insulting "religious values." He faces a maximum 18 months prison term, although any sentence is likely to be suspended. [link]

Artist Matthew Couper Soaking it up in Sin City for the Canvas

GISBOURNE HERALD
By Kristine Walsh

New works by Matthew Couper exploring sin in Vegas

NEW ZEALAND---Seeking inspiration for his religion-infused paintings, Matthew Couper went to the heart of Sin City. There, he worked under the most devilish glow of any along the whoring, gambling streak of Las Vegas’s Sunset Boulevard. Couper’s studio-cum-apartment lurks in the shadow of the Stratosphere Tower . . . a soaring example of excess in a city defined by its excesses. And there, he says, he found what he was looking for. While his work explores the anxieties around modern life, his practice borders on the antiquated — good old-fashioned paint applied to create Couper’s own interpretation of sacred-style art in a world that humans insist on destroying, and where greed is not just “good”, it is “god”. [link]


In conjunction with tomorrow’s opening of Matt Couper’s exhibition "The Whaling and Naching of Teeth" (PaulNache gallery, 6pm), Hawke’s Bay sculptor Ben Pearce will be in town to launch a new collection of his own intriguing, treehouse-like constructions.

A Sacred Plan for Peace and 35,000 Photographs

FRONTLINE

Colossal Buddha, 8th-9th Century, Mulbek, Ladkh.

Benoy K. Behl is a film-maker, art historian and photographer who is known for his prolific output of work over the past 34 years. He has taken over 35,000 photographs of Asian monuments and art heritage and made over a hundred documentaries on art history. This series carries photographs from his photographic exhibition on Buddhist Heritage of the World, which is currently on display in Nara in Japan and in the French Reunion Island. It was also displayed earlier this year in London, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Leh, New Delhi and at the International Buddhist Conclave in Varanasi. The series has photographs taken in 19 countries/regions across Asia and in one part of Europe which has a 300-year-old Buddhist heritage. [link]

"Free" Film Now Available! "Muhammad: The Legacy of the Prophet"

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib



Thanks to the generosity of Unity Productions, their inspiring and educational film is now available for "free" about the Prophet Muhammad. Entitled, "Muhammad: Legacy of the Prophet" the film is an excellent tool for educating believers, of all faiths (and skeptics too) about the true legacy of the Islamic prophet. Unity Productions is the same team which over the past year has brought the message about Islamic Art to audiences across America using film, at museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as on national television on PBS. We invite, and encourage you to take advantage of this free opportunity.

Here¹s how you can help UPF share their free resource and open minds:

1. Watch the film at www.muhammadfilm.tv 
2. Share the film with others ­ Tweet it and post on Facebook 
3. Request a free DVD copy for educational purposes. If you work with a classroom, civic center or house of worship, you can request a copy of the DVD by sending anemail to "freeDVD@upf.tv".