A&O Prize 2010: Nominees

NEW YORK - The Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts has announced a trinity of finalists for the 2010 A&O Prize; and the 2010 finalists are:

• Thomas Blackshear lll for his Mother Teresa stamp released on August 26, 2010;
• Abdi Farah for the religious overtones of his installation in "Work of Art" finale; and
• Janet Jaime for her controversial but well executed commission of the San Damiano Cross at a church in Oklahoma.

The A&O Prize (aka GAMMY) is a contemporary religious art recognition for an outstanding exhibition or presentation by an American artist during the past twelve months. The 2010 winner will be announced on November 1. Subscriber/Members of Alpha Omega Arts decide by sending their email vote to "tahlib@aol.com by Friday, October 29."

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Leonardo's Last Supper: A Video Vision by Peter Greenaway | NYC

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib



NEW YORK --- Peter Greenaway, an artist and filmmaker will premiere an large scale, immersive multimedia work based on Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper this December in New York City.  This marks Greenaway's first U.S. presentation of one of his installations. Art Daily writes, "Through his incisive manipulation of light, sound, and theatrical illusion, Greenaway creates a series of dynamic audio-visual environments that provoke new ways of seeing Leonardo’s masterpiece. The installation includes a meticulously detailed “clone” of the painting set within a full-scale replica of the nearly 4,000-square-foot apse and cupola of the Refectory of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, home to the original work." The installation will be on view from Dec. 2 - Jan. 6, 2011 at Park Avenue Armory.

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Quoting Pople, the artist

"It is not politically correct art, but thank God for that" 

 - RODNEY POPLE, Artist

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SABBATH ART | WEEK IN REVIEW

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

Judas’ Kiss 
Paul Lisak (b. Bayonne, 1967)
Oil on Linen, 178 cm x 230 cm

The Taking of Christ
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Italian, 1573-1610)
C. 1602, Oil on Canvas
On View: National Gallery in Ireland

Fingers between Legs
Jeff Koons (b. 1995, American)
C. 1990, Oil inks on canvas
On View: New York City's Luxembourg & Dayan

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Mother Teresa Gets Stamped

COLORADO - A Christian artist based in Colorado designed and created the Mother Teresa postage stamp that the U.S. Postal Service released yesterday on Aug. 26, the 100th anniversary of her birth. Thomas Blackshear II, designer of the 44-cent stamp, has created artwork for 30 U.S. postal service stamps including Joe Louis and civil rights activist Rosa Parks. For him Christian art is a ministry. Blackshear told The Catholic Review, “There have been many times that I’ve heard that a painting that I’ve done has influenced or affected people in ways that are not the norm."

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AOA Colors: Virgin Mary Blue

I selected the colors of Alpha Omega Arts in honor of Mother Teresa on the 100th anniversary of her birth, August 26, 2010.  These colors have been her uniform, and the uniform of her order since 1946. "On the evening of August 16, Mother Teresa removed her old religious habit (dress) and wore a new habit of her future 'Missionary of Charity' Order. Her new dress consisted of a simple, cotton, white sari with blue stripes (blue was the color of Virgin Mary) along with white habits to be worn under the sari." [link]

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Empire State Building's Follies

As the Empire State Building's owners tried to win public support to deny another developer's right to build a new skyscraper nearby, they are losing the PR battle over a Saint. In what could have been a huge and timely win for the owners of the Empire State Building: the lighting of the building for the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Nobel Peace prize winning Mother Teresa, their denial has a city of Catholics and others angry. This evening, the Catholic League will protest the decision in the streets, as they celebrate her birthday. Certainly the owners have the right to deny the honor because of their policy "not to honor religious figures", but should they? The irony is that as they exercise their "right" to deny lighting up the building, they are trying to stop another's "right" to build a neighbor skyscraper. Kudos to NYC's council for allowing the new construction and to the Catholic League for honoring Mother Teresa.

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Yom Kippor ankle bling

In today's ICONIA: Where Faith meets with Art, Menachem Wecker writes, "According to an interesting (and controversial) narrative in the 13th century Kabbalistic work the Zohar, Jewish high priests entered the Kodesh Ha'kadashim, the Holy of Holies, on Yom Kippor with golden chains tied to their ankles. This pricey ankle bling was not merely decorative. According to the Zohar, there was a period of time (mostly during the Second Temple era) when high priests purchased their positions through bribes, and when they tried to enter the Holy of Holies, God found them unworthy and immediately killed them. (Think the pitiful folks who preceded Atreyu's successful passage between the sphinxes in The NeverEnding Story.)" That is certainly a new way to consider the impact of bling. The account is part of a recent exhibit at the Museum of Biblical Art in New York City.

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Movie Review: Eat, Love & Pray

AOA NEWS
By Greg Disney

“Eat Pray Love,” starring my favorite actress Julia Roberts is a movie about self-awareness, interlaced with adventure, romance and spiritual discovery. The three themes "eating," "praying" and "loving" are all fully explored in a way that makes you envy, and admire her experience. Yes, her explorations with food in Italy make you hungry for spaghetti and pizza; and her sexual relationships are also enticing; but its the religious awakening that stands out. On Bali, an island that is now on my bucket-list, Liz (Julia Robert's character) studies under an elderly shaman and finally awakens a peace, and freedom inside she knew was there but couldn't awaken on her own.

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Art & Religion Mix | Houston

Drawing on various aspects of The Menil's permanent collection in Houston, "Objects of Devotion" explores the ways in which art supported religious practice in different times and places. Objects ranging from small-scale works of personal nature, such as Byzantine pilgrim ampulae, to a Maya vessel used in ninth century chocolate drinking rituals, to architectural sculpture, including a thirteenth-century Japanese Shinto shrine figure, allow us to consider the various roles to which objects are put in the service of establishing, reinforcing, and refining spiritual beliefs. This latest exhibit of art and religion runs through October 31. (Read: more)

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OMG!!!

I am at the airport 911 center. These guys in black suits and ear pieces are here in the center. They said crap one of our lines went down. They approached me and asked for my help. I said I was only usually here for the 911 center but ran to grab my bag. Helped them fix issue.
Then found out they were white house communications here protecting the departure of the VP! He is approaching the airport and I helped fix a line so they could be back online 100% for radio communications. LOL. Wow!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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Masterpieces of Italy | NYC

In their first collaborative exhibition, two renowned Renaissance and Baroque fine art specialists, Andrew Butterfield of Andrew Butterfield Fine Arts and Fabrizio Moretti of Moretti Fine Art, will present Body and Soul: Masterpieces of Italian Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture on Thursday, October 21 through Friday, November 19, 2010 at Moretti Fine Art, 24 East 80th Street in New York.
“We are very pleased to present this group of twelve rare masterpieces of Italian sculpture, which are on view for the first time,” said Andrew Butterfield. “We have assembled the best of the best of museum-quality works of art that represent the epitome of Renaissance and Baroque artistry.” According to Butterfield, sculpture is one area of the market where it is still possible for a collector to assemble a great collection worthy of a top international museum. One of the works featured is Madonna, by Andrea Riccio (circa 1510), a life-size sculpture, is the first statue of the artist to be rediscovered in many years, and is the first work by him in terracotta to come on the market since the Thyssen Madonna and Child was acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2002. “This is a sculpture of extraordinary power,” said Butterfield. “It is like a great Bellini Madonna, only in 3-D.”

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Quoting Rev. Jackson

"Don't Let Christ say, 'You Don't Know Me.'"

- REV. JACKIE JACKSON

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SABBATH ART | WEEK IN REVIEW

Mother Teresa's 100th Birthday

Thomas Blackshear II (b. America)
U.S. Postal Stamp

Release date: August 26, 2010

Martin Luther: Here I stand, 2010
Ottmar Hoerl (b. Germany, 1950)
800 copies, 1-meter tall in plastic
On View: Main Square, Wittenberg, German, August 14 and runs till September 12, 2010

Madonna
Andrea Riccio (b. Italy, 1470-1532)
Circa 1510, Marble sculpture
On View: Moretti Fine Art, 24 East 80th Street in New York

Monstrance
Designed by Dominique de Menil and executed by a native silversmith in Port of Spain, Trinidad
C. 1942 in Silver, 19 inches
On View: The Menil Collection, Houston

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Sacred artifacts returned to Indians

More than 200 sacred artifacts have been returned to a Northern California Indian tribe. The Yurok Tribe celebrated the items' return this past week — among the largest repatriation of Native American sacred objects ever — from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. (Read: more)

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Religious Diversity in New Mexico's Art

For centuries, New Mexico has been home to a distinctive tradition of painting Catholic saints in simple portraits, rather than adhering to the elaborate styles of European art. Some critics have said the paintings resulted from untrained Spanish artists doing the best they could. But the curator, Robin Gavin of the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art in Santa Fe never accepted that argument. Instead, Gavin believes artists chose to adopt artistic traditions of Native Americans instead of the baroque styles brought to early New Mexico from the outside world. New Mexico today is known for its santos, or carved statues of saints, and retablos, two-dimensional paintings of saints on wooden boards. The exhibit, "Converging Streams: Art of the Hispanic and Native American Southwest," runs through September.

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Communion Silver Added to Collection | England

The City of Birmingham, in England has purchased "a rare collection of communion silver – with some pieces dating back over 500 years."  for the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. According to Museum Publicity.com, "The collection consists of a rare pre-Reformation silver parcel-gilt paten engraved with the Manus Dei (‘Hand of God’) c.1450; a silver communion cup (1634) and a pair of silver flagons and standing paten by London silversmith Anthony Nelme. The flagons are engraved with the inscription: ‘A Gift to Castle Bromwich Chapple in the Year 1723’." (Read: more)

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The Muslims in the Middle

NYTIMES - "President Obama's eloquent endorsement on Friday of a planned Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center, followed by his apparent retreat the next day, was just one of many paradoxes at the heart of the increasingly impassioned controversy. We have seen the Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to ending “unjust and unfair discrimination,” seek to discriminate against American Muslims. We have seen Newt Gingrich depict the organization behind the center — the Cordoba Initiative, which is dedicated to “improving Muslim-West relations” and interfaith dialogue — as a “deliberately insulting” and triumphalist force attempting to built a monument to Muslim victory near the site of the twin towers." (Read all: NYT-Op-ed)

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Fighting With Muslims

Where is the common ground on creating a sense of community at New York City's 9-11 museum and Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance? The odd man out, in both instances is the Islamic community. I'm not a Muslim, but am Roman Catholic, and I'm watching these two conflicts with saddness. What can be done? In NY, I'm with the Jewish mayor, Mr. Bloomberg who believes if would be a "sad day" if the opponents won. Couple his stance with President Obama's message to Islamic leaders that this was a case of religious freedom, and it's obvious that we all should support building this new center. I say that those opposed to the building of an Islamic center, two whole blocks away from the 9-11 site need to put aside their fear and offer a hand of friendship. For those in Jerusalem seeking to build a Jewish-initiated museum on contested Islamic holy ground, they also need to offer hands of cooperation to work together in finding an alternative location. The common denominator in each is that we are not listening with our hearts to the voices of our Islamic brothers & sisters; and if we continue down these roads of defiance, fear and anger, we will only destroy the noble intentions of both museums.

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Quoting Sister Wendy

In June 2007, Sister Wendy Beckett, an art critic and Catholic nun, stated in a television interview with Bill Moyers that she regarded Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ" not as blasphemous but a statement on "what we have done to Christ": that is, the way contemporary society has come to regard Christ and the values he represents. (Watch: interview)

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God Bless Indiana, State Fair Scupture is Tribute to Grant Wood

AOA NEWS

By Ernest Britton



INDIANA - A 25-foot-tall sculpture inspired by Grant Wood’s iconic painting “American Gothic stands guard in Dow AgroSciences Celebration Park during the Great Indiana State Fair from Aug. 6 – 22. “God Bless America,” which has traveled to Chicago, Florida, Arizona and New York, features the well-known farmer with his pitchfork and daughter by his side. The sculpture, installed July 26 with the help of giant cranes, is a reminder of the nation’s agricultural roots. “This piece of public art is a great opportunity for our visitors to capture a unique moment at the fair,” Cindy Hoye, the State Fair’s executive director, said.

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A Visiting Methodist | MI

By JAMES HIPPS

If you’ve ever attended a Methodist church, you’ll probably agree the name is fitting as they definitely have a ‘method’ to how a service is run.  It’s almost like clockwork and many times, if you’ll look around, there will be parishioners watching the clock, knowing that exactly 11:57 a.m. the benediction will commence.  Ah, yes…the beginning of the end.  You’ve done your weekly duty and put in your hour and now it’s time to head out for lunch.

Growing up in the Midwest, I had the opportunity to visit a Methodist church on many occasions.  My father was Catholic, yet my mother was from a Lutheran upbringing and so somehow, the Methodist church became the compromise.

With the exception of Christmas Eve, every service was status quo.  I could literally walk you through a service at the First United Methodist Church in Eaton Rapids, Michigan (the only Eaton Rapids on earth, yet I’m sure not the “first” UMC) as easily as I could predict what time the six o’ clock news was going to come on.

As with most routine, once we become accustom to it, it’s very easy to be comfortable, perhaps complacent and this seemed to hold true for a majority of the church members.  Each week you could see Sally and Harry sitting in the exact same pew. In fact I’m sure the indentions on the cushions were marked with their DNA.   You knew when to stand and when to be seated to the point that it almost became an involuntary muscle movement.

The demeanor was always quite monotone. Unlike some churches where you’d hear an occasion “Amen” shouted, the congregation remained still.  When the choir sang, it was only the choir accompanied by the organist.  I always wondered if there was a noise ordinance, as the voices never quite reached a heavenly pitch.

But one downfall to all this, at least I’m sure from the Reverend’s perspective is that all this predictable monotony allowed certain members of the congregation to catch up on the sleep they may have missed the night before.

That is until one Sunday…when a visiting Pastor came to preach his sermon.  Now I won’t deny I have no recollection of the message that was delivered that particular Sunday, but I do remember witnessing a miracle that day, or at least something up until that point in my life I honestly didn’t think existed.

When it came time for the sermon all were seated in the pews and just like clockwork, certain heads began to nod.  One of those heads was of the elderly Mr. Miller who accompanied by his wife, would always join my family in the exact same pew.  The Miller’s were quite famous in Eaton Rapids as they were of the same family that founded Miller’s Ice Cream, something families across Michigan enjoyed after church on a regular basis.  So having them sit in our pew always made me feel a bit closer to celebrity status as everyone knew who the Millers were and they knew they sat with us.

But I digress.  As the sermon began, nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first, but then it happened.  On this particular Sunday a visiting Pastor came to deliver the sermon and has he began to speak, his enthusiasm began to grow.  You could see it in his face and you could definitely hear it in his voice as it also grew.  It grew much louder than any voice I had ever heard in church before, and it was at that point I had an “Aha” moment.  I finally figured out why my mother would tell my brother and I to use our “church voices” at times.  She wanted us to speak softer and quieter.  However this man must have been from Ohio, or perhaps even Mars because he obviously didn’t know the unspoken code of conduct as he allowed his fervor and emotions build into a voice that I’m was sure could be heard outside the walls and perhaps even on the street.

I remember sitting anxiously, as I wondered; What would people say?  This man was really preaching and I knew his conviction, not his sermon would be the topic at dinner tables across Eaton Rapids, including our own later that day.

Just as I thought he couldn’t possibly become anymore ardent, his voice grew.  So much so I was sure the roof was going to come right off that church…and how did I know, because this man had done something no man (or woman sitting next to him) had ever accomplished…He awoke the napping Mr. Miller.

But when Mr. Miller came to and lifted his head, he must have been in between the realm of sleep and consciousness because his eyes remained closed and he too shouted to the top of his lungs, but it wasn’t the much anticipated “Amen” or “hallelujah” that we never heard in the First United Methodist Church.  The words that came from Mr. Miller’s mouth are permanently engrained in my memory….”You don’t have to yell so loud!”

A split second of dead silence was followed by that very miracle I referenced earlier… an upheaval of laughter.  Oh my goodness, had everyone gone mad?  But as I bit my tongue as hard as I could so I wouldn’t partake, as I would rather endure that pain than the embarrassing slap of my mother’s hand upside my head, I quickly glanced to see my mother wiping tears from her eyes…tears of laughter, so I too let it out.  For the first time in my life I thought; “Maybe church isn’t so bad after all.”

I was quite right in my prediction the Pastor’s conviction would be the topic at our dinner table, as was Mr. Miller.  But on that particular Sunday, I enjoyed the ice cream we had for dessert just a little more.  Somehow as is soothed my tongue that was a bit swollen because I had bitten it so hard trying not to laugh that it bled,  Miller’s ice cream tasted just a little sweeter than it ever had before.

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SABBATH ART | WEEK IN REVIEW

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

Piss Christ
Andres Serrano (b. Aug. 15, 1950, NYC)
C. 1987, Photograph
On View: A Private Collection

Tomorrow is Andres Serrano's 60th Birthday!

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800 Martin Luther's | Germany

In the 16th-century, Protestant reformer Martin Luther (and German) railed against some practices of the Roman Catholic Church, which ultimately led to the founding of the Lutheran denomination. Nearly 500 years later, German artist Ottmar Hoerl is temporarily replacing the German town of Wittenberg's statue of Luther with 800 colorful plastic statuettes of the famous religious reformer.  

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Fasting, Day V (194lb)

Mother/Father/God: Thank you for today's scripture passage reminding me to seek ways to help the least of my brothers and sisters. Thank you for dinner with my husband last night. It was a good evening. Thank you for Kasey, who shows me daily how to love unconditionally. Thank you for my book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, it's teaching me a new way to talk about my relationship with you. Thank you for the stamina to do my exercises today and to the promise of healthy future to do your work. For these and all other blessing. I thank you. AMEN


EXERCISE SUMMARY:
Day 5 (194lb) - 30-min; 50 sit-ups; 25 push-ups; and 3 sets of 12@
Day 4 (197lb) - 15-minutes
Day 3 (198lb) - 30-min; 50 sit-ups; 25 push-ups; and 3 sets of 12@
Day 2 (201lb) - 30-min; 50 sit-ups; and 25 push-ups
Day 1 (204lb) - 30-min; 50 sit-ups; and 25 push-ups

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Fasting, Day lV (197lb)

Dear Mother/Father/God: Thank you for today's meeting with my Attorney. I was afraid, too afraid to even think of calling on you. I apologize for that. My brain was numb with fear (Devil). It will still be a long journey with challenges ahead but I thank you for being there waiting for me to ask for your support. I know that all I need do is ask you, and you will "roll away the stone." AMEN

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DVD: Letter's to God

This week, the DVD for "Letter's to God" was released. I missed it during it's theatrical release in April but I've read some reviews, and expect to see it soon. It's a story about young boy fighting cancer who writes letters to God, touching lives in his neighborhood and community and inspiring hope among everyone he comes in contact. An unsuspecting substitute postman, with a troubled life of his own, becomes entangled in the boy's journey and his family by reading the letters. They inspire him to seek a better life for himself and his own son he's lost through his alcohol addiction. Best line from the Trailer is from "someone" in a church who tells the Postman, "It seems to me, God put these letters in your hands for a reason."

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Church Rater

If you enjoy exploring new God's Art Museums as much as I do, you should also make Church Rater one of your online destinations. I visited a new sanctuary this past weekend in Cincinnati, Come As You Are and I  posted my first rating on Church Rater. You can do it too, and if more people will add their comments about the visual arts inside it'll prove to be a powerful complement to this blogsite.

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Latino Religious Trends

When I've visited homes of my Latino friends, I've always found a work of religious art. Most of them also identify as Latino Catholic. An Associated Press-Univision poll released today, finds that while 62 percent of Hispanics identify as Catholic, that only includes 55 percent of young adults 18 to 29, compared with 80 percent of elders 65 and over. Additionally, the poll finds that Latino Catholics have lower levels of religiosity than Protestant Latinos. For instance, 70 percent of Hispanic Protestants said the Bible is the literal word of God, compared with 46 percent of Hispanic Catholics. I wonder what the impact of this change will be on the future purchase, creation and display of religious art in Latino homes?

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Fasting, Day ll (201lb)

Yesterday wasn't as tough as I'd expected. It helped to have that dream from Saturday night fresh in my heart. Dear Mother/Father/God: I will win the battle over indulgence and seize the day. I will be a living symbol of what it means to be yours.
Today, I weighed in at 201lbs. I also did the following exercises:

• 30-minutes on bike
• 25 pushups
• 50 situps

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St. John's Bones | Bulgaria

Three key words are central to today's post: sarcophagus, reliquary and relics. Archeologists in Bulgaria report they've uncovered the bones of John the Baptist, the beheaded prophet who baptized Jesus Christ. They were found in a sarcophagus, or miniature coffin inside a monastery altar at the ruins of a fifth-century monastery on the Black Sea island of Sveti Ivan. The sarcophagus had been placed inside a reliquary, or container for relics (A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial). The find also includes an inscription stating, "Saint John." The remains will continue to be analyzed, and while there are some skeptics and competitors for the honor, the remains will be displayed at Sozopol's Orthodox Church of Saint George. (Read: More)

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Quoting Fr. Menezes

"The cross is a 'stop sign' and every time we see it, we should stop in our tracks and listen to God." 

- FR. WADE MENEZES, CPM

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SABBATH ART | WEEK IN REVIEW

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

God Bless America
J. Seward Johnson (b. American, 1930)
25-feet tall adaptation of Grant Wood's American Gothic
On View: Indiana State Fair, August 6- 22, 2010

PostSecret Confessions on Life, Death, and God
Frank Warren
On View: The Indianapolis Museum of Contempory Art, August 6 through September 18

Mecca Clock Tower
The Saudia Arbian clock is made up of 662 metres of concrete structure and a 155-metre crescent-topped metal spire.
On View: Islamic Art Museum in Cairo, Egypt

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Artist: Gilbert Young | Atlanta

"My objective is to illustrate Black life as a positive form locked in matrimony with mankind. I attempt to treat each work as a personal and intimate involvement with the subject. This allows it to develop its own distinctive character while I form my own interpretation. Many times I restrict my use of color and leave the backgrounds white and uncluttered in an attempt to show that emotions and feelings of mankind are timeless and universal." These are the words of Gilbert Young, painter, muralist, sculptor, graphic artist, conservator and arts advocate. Born and raised in Cincinnati, his talent was discernible at an early age. He studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy and University of Cincinnati, and received conservation training under the tutelage of Byron Adams. (Source: Craigslist)

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Adam & Eve, the Gay Version

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Islamic Art Returns | Egypt

In just a few weeks, the world's biggest museum of Islamic art will reopen in Cairo, Egypt after a seven-year facelift. The building designed by Italian Alfonso Manescalo dated from the early 20th century and was displays were jammed with 3,000 objects, including ceramics, tombs, doors, wooden screens, robes and rugs. The new cleaner and fresher design will feature only 1700 of the 80,000 treasures in its massive collection. (Read More)

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ISO Gala October 2

From: tgivens@blackburnarchitects.com
To: Tahlib@aol.com
Sent: 8/5/2010 9:55:00 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: RE: ISO Gala October 2

FLIPPED was a good Truly Moving Picture - Heartland Film Festival  It talks about growing up and first thoughts of "love" and how two kids view it from their perspective and it "flips" back and forth repeating the scence from his perspective and then from hers.  Plus they end up "FLIPPED" as she was first in love with him then she kinda gets over him and heis feelings for her grow stronger.  Good movie it comes out aug 23 or so. 

Yes the $470 is for both of you $235 each.  Hope you can make it!

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Warhol Limited Edition at Auction

I have a couple of limited edition prints at home: 6/25 for one, and 75/200 for the other; but I've never really understood what makes a Limited Edition special. This week I decided to find out more (Read: Wiki).What prompted it? It was an Auction of a print by Andy Warhol in Indianapolis.

Limited edition prints, also known as LE's, have been standard in printmaking from the nineteenth century onwards. A limit to the print run is crucial, as many traditional printmaking techniques can only produce a limited number of best quality impressions. This can be as few as ten or twenty for a technique like drypoint, but more commonly would be in the low hundreds - print runs of over a thousand are regarded as dubious by the serious art market for original prints, even though with many techniques there is no loss of quality.

Edition sizes higher than about 500 are likely to be of print reproductions of paintings, of much less value, though some modern techniques blur this traditional distinction. As in other fields, the use of the concept has become largely driven by marketing imperatives , and has been misused in parts of the market. In particular, lithographic, photogravure, rotogravure, and giclee reproductions of prints, derived from photographs of an original print, which are most unlikely to have any investment value, are often issued in limited editions implying that they will have such value. These need to be distinguished from the original artist's print, carefully produced directly from his work and printed under the artist's supervision. In UK and New Zealand the Fine Art Trade Guild ensures the quality and verification of limited edition prints by employing a number of strictly administered regulations for all processes and aspects related to them.

A limited edition is normally hand signed and numbered by the artist, typically in pencil, in the form (eg): 14/100. The first number is the number of the print itself. The second number is the number of overall prints the artist will print of that image. The lower the second number is, the more valuable and collectible the limited editions are likely to be, within whatever their price range is. A small number of "artists' proofs" may also be produced as well, signed and with "AP", "proof" etc.

Obviously, I'm still no expert but I know a little more than I did two weeks ago, and that's always a good thing.

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Museum Says: Coin is Racist

ART DAILY - Romania's central bank has issued a special coin commemorating a prime minister and religious leader who stripped Jews of their citizenship before World War II. The coin has prompted protest from a director at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Radu Ioanid, who runs the international archives at the museum, said he was "shocked" by the bank's decision to mint the coin depicting late Patriarch Miron Cristea, who led the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1925 to 1939 and was prime minister from 1938-1939. The patriarch was responsible for revising the citizenship law, stripping about 225,000 Jews — or 37 percent of the Jewish population — of their Romanian citizenship, Ioanid said. 

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Metro Contest Finalist

I need your support. Cincinnati METRO is holding a contest for Best Bus story. Voting is underway and will continue through Sept 1st.  I was surprised and thrilled to be nominated as one of the FIVE FINALISTS. If you have voted, thank you. If not, please take a moment and vote for my Story and have your friends vote as well. To Vote, follow this link: http://www.go-metro.com/tellusyourstory.html.

ERNEST DISNEY BRITTON

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Displaying Your God Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Britton

What you collect certainly says a lot about you and your relationship with God, but so does how it is displayed. Frames, lighting and display platforms/cases can be as beautiful as they are functional. While online resources like Exposures.com, with their plethora of frame options are great for family photos, original works of God Art demand the craftsmanship of professional framers and installers. Ask your local gallery dealer for the name of their preferred framers; many also offer professional installation.

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I'm going Where it's REALLY Hot

To: Tahlib
Fm: James Hipps

So, I took your advise and went to church. However, I think this is the first time I've ever gone to church, then had to come home and pray that I wouldn't go to hell for going to church.

I have to let this out, and you are the lucky recipient of my dark side.


This morning, as I said, I got up, and put on some nicely pressed clothes and headed to the Sunshine Cathedral. Being that I've never attended a service there before, I had no expectations. I went in with an open heart and mind.

As I entered, I found my way back to the last row of seats as I thought I'd have a better view of what it was like.

Shortly thereafter, I noticed I was chuckling a bit...something I really didn't know I was doing. But I quickly figured it out as I noticed not one, not two, but three gentlemen in close proximity to me that had very bad, and poorly placed toupees. The reason I was laughing is because of an old episode of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' where he bumps the guy in front of him at church to straighten his toupee. So, ok, I'm really laughing at 'Everybody Loves Raymond', not the people in the congregation. Whew I thought! I'm not going to burn for that one.

Then I forced my observations elsewhere before anyone noticed my snickering under my breath...and what do I see, a guy in a leather vest (no shirt underneath) assisting the choir as they prepared to parade to the front of the church. OK, I thought, here's diversity. A leather daddy praising God. Good for him, I thought...but still, It made me wonder, did he just leave the bar and come to church? Oh Lord, please forgive me for being judgmental in your house!

As the service began, it was nothing unusual. The choir commenced singing and the church leaders paraded down the isle towards the pulpit. It was then, I noticed a few rows in front of me, an extremely flamboyant man seated next to a woman. They were both holding their arms up in praise and seemed more than elated to be in church. I thought, good, I can settle down into the experience, when all of a sudden, the couple started chanting loudly...something I couldn't comprehend. Perhaps they were speaking in tongues I thought, but whatever it was, I laughed, this time out loud and I had to bite my tongue to refrain.

Being a little red faced at this point, I closed my eyes for a moment and thought, just listen to the choir. As I listened however, I heard the sound of a guitar and drums, so I opened my eyes to see. The choir director was playing guitar and needless to say, the music was, well, let me put it this way, I've been to many predominately Black churches and LOVE the soulfulness of the choir. All I could think now was that I should be wearing Birkenstocks and smoking pot. I glanced through the choir and noticed one brown skinned man, and one brown skinned woman in the choir of about 30. The thought immediately crossed my mind. Lord PLEASE let them take this choir over. Lord please make the rest of them stop singing followed by Lord, please forgive me for my sins. So I quickly thought, what's my lesson...there it was, I have an appreciation for the wonderful and energized music found at many Black churches I've attended. Lord, thank you for giving me that appreciation! Whew, not all was lost yet...so I thought. As the choir continued however, the director turned to the congregation and asked everyone to join in by clapping their hands....Lord, thank you for giving me rhythm, something these white folks don't have...and oh, please forgive me for being judgmental in your house once again.

The pastor soon started his rather bland and generic sermon. I think it's something he found on the back of a Cheerios box. It wasn't long before I started to think about Greg's posting about how he imagined slowly choking someone to silence, which seemed to help quit a bit actually. But then, I found myself desperately seeking a message to take home with me. I couldn't possibly go to church and not learn something I thought. When all of a sudden it came to me. Thank you lord for giving me patients to get through this. OH, but wait a minute...I'm afraid I may have just committed another sin in the house of God.

Then came time for the collection plates to be passed. I pulled a five dollar bill out of my wallet, and the thought went through my mind, please let this go to someone in need, but as they passed the collection plates, one of the choir members sang an operatic solo. It was at this time I took Greg's posting a step further and envisioned myself putting my head through one of the stained glass windows, something I knew would be less painful. Oh Lord, please forgive me.

Then came communion. I didn't partake. I wasn't sure what it was, but the Lord knew to keep me seated in silence for this one. Instead, I closed my eyes, and drifted away to a warm sandy beach. Thank you Lord for giving me this vision of what I'm going to do after I leave your house today!

After communion, something I've not been witness to before. A second passing of the collection plates. I thought, geez, I guess they didn't get enough the first time. But this time was different. The rather 'queeny' Rev. Durrell Watkins, a heavy set, middle aged, white man, danced the Charleston while the plates were passed. I really couldn't make this up. I was amused and confused. I opted to leave the other five dollar bill I had in my wallet in place. I was sure I would need it for an adult beverage after this was over...Lord, please forgive me for my sin.

As I summed it up in my mind, I thought, ok, if they'd fire the pastor, fire the choir, ask the congregation to follow a dress code that included shirts and only passed the collection plates once, this may be a nice church. Oh Lord, please forgive me!

As the Benediction commenced, I felt a huge sigh of relief and was glad I was positioned on the end of the last pew. I gathered my keys and sunglasses beside me, scoped the exit and as soon as I heard the last amen, I got in my daily dose of exercise by running for the door and to my car before a bolt of lightning came out of the sunny sky and struck me down.

I'm at home, I'm going to the beach. Lord thank you for giving me that!

Amen!

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Quoting Dr. King

"Every man must decide whether
he will workin the light of creative altruism
or the darkness of selfishness" 

- MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

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