Exhibit of Vatican pieces explores religious iconography over the years

Treasure Coast Palm News
February 11, 2011

"The Holy Family with Two Angels,"
a 16th-century oil on canvas from Bologna, Italy.

FLORIDA-- Just a short drive from the Treasure Coast, at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University, is a treasure trove of religious iconography. "Vatican Splendors: A Journey Through Faith and Art" will be at the museum through April 24. Many of the 200 pieces in the exhibit have never been on display nor left the confines of the Vatican. Syncopated by Gregorian chants and what sounds to be angels caroling on high, a darkened cavern of rooms tells a part of the story of Christianity through paintings, reliquaries, statuaries, vestments, documents and carvings. The exhibit includes works by Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto and Giovanni Francesco Barbieri. The exhibit is an opportunity for people to view an enormously important artistic and historic collection, museum Executive Director Irvin Lippman said. [link]

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Polish Great Dies: Jerzy Nowosielski

The National News
February 21, 2011

POLAND--Jerzy Nowosielski, one of Poland’s most famous artists, has died in Krakow, his native town, after a long illness at the age of 88. Nowosielski gained particular renown for his religious works – wall paintings, iconostases and polychromes in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in many Polish towns, as well as the Greco-Catholic Church in Lourdes, France. In addition to Polish museums, his portraits, landscapes, still lifes and abstract works are in many private collections in the United States, Canada and many European countries. [link]

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Jan Gossaert at the National Gallery, review

The Telegraph
February 21, 2011

"Adam and Eve" (1520)

UNITED KINGDOM--Danish painter, Jan Gossaert’s ability to humanise characters from the Bible and mythology is of a piece with the way he was able to enter imaginatively into the lives of the men, women and children whose portraits he painted.  In his superb Adam and Eve, on loan from the Royal Collection,  Gossaert tells a story that had not been represented in art before. He shows the moment after Adam took his first bite of the apple and it stuck in his throat – his Adam’s apple. Rolling his eyes in panic he puts one finger to his mouth as though trying to gag it out. The source of his misery is the apple, still with his teeth marks, that Eve holds in one hand before taking a bite with her sensuous, greedy mouth. Note how Gossaert pins the blame for man’s downfall on the woman. Entering imaginatively into the story, he humanises these familiar types, giving them individual personalities, like a novelist creating fictional characters. His exhibition at London's National Gallery is entitled, "Jan Gossaert's Renaissance." [link]

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New Bible is work of art 'for eternity'

Des Moines Register
February 18, 2011

"Saint John's Bible"

IOWA--The first handwritten Bible commissioned in more than 500 years has earned high praise since a team of Welsh calligraphers started the project in 1998. Pope Benedict called it "a great work of art . . . for eternity." The Smithsonian described it as "one of the extraordinary undertakings of our time." Iowans will have a chance to see for themselves when prints from the so-called Saint John's Bible, named for the Minnesota university and Benedictine monastery that commissioned it, go on display Monday at the Polk County Heritage Gallery. [link]

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Gay couple denied entrance to Creation Museum event

Louisville Courier
February 20, 2011

KENTUCKY -- A Date Night event at the Creation Museum in Petersburg was disrupted when a same-sex couple was denied entry. While accounts differ, what is clear is that a man who planned to enter the Feb. 11 event with a male friend was told the two would not be allowed to enter. Additionally, they did not receive a refund of the $71.90 cost for the two tickets they had purchased online. [link]

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Christians work behind the scenes in Hollywood

Worldnet Daily
February 21, 2011

CALIFORNIA -- Ministry leaders from New York City and Germany, scriptwriters from Wisconsin and New Zealand, representatives from as far away as Hong Kong and Japan were gathered with Hollywood insiders – and those who simply appreciate the power of cinema – at the Universal City Hilton outside Los Angeles to pray in preparation for Moveguide's 19th Annual Awards Gala and Report to the Industry. The event marked more than two decades of prayer and hard work by Movieguide – since its inception in 1985 – to re-instill Christian values and faith-friendly messages into the movies. In his organization's 80-page statistical analysis and report to the entertainment industry, Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of MovieGuide and chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, gave evidence of the transformation he's been praying for. [link]

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'Crossroads' unearthed at Boston College

Milford Daily News
February 21, 2011

Zeus Kyrios-Baalshamin, Dura-Europos, M8/N7, Temple of Zeus Kyrios, ca. 31 CE. Limestone, 52.0 × 35.0 × 9.0 cm. Yale University Art Gallery, Yale-French Excavations at Dura-Europos, 1935.45

MASSACHUSETTS -- Around 165 A.D., Christians, Jews and pagans lived and worshiped side by side in a cosmopolitan city called Dura-Europos by the Euphrates River on the frontier of the Roman Empire. Located in modern-day Syria, it housed a Roman military garrison of more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians whose lives reflected the hopes and dangers of those uncertain times. Through serendipity and determined archaeology, the city has come alive again through a remarkable exhibition at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College. Organized by the McMullen and Yale University Art Gallery, "Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity" opens a thrilling window into a multicultural society through fascinating artifacts of great beauty and historical significance. [link]

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Religious Life Council Sponsors Interfaith Conference

The Daily Princetonian
February 21, 2011

NEW JERSEY -- In keeping with the conference’s student-focused mission, many of the conferences included student speakers. Three breakout sessions were scheduled to allow students to speak on topics such as “Movement and Physical Presence in Religion” and “The Role of Secular Humanism in Interfaith Dialogue.” Other events included Religion Night in the Museum, a tour of the religious artworks in the Princeton University Art Museum and a keynote speech by Eboo Patel, the founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core. The organization is a Chicago-based nonprofit that Patel founded in 2002 that attempts to “build an interfaith youth movement using service as the bridge,” according to the Interfaith Youth Core’s website. [link]

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First United Methodist church celebrates the arts with a twelve-day winter showcase

Grand Rapids Press
February 21, 2011

MICHIGAN -- For thirty-eight years, First United Methodist Church in downtown Grand Rapids has been showcasing religious art at its “Celebration of the Arts,” which opens February 26 and runs through March 9. The exhibit will feature 150 works by area artists, representing not just Christianity but other world religions as well. Erv Raible, executive director of Cabaret & Concert Artists International in New York City, is curating the show this year. Raible will choose the selections from an expected 450 submissions, according to Deborah May, interim director of Music and the Arts at the church. The celebration starts with a gala concert at the church at 7 p.m. February 26, when Traverse City musicians Jeff and Sylvia Norris, Grand Rapids soprano Diane Penning, and pianist Steve Larson will present “Broadway and Beyond.” [link]

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IMA Exhibit Spotlights Thornton Dial

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

INDIANA -- A fundamental characteristic of Thornton Dial's work is his use of found objects. An exhibition, "Hard Truths" opens this week at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. "The castaway objects he uses for their resonate symbolism, just not for the sake of using materials. They're all signs and have complex imbedded meaning especially when they start to converse with each other," she said. This draws from allegorical displays known as the African-American yard show appearing in the South's cultural topography for more than 100 years. "It's a form of encoded visual language that expresses a wide range of social, political, spiritual, philosophical ideas,"  said Joanne Cubbs, Indianapolis Museum of Art's adjunct curator of American Art. [link]

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President Seeks $125M for African American Museum

Politico Daily
February 19, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC-- In a proposed 2012 federal budget, $125 million of funding for the Smithsonian is dedicated toward construction of the $500 million museum. Half of the fundraising is from the private side is on track. While the actual building is still to come, the museum has a website and sponsors exhibitions that both tour and alight at its gallery at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. At "Save Our African American Treasures" events across the country, workshop participants present historical family items they've tucked away and receive professional advice on how to identify and preserve them. [link]

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Civil rights museum plan draws hope, suspicion

The Commercial Appeal
February 21, 2011

MISSISSIPI--Not all lawmakers are convinced a Mississippi civil rights museum will finally get off the ground, despite the speed at which a proposal is making its way through the Legislature. Rep. Jim Evans says he still remembers how the museum project was first broached by lawmakers in 2006, then taken over and, many lawmakers think, abandoned by Republican Gov. Haley Barbour. Barbour, mulling a presidential run in 2012, is again supporting the project. A bill that has passed the House would provide $55 million to construct a civil rights museum and an adjacent state history museum a few blocks from the Capitol. [link]

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BOOK OF GENESIS BY "FRITZ THE CAT"

In 2009, Robert Crumb (R. Crumb) the comic-book illustrator who created the infamously raunchy journeys of "Fritz the Cat" released another set of bold journeys when he took on the Bible's book of Genesis. It is now on view at Bowdoin College's Museum of Art (Maine). The exhibit, titled “The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis,” is open to the public now but just to balance out the possibility of offending some (or many), the museum has a sister exhibition that is much more serene (or expected), “Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture" from the Victoria and Albert Museum.”

I was a comic-book addicted 12-year old in 1972 when my married uncle took me (and his girlfriend) to the drive-in to see the adult cartoon, "Fritz the Cat." Rated "R" (My first such film), R. Crumb is an underground legend and cult hero of the 1960s, and father of today's adult comic books. Fritz the Car was a sex-obsessed college drop-out who wandered into scenes with New Jersey prostitutes, reefer parties, Black Panther gatherings and also the Hell's Angels as he sought to find himself. I think it was my uncle's personal journey too and I can still smell the burning marijuana that he and his girlfriend shared that night in the car. That seedy imagery is the stuff of which Crumb is best known for so this is quite a shift in subject matter but he pulls it off well in graphic detail.

Crumbs introduction to the book is prominently displayed at the museum, along with the 207 original ink drawings that make up its pages. Each drawing contains six to eight comic panels illustrating the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, and more. Crumb acknowledges that his “Book of Genesis” is not created as a spiritual labor. In fact, in the introduction he states, “I, ironically, do not believe the Bible is ‘the Word of God."... "I believe it is the words of men. It is, nonetheless, a powerful text with layers of meaning that reach deep into our collective consciousness, our historical consciousness, if you will.”

If you can't get to Maine, do as I did and just check out the comic book.

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New Diversity Museum? Ethnicity or Spirituality

AOA NEWS
By Ernest O. Britton

When I read this week about a diversity museum proposal for the Smithsonian, I couldn't help but be skeptical of the chances but also about the need. So, I asked a former colleaque and museum expert Dr. Spencer Crew who responded, "The museum is an interesting idea, but I think it actually coming to fruition is a long way away if at all. The African American museum is in process now and I think a Hispanic museum is next in line. It took nearly twenty years for the African American museum to actually get started and may take nearly as long for the Hispanic. A diversity museum will take even longer to have happen. It will be interesting to see what kind of momentum it builds, especially at a time when the federal government and Congress are in a cutting budget mode." If there will be another diversity museum in the USA, and I assume there will be, why not one that examines our religious diversity? In a nation where religious freedom is listed in the Constitution what could be more American?

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Virgin Mary is in Green Bay

Wisconsin news reported this past week that a site near Green Bay (Champion, WI) has been declared an official Holy site by the Vatican. At the site, a woman reportedly saw the Virgin Mary. According to local news, "It all started in 1859, when Belgium immigrant Adele Brise says the Virgin Mary visited her 3 times at that very site" and reports are that this has never happened before in the United States. For two years, three theological experts pored over historical documents about the shrine. "We had written testimonies, some oral testimonies--written down later, plus a lot of documentation--letters between Sister Adele and the bishop, etc," Green Bay Bishop Ricken recalls, and in December it was officially approved.

Can't get to Wisconsin to see the site, watch the TV news instead: WTMJ-TVNews

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Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs

As political change continues in Egypt, you can further explore Egyptian cultural history in a new exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. It's a great museum where I most recently saw the Sacred Scrolls exhibit. If you won't be able to visit the museum, below is a video tour showing the ruins of King Tut's dynasty, artifacts discovered from the tombs of Tut and the real footage of the discovery of the King's tomb:

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Stained Glass Goes Green

Photograph by: HANDOUT PHOTO: Sarah Hall Studio, The StarPhoenix

One of the more interesting stories about churches this week was a $28.5-million cathedral under construction in Saskatoon, Canada that will combine art and technology when engineers install large stained glass windows with embedded solar panels. Toronto-based artist Sarah Hall used 54 panels to create three large sections — the largest of which is 13.3 metres tall 3.2 metres wide — representing the Prairie sky. Hall is well known for her stained glass work at religious institutions around the world. The Saskatoon Cathedral is believed to be the first religious structure in North America to use the technology.

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PROJECT: FOUNDATION

BY ERNEST BRITTON

During a working session with the IRS this week, we made great progress on securing our 501C-3 approval for the Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts foundation approval. They were far more helpful than they are credited for being. We should be able to get them the additional background information needed this week without a problem. We also arranged for a press conference at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati) with well known actor John Amos; developed several exhibit theme ideas for a high school fine arts competitive; and had productive meetings with both the Unitarians and Moravians. It was a fantastic week.

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SABBATH ARTLOOK (2/20-26)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

"Buddhadharma Sangha" at San Quentin Prison,
photograph by Rick Nahmias for "Golden States of Grace"

 The following is this week's listing of current art exhibits exploring religious, spiritual and human justice themes in the United States. New to the list this week are three shows in the state of Maine: One at the Colby Museum of Art on "Mourning" which runs through October (See below) and the second two are at Bowdoin College and explore the book of Genesis and also ancient objects of devotion. 

• JOSHUA LINEAR GALLERY | NYC, NY - Pema Rinzin in "Compassion Transformed," through Feb. 26.
• IUPUI CAMPUS CENTER GALLERY | INDIANAPOLIS, IN - “Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the Disinherited” through February 25.
• RUBIN MUSEUM of ART | NYC - "Grain of Emptiness: Buddhism-Inspired Contemporary Art," through April 11.
• ELLEN NOEL ART MUSEUM | ODESSA, TX - "The Art of Devotion: Latin American Religious Art" through April 22.
• MEADOWS MUSEUM AT SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX - "Lost Manuscripts of the Vatican" through April 23.
• MUSEUM OF ART | FORT LAUDERDALE | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - "Vatican Splendors" national tour through April 24.
• MUSEUM OF ARTS and DESIGN | NYC, NY - "The Global Africa Project," through May 15.
• COLBY MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME - "Little Elegies: The Art of Nineteenth-Century Mourning," through October 2, 2011.
• MUSEUM OF BIBLICAL ART | DALLAS, TX - Michelangelo’s “Pieta’,” a recently acquired reproduction now on permanent display.
• ROTHKO CHAPEL | HOUSTON, TX - Named by GQ Magazine as one of the “ten greatest places to experience art.”

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Exhibit: Travel back in time with Egyptian boy King Tut in Minnesota (VIDEO)

International Business Times
February 19, 2011

MINNESOTA - Visitors to the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul can now experience the richness of the Egyptian golden kingdom of the pharaohs; most importantly, they will get to see the treasures of King Tut as the exhibit, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs is now open and will continue to attract tourists through September 5. [link]


Won't be able to visit the museum? Here's a video tour showing the ruins of King Tut's dynasty, artifacts discovered from the tombs of Tut and the real footage of the dicovery of the King's tomb:

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Exhibit: The Sacred Tripod: Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism in Harmony

USC US-China Institute
February 19, 2011

MISSOURI - The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri hosts the traveling exhibition of Chinese religious art, "The Sacred Tripod: Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism in Harmony," through August 2011. In traditional China, the Three Teachings (sanjiao)—Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism—were likened to the legs of the ancient sacred tripod known as ding. All three religions were vital creative forces for art, and art, in turn, was crucial for strengthening the faith of adherents. Although the paintings, prints and rubbings displayed here are associated with a specific religion, they often share imagery or stylistic features borrowed from one of the others. Indeed, the same artists often created works for more than one religion. [link]

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Lecture: The Medieval Haggadah

WBEZ Chicago
February 19, 2011

ILLINOIS -- Dr. Marc Michael Epstein will share stunning images from beautiful medieval haggadot, texts that tell of the Exodus from Egypt and outline the practices of the seder on February 22 in Chicago. Though the importance of these manuscripts is universally acknowledged, they contain a number of fascinating elements that have seldom been explored. Dr. Epstein examines them with fresh eyes and proposes new answers to long-unresolved questions concerning the meaning of the art within them and what this art says about broader issues in the Jewish experience. [link]

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Evicted Internet Nun Lists Art as a Hobby

Daily Mail
February 19, 2011


'Sister Internet': The nun broke the news of her eviction via her Facebook page

 SPAIN - Living up to her nickname of 'Sister Internet' - a moniker given to her by her fellow nuns - the 54-year-old broke the news on her Facebook page, where she announced she had been asked to leave the convent  following disagreements over the online activity. Sister Maria had almost 600 'friends' on Facebook at the time of her eviction and listed her hobbies as 'reading, music, art and making friends', according to The Telegraph.[link]

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Russian Artist Makes American Debut

Lexington Herald Leader
February 18, 2011

"Why" by Ludmila Pawlowska

KENTUCKY -- Russian artist Ludmila Pawlowska turned toward her Russian Orthodox faith for inspiration and guidance. Her deep relationship with one of the cornerstones of the faith, the religious icon, formed the basis of a decade-long artistic conversation about concepts so existentially deep and challenging that her work soon belonged in the realm of the church rather than the gallery. Pawlowska uses the traditional icon as inspiration for creating contemporary artworks of the same spirit, works designed to illuminate, to invite contemplation, to take the viewer on an inner journey of the invisible. The works comprise a mammoth exhibit, Icons in Transformation, which has toured the great cathedrals of Europe, where it was so well received that it drew the likes of Britain's Prince Charles to view the works and visit with the artist. The exhibit makes its North American debut in Lexington, Kentucky on Friday before traveling to other cities. [link]

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David Driskell Artist-Educator, and Curator to the Stars

Yale Daily News
By Erin Vanderhoof

"Dancing Angel" (1974) by David Driskel

CONNECTICUT - In a recent interview artist/educator David Drickell (b. GA) describes his work in an exhibition, Embodied: Black Identities in American Art" at Yale University Art Gallery, and another at the School of Divinity. Driskol says of his works, "It has to do with religious subjects. The piece in “Embodied” is called “Dancing Angel,” in which I have used a variety of materials. It's a collage from 1973 or '74." The exhibition runs through June 26. [link]

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Religious tokens show devotion to fashion

Lexington Herald -Leader
September 18, 2010

KENTUCKY - It's official: The practice of incorporating religious or spiritual symbols in jewelry has become ubiquitous among smaller niche designers and more commercial, mass brands. With the public's growing interest in yoga, meditation and personal talismans that offer protection or courage, jewelry and accessory designers are picking up the theme and adorning their work with icons deeply rooted in ancient beliefs and religions. [link]

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Banned Video at Eastman House

Democrat and Chronicle
January 25, 2011

NEW YORK - Rochester's George Eastman House's run of the controversial video that the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., ended this past Sunday. The four-minute video, titled A Fire in My Belly, was made by New York City artist David Wojnarowicz in 1986-87 to express his grief over the AIDS epidemic and his own diagnosis with the disease. It's condensed from a 20-minute film with graphic scenes of violence, sexuality and (most notoriously) an image of insects swarming over a crucified figure of Christ.
Rochester's George Eastman House [link] 

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Banned Video on UNC campus

IndyWeek
February 13, 2011

NORTH CAROLINA - A Fire in My Belly was shown in the Ackland Art Museum's Study Gallery through Feb. 13. [link]

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Architect to remove ‘crosses’ from Toledo elementary school

Toledo FOX News
February 18, 2011

CNN Photo

OHIO - An architect in Toledo, OH is removing a design element from a new elementary school that looked liked the Christian cross. "I actually have not noticed a cross," said Mona-Mae Mitchell. "Is that a light pole?" Some have never noticed the design at the Toledo Public Schools' new Beverly Elementary School construction site at the corner of Glanzman Road and Detroit Avenue, the former location of old Bowsher High School. Others say the designs look like Christian crosses. [link]

Architect to remove ‘crosses’ from TPS elementary school: foxtoledo.com

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Boston's Archdiocese moves to shut 7 churches

Boston Globe
February 18, 2011

MASSACHUSETTS - In a move toward ending its long struggle over parish closings, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston said yesterday that it will solicit public comment on a plan to remove the sacred standing of seven closed churches, a change that under canon law would allow the buildings to be converted into other uses or sold. [link]

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Nothing distracts monks from their sand art

Republican American
February 18, 2011


@cutline attribution name:Michelle Morcey Republican-American
Tibetan Buddhist monks visiting Westover School.

CONNECTICUT - Tibetan Buddhist monks of Drepung Gomang Monastery were tireless in their efforts to create a mandala, a work of religious sand art at Westover School this week. [link]

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Taiwanese painter blends art and life in retrospective

Taiwan Today
February 18, 2011

TAIWAN - For Taiwanese painter Liu Keng-i, there is no distinction between art and life—there is just the work he does. “Painting is my life. I have tried to capture the scenes in my life as they pass in front of me,” the 72-year-old artist said Jan. 20 at the opening of “Aria of Life,” a retrospective on his art and life at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Sixty oils and pastels as well as dozens of pieces of handcrafted furniture, on view in the TFAM through April 3, provide a glimpse into the mind of this visionary artist. Son of the renowned Taiwanese painter Liu Chi-hsiang (1910-1998), Liu Keng-i acknowledged the lifelong influence of his father, who was representative of the Japanese-educated generation of Taiwanese painters. Liu Chi-hsiang studied art in Japan when Taiwan was under its colonial rule (1895-1945). "His pieces create a musical church, and I felt the peace and comfort inside it." Religious architecture made a similar contribution to his pictorial art. "In a dimly lit local temple he discovered a brown tone that fit his expressive purposes. Nature is my spiritual homeland, and not much is left of it in Taiwan anymore,” Liu said. [link]

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Quebec town fights to save prayer in city hall

Vancouver Sun
February 18, 2011

CANADA - A Quebec municipality engaged in a crusade to defend the right to pray in public is collecting donations from across the country. Saguenay Mayor Jean Tremblay, a Roman Catholic is appealing a Quebec human rights tribunal decision that ordered him to put an end to this practice and remove all religious symbols, such as the crucifix, from the council meeting room. The human rights tribunal decision handed down last week ruled the prayer goes against people's freedom of conscience and ordered the municipality to pay a $30,000 penalty to the plaintiff. The national assembly observes a moment of silence instead of a prayer, but has refused to take down the crucifix from the legislature. Quebec Justice minister Kathleen Weil reiterated Thursday the government has no intention of going against a unanimous motion adopted by the Quebec national assembly several years ago to preserve its religious symbols, namely the crucifix. [link]

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Michelangelo died 447 years ago today

HULIQ
February 18, 2011

NORTH CAROLINA - Michelangelo, the artist who created the Pieta and the David, died at the age of 89. The anniversary of his death on Friday, February 18, 1564, is honored and venerated today -- on this 447th anniversary of the passing of the “world’s greatest artist” -- with the ringing of bells in his Florence and Rome, while the Vatican offers a special mass that’s akin to similar events for saints and deceased popes.[link]

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Take the high road with 'Book of Mormon' musical

Mormon Times
(via Desert News)
February 18, 2011

UTAH - Mormon writer argues that the new "Mormon Musical" by the creators of the adult cartoon "South Park" will soon be forgotten so Mormon's should not waste their energy fighting it. He writes,"Parker and Stone's "Mormon Musical" has evolved into "The Book of Mormon" and is scheduled to open next month on the Great White Way in the Eugene O'Neill Theater (that noise you hear is O'Neill rolling over in his grave). So how nasty will it be? Will it make fun of the people, the culture or the doctrine? Will it go after things that church members consider sacred or simply attack the usual targets (polygamy, the Mountain Meadows massacre, Proposition 8, etc.)? It follows a pair of U.S. missionaries who proselytize in Uganda, and it's a traditional musical, as have been some of Parker and Stone's other efforts, from "Cannibal! The Musical" to various episodes of "South Park."[link]

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The Annunciation, in words and stone

The Ave Herald
February 17, 2011

FLORIDA --The Annunciation in Poetry and Sculpture contains nine poems that were judged among the best submitted to a poetry contest last year that invited poets worldwide to submit poems on the subject of The Annunciation. The poems are in both in traditional and contemporary styles, and are set against the backdrop of color photographs that show the creation of the bas-relief sculpture of The Annunciation, carved from white Carrara marble for the façade of the Ave Maria Oratory. [link]

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Rothko celebrates 40 years

Houston Chronicle
February 17, 2011

For the Rothko Chapel, 1409 Sul Ross, artist Mark Rothko
conceived an octagonal, starkly simple space which encapsulates a solemn silence.

TEXAS - After having swept floors and hung wall labels at the Menil Collection as a Rice University undergraduate, Susan Barnes had just accepted a full-time job offer from Dominique de Menil when she saw Mark Rothko's 14 paintings being installed at the Rothko Chapel in 1970. "I will never forget being present when the paintings were being lowered on slings into the chapel through the roof," says Barnes, senior associate rector at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Austin. At the time the paintings — each larger than 14-by-11 feet - were being lowered on stretchers through the chapel skylight, after being driven from New York to Houston in an oversize truck, Barnes was not religious, and it would be more than 25 years before she, at age 50, would start attending seminary.[link]

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David Eagleman, writer and scientist, thinks aloud

The Rice Thresher
February 18, 2011

TEXAS - Interview with scientist, writer Dr. David Eagleman, a novelist, neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine on his theory of, "the connection of art and science as well as his book SUM and the movement, "possibilianism," that sparked from it." In the book, Eagelman argues, "Possibilianism is the movement that I started to encompass this line of thought that we don't have to subscribe to a religious position or this strict atheist existentialist position - those are just two positions in a much wider landscape. It was really surprising to me that everybody was spending all of their time arguing back and forth between these two positions, energizing and polarizing each other. I thought there should be a much wider discussion than that. So possibilianism emphasizes an active exploration of new ideas, instead of just buying into what's been handed over. It also encompasses the scientific temperament of creativity, and of tolerance for multiple hypotheses - thinking of new narrative stories and having a wide enough table to allow for multiple stories." [link]

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Canadians Debate Religious Hospital Art

BC Local News
February 8-17, 2011

This artwork by Bonny Graham-Krulicki is on display at CGH.

On Feb. 14 Mrs. Van Eysinga wrote a Letter to Editor with concern about a Feb. 8 article describing the inclusion of aboriginal art in the display at the local community's expanded Chilliwack Hospital. In response, W. Gruenwald wrote back to take issue with her concern. Next, in a Feb. 17 Letter to the Editor, Mr. Tom Hartley responded that he draws a distinction between religious and spiritual art, "however, since it is arguably all in the eye of the beholder. But if we are to have any art at all in our hospital? and we should since art helps us heal in ways doctors cannot? then there must be some consensus as to what constitutes “religious” and potentially objectionable art. Otherwise, for those who quote injunctions against the creation of idols from the Bible and the Qur’an, as does Mrs. Van Eysinga, most anything could be construed to be an immoral object of worship."

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"A Fire in my Belly"

Creative Loafing Atlanta
February 17, 2011

GEORGIA-- Emory University screened "A Fire in My Belly" as well as "ITSOFOMO." After the screenings, ArtsCriticATL's Rebecca Dimling Cochran, Frequent Small Meals' Andy Ditzler and more lead a panel discussion concentrating on artistic freedom, censorship and public policy. When the Washington, D.C., National Portrait Gallery succumbed to mounting pressures from the Catholic League and conservative congressmen to remove David Wojnarowicz's controversial short film about sexual identity and HIV in the '80s, it added fuel to the censorship fire that sparked activists to protest the Smithsonian's decision. [link]

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Art and Theater: Two Divine Examinations

Portland Press Herald
February 17, 2011


“The Harrowing of Hell,”
part of the exhibit “Object of Devotion”

MAINE -- Beginning today, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art offers two distinctly different points of view on religion and the bible. First, "Object of Devotion" opening today is an exhibition that offers insight into the religious ways of the old world through an examination of finely decorated small-scale sculpture. The second exhibit takes a zany look at the bible from the perspective of comic book artist, R. Crumb. [link]

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NY College to screen ' A Fire In My Belly'

Observer Dispatch
February 16, 2011

UTICA, NY - Hamilton College’s Emerson Gallery, in conjunction with the college’s art department, will screen David Wojnarowicz’s 1989 film, “A Fire In My Belly,” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, in the Kirner-Johnson Building’s Red Pit (Room 127). A panel discussion will follow. Panelists will discuss how the film fits within the artist’s larger body of work, religious symbols in history, and the film’s recent removal from an exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery and implications for museums. [link]

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Dallas Clergy Debate Church Role in "Assimilating" Immigrants

Dallas Morning News
February 16, 2011

DALLAS - Faced with a large number of immigrant families. The Dallas Morning News asks clergy, "Do religious organizations have a moral responsibility to help assimilate so many Latino families into American society, particularly those who are recent immigrants? If not, why not? If so, in what ways should churches help families assimilate?" In Texas, for example, Latinos now make up the largest population group in Dallas and Harris counties, which are the state's largest metro areas and among the top 10 population centers in the U.S. Latinos do not yet constitute a majority of Texas' population, but all indications are that Latinos are driving the state's growth. Latinos are estimated to account for 85 percent of the 4.5 million increase in Texas' population over the last decade. [link]

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Author Greg Garrett explores, "The Other Jesus"

Patheos
February 16, 2011

USA - The Other Jesus offers up a theological exploration that will resound with seekers who feel they are ready to give up on religion but are not yet ready to bid farewell to faith. Author Greg Garrett takes us inside his personal journey discovering a Jesus who cares more for love and redemption than law and tradition, and challenges Christians to live lives based on faith in a savior whose primary two-fold commandment was to love God and love others. The Other Jesus asks how Christians would respond to the brokenness of the world if they took this two-fold commandment seriously and lived it out in a kinetic faith as disciples.[link]

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New Film Director's Series includes Exploration of Lesbian and her Church-going Mom

The New York Times
February 17, 2011

NEW YORK CITY --  The 40th annual New Directors/New Films series, presented by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will feature Dee Rees’ debut feature PARIAH. Executive produced by Spike Lee, the 2011 film is a character study of a seventeen year-old New Yorker (played by Adepero Oduye) whose efforts to explore her lesbian desires are squarely at odd with her middle-class Brooklyn family – and more specifically, her church-going mother (played by Kim Wayans). The film draws an affectionate portrait of a community, one so close everyone knows everyone else’s ‘business’, and dramatizes the longings, disappointments and achievements of a teenager whose ideas of femininity are less traditional than most. A Focus Features release. [link]

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Exhibition of Latin American Religious Art

My West Texas
February 13, 2011

MIDLAND, TX -- Ellen Noel Art Museum's exhibition: "The Art of Devotion: Latin American Religious Art" from the collection of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts through April 3 and William Schickel: Spirit Made Manifest through March 27 (see above). Regular museum gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. [link]

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Inside the Fiery Pool: Art Museum explores the Maya fascination with water

Saint Louis Beacon
February 16, 2011

SAINT LOUIS -  In their new exhibition, "Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea," the St. Louis Art Museum stages a spectacular portal into another world. Monumental and ornate, the fiberglass cast of a temple facade from Caracol in Belize certainly has the requisite "wow!" factor. But it is also dense with water imagery, hinting at the themes that the exhibition so richly and so innovatively explores. Beginning with this dramatic introduction, says Matthew Robb, assistant curator of ancient American and Native American art, the exhibition offers a new take on this old civilization, one that shows how central water was to the Maya understanding of life, death and the cosmos and "how pervasive water imagery is throughout the various media and across time." [link]

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"Mysteries of Jesus Prayer" begins Theatrical Release

Press Release
February 16, 2011

METUCHEN, NJ - With eight years in the making “Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer” takes you on a mystical and fascinating voyage that unearths some of the world’s oldest treasures of religious art and sacred altars that were never before seen by the outside world, until now. This religious documentary film provides never before, first-hand access into these holy locations, secret practices, and ancient prayer, taking you on a once in a lifetime trip to the heart of God. [link]

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Art Institute Creates Hindu God Lesson Plan for Saving the World

Sify News
February 17, 2011

CHICAGO -  Art Institute of Chicago, one of the major art museums of the world, has developed a "lesson plan" for classroom activity in which students of 4-8 grades solve a global issue by taking the role of one of Hindu deity Vishnu's avatars (incarnations). Lesson plan says that Vishnu has 10 avatars, or incarnations, savior gods who come to earth to save humanity from evil at different intervals during the cycles of existence. In this activity students write a story about a problem on earth. They imagine themselves as one of Vishnu's avatars who can solve the problem. Students are encouraged to incorporate recognizable attributes to their avatar. [link]

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Artist Talk: Shirin Neshat at MAM/MSU

BARISTANET
February 16, 2011

NEW JERSEY - Confronting contemporary Islamic society is in the global news every day now, but it will also the subject of a local lecture by visual artist Shirin Neshat at the Montclair Art Museum on Thursday, Feb 17 at 7 p.m. Primarily known for her work in film (feature Women Without Men), video, and photography, Neshat is an Iranian visual artist who lives in New York and is recognized as one of the best-known Persian artists in the Western world. Her work examines the social, political, and psychological dimensions of modern Muslim women and recognizes the complex intellectual and religious forces shaping their identites throughout the world. This series is a collaboration between the Master of Fine Arts degree program of Montclair State University and the Montclair Art Museum. [link]

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A&F's Own Academy Award Winners, for Best Spiritual Awakener?

Christian Post
February 16, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC - Ahead of the 83rd Academy Award nominations, A&F released their Top 100 Films for 2011, including a biannual speical interst list chronicling the Top 25 Horror Movies. Among the millions of accredited search results crowning the “best of” films, what makes this particular list distinct from all the rest is faith. A&F, Arts and Faith, is an open online community that started in 1999, involving members who are passionate about the art of filmmaking and about the religious themes and questions that movies explore. The Top 100 list, generated by Image journal, is the fruit of their discussions on the role of artistic expression in faith and spirituality. [link]

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King Tut at the Science Museum of Minnesota starting February 18

KARE 11 News
February 15, 2011


The golden funerary mask of Psusennes.
Credit: Erik S. Lesser

MINNESOTA -- Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, an exhibition featuring more than 100 authentic treasures from the tomb of the celebrated pharaoh and other notable ancient sites, will make its debut at the Science Museum of Minnesota on Friday, February 18, 2011. The exhibition marks the very first time that King Tut's treasures have visited the region, providing visitors with the rare chance to see the boy king's famed artifacts. It will run through September 5, 2011. The exhibition is organized by the National Geographic Society, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Proceeds from the tour will go toward antiquities preservation and conservation efforts in Egypt, including the construction of a new grand museum in Giza.  [link]

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Evangelization Through the Arts

Catholic News India
February 16, 2011


Father Roy Mathew Thottam

INDIA - According to Jesuit Priest Roy Mathew Thottam, “From the beginning, the Christian community has made use of art forms to propagate the faith, and give expression to their belief in Christ,” he says. “Many of the Christian symbols originated from the catacomb paintings. From the beginning, there was a lot of encouragement and dynamic progress in the Christian community as far as the visual arts were concerned.” Father Thottam holds post-graduate degrees in Fine Arts from Christ Church University in Canterbury and Folklore from Palayamkottai. He spent a year with veteran Indian Christian artist, Jyoti Sahi, learning from and working with him. He has had five solo exhibition of his paintings and four group exhibitions. But after the Renaissance, says Father Thottam, “artists fell from the patronage of the Church and art became secular, especially after the World Wars.”In India, the history of Christian art was somewhat different, Father Thottam points out. The Church in India only ever showed a lukewarm interest in Christian art, because the development of indigenous theology was more “verbal” than visual. [link]

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Love and Remembrance Brings Light to Church

Peninsula News Review
February 16, 2011

Bishop blesses two new stained glass windows at
Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Central Saanich.

CANADA - Two new stained glass windows were blessed after mass was celebrated Sunday at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Central Saanich. One of the windows was designed by First Nation artist Charles Elliott and incorporates the eagle, the salmon and the hands of blessing. The other, designed by Cavon Butler and Tim Smith, of Glass-Smith and Company in Victoria, who also built the windows, incorporates the sun, grapes, a sheaf of wheat and the Alpha and Omega. “I love art, visual art,” said Bishop of the Diocese of Victoria, Vancouver Island Richard Gagnon. “Art helps us draw closer to God.” [link]

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Religion, Sex, and the First Amendment

God Discussion (Blog)
February 16, 2011

BLOG - A brief review of the history of government censorship from the 1907 decision about roman statues in Union Station to the recent Smithsonian controversy. The post includes a short timeline and a couple of video news clips. [link]

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Statue is a gift to the artist, and the Hindu community

Kansas City Star
February 15, 2011

Laura Harris-Gascogne’s sculpture of the goddess Saraswati was dedicated Saturday.

MISSOURI - American artist Laura Harris-Gascogne (b. Florida) created the Hindu goddess Saraswati for the Kansas City Bengali Association. The Hindu deity represents art and learning and all over India, the goddess is celebrated with rituals and festivals that herald the coming of spring. Thousands of effigies of Saraswati are sculpted out of straw and clay and then ceremonially dissolved in rivers sacred to Hindus. Harris-Gascogne credits her stepfather, who was a Buddhist for her fascination with asian art which led to her study of the religious artform in India. [link]

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Thailand's Religious Art Treasures, A Must See

Bangkok Post
February 15, 2011

THAILAND - The Chao Sam Phraya National Museum in Ayutthaya is the second largest museum in Thailand. Opened in 1970, its comprehensive collection of Thai religious art and artifacts makes it a must see in Ayutthaya. The collections are primarily from the Ayutthaya period and include impressive antique bronze Buddha images, carved panels, religious objects, and other local artifacts. Many of the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum artifacts are made of gold and decorated with precious jewels. Of note is a receptacle in the Thai Pavilion that contains relics of the Lord Buddha and other objects of art that are over 500 years old.[link]

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Diversity Museum Proposed for Smithsonian

The Hoya
February 15, 2011

WASHINGTON DC - A new museum focusing on national diversity may be added to the Smithsonian Institution in the District. A coalition of 131 organizations, representing over 50 ethnic, racial and minority groups, is gathering support to build the National Museum of the American People. The exhibits would tell the story of the American "melting pot," focusing on immigration and migration, from the development of Native American culture to immigration in the 21st century, according to the website of the Coalition for the National Museum of the American People. The museum would focus on the identities of immigrants, why they came to the U.S., what happened to them when they arrived and how their cultures and existing U.S. culture have changed as a result. [link]

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Unitarian Couple Offers $10,000 Commission for Inspirational Art

News Press
February 9, 2011



FLORIDA - Joe and Barbara Kotler had a vision after a service at All Faiths Unitarian Church in Fort Myers. “Love your neighbor as yourself,” the Rev. Wayne Robinson told his congregation in a sermon about caring for others. That sermon hit a nerve with the Kotlers. They were tired of all the needless violence in the news, Joe Kotler said. Joe, 94, of Jewish background, and Barbara, 83, of Christian background, decided to commission a piece of art for $10,000 that would remind people to care for one another. “We are our brother’s keepers, and we are responsible for friends and neighbors,” Joe Kotler said. “We have to make sure they are taken care of when they are sick or need help.” Area artists have until Feb. 18 to create art depicting the theme: “We are each other’s keeper.” The Unitarian congregation will choose from three finalists. They will display the art in the church sanctuary in front of the church. [link]

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Let there be light: new Saskatoon cathedral will draw solar power from stained glass

The Montreal Gazette
February 14, 2011

CANADA — A different kind of trinity is emerging at Saskatoon's newest cathedral, where the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon is combining art, technology and faith in a stunning and environmentally-friendly project. The Holy Family Catholic Church, a $28.5-million cathedral under construction in Saskatoon's northeast, has solar cells embedded in the large stained glass windows that will be installed this spring. The cathedral could be the first church in North America to use photovoltaic cells in a stained glass installation, said cathedral building committee chair Jim Nakoneshny. The University of British Columbia used the combination in a library. "It's an art installation, but being able to incorporate energy-collecting methods is a way to show sustainability can be done without it being an ugly feature on the building," he said. [link]

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A New Antony Gormley Sculpture "Transport" Unveiled at Canterbury Cathedral

ArtDaily
February 15, 2011

"Transport" by Antony Gormley

ENGLAND - "Transport" a new sculpture created by the artist Antony Gormley was unveiled at Canterbury Cathedral. Antony Gormley is credited with a radical re-investigation of the body as a zone of memory and transformation. The two metre long work uses hand made antique iron nails from the Cathedral’s repaired south east transept roof to construct a delicate filter-like membrane outlining the space of a floating body. The membrane is pierced with nails passing through it from inside to outside and vice versa. The work is suspended above the site of Thomas Becket’s vestry place in the Eastern Crypt of the Cathedral. [link]

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Nirvana Day on Tuesday

Religious Ethics Weekly
February 14, 2011

Some Buddhists around the world observe Nirvana Day on Tuesday, February 15, commemorating the death and enlightenment of the Buddha. Watch a recent PBS documentary on "The Buddha" and view a special online "Art of the Buddha" exhibit. [link]

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INAH's Exhibition "Teotihuacan City of Gods" has Been Visited by 350,000 Europeans

ArtDaily
February 14, 2011

MEXICO - The greatest exhibition ever mounted regarding Teotihuacan continues being popular in Europe: more than 350,000 persons have admired it in museums of France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, and in March 2011 it will continue visiting the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Madrid. "Teotihuacan. Ciudad de los Dioses," (Teotihuacan. City of Gods) is integrated by nearly 450 items gathered throughout 100 years of explorations at the Prehispanic site, and is currently open at the Palace of Exhibitions in Rome, until late February 2011.  [link]

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Official Holy Site Near Green Bay

WTMJ120
February 11, 2011

WISCONSIN - The Vatican has named a tiny shrine in a small northeast Wisconsin town as a holy site. The Catholic Church has recognized the chapel in Champion near Green Bay as the location of an official sighting of the Virgin Mary. WTMJ AM says it is the only site in the country with that distinction. Green Bay Bishop David Ricken says the Virgin Mary appeared there three times to Belgium immigrant Adele Brise in 1859. Devotees have since visited the site to pray for miracles. Ricken started investigating the events and three theological experts soon picked up the work. After two years of poring over letters and documents, experts decided her claims were true. The Vatican validated those results in December. [link]

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iCONFESSIONS FOR iCATHOLICS

AOA NEWS
By Tahlib



INDIANA - When the new iPhone App for Confessions was launched this week, it quickly became a bestseller climbing to #42 on the iTunes list. Approved by the Roman Catholic Church, or at least one of its Indiana Bishops and it was developed right here in the USA. Two brothers (the blood kind) from South Bend, Indiana (Home of Notre Dame) say they developed the new tool in response to the Pope's 2011 World Communications Day message to "proclaim the Gospel through the new media."

Now we Roman Catholics can pay $1.99 at iTunes to help us in our quest. Of course not everyone is happy with the innovation. An MSNBC reporter called it a return to "condolences" or paying for absolution from sin (See video below). Tim Drake of the National Catholic Register called it a "mockery" and Maureen Dowd of The New York Times parodied, "Our Father, who art in pixels, linked be Thy name, Thy Web site come, Thy Net be done, on Explorer as it is on Firefox. Give us this day our daily app, and forgive us our spam, as we forgive those who spam against us, and lead us not into aggregation, but deliver us from e-vil. Amen."

The description of the application is "Designed to be used in the confessional, this app is the perfect aid for every penitent. With a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament, this app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance. Individuals who have been away from the sacrament for some time will find Confession: A Roman Catholic App to be a useful and inviting tool."

"The text of this app was developed in collaboration with Rev. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Executive Director of the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Rev. Dan Scheidt, pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mishawaka, IN. The app received an imprimatur from Bishop Kevin C. Rhodes of the Diocese of Fort Wayne – South Bend. It is the first known imprimatur to be given for an iPhone/iPad app."

The furor is all much more about anti-tech than mockery or anti-religious. If I had $1.99, an iPhone, iPad, or i-anything, I'd download it, and I'd use it too.

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The Cost of War through Art

"The Human Cost of War"
Photo by Erik Abderhalden

NEW JERSEY - The Puffin Foundation is reaching out to people of faith and artists to help create an exhibit on the rising costs of war. Since 2001, the U.S. has spent over $1 trillion on war in Iraq, Afghanistan and related countries and over 32,000 U.S. troops have been wounded or killed. The public art exhibit by people in the New Jersey-New York area will run from March 6 through April 8.

The mission of the Puffin Foundation is, "to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations that are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their race, gender, or social philosophy." In keeping with its mission to address social concerns, they are currently soliciting works of art that focus specifically on the human and/or the financial costs of war. There will be a screening of all submissions because of space concerns. For more information, inquiries, or to submit work, write to Thecostsofwar@gmail.com.

The Costs of War exhibit and event are co-sponsored by Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County; Veterans For Peace, Chapter 21 NJ; NJ Peace Action; The Teaneck Peace Vigil, and a host of other organizations. Puffin Foundation is also encouraging additional groups, including houses of worship to become co-sponsors.

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Golden Age of Jewish American Art

"The Holocaust"
By George Segal

NEW YORK - The Jewish Museum will present "We Are in a Golden Age of Jewish American Art and We Don't Really Know It" on Monday, March 7 at 11:30 am. Beginning in the 1970s, many artists turned to the basic texts of Judaism - the Bible, the Talmud, Kabbalah and the daily and holiday prayer books - to find their religious and spiritual roots as well as their subject matter. Matthew Baigell, Professor Emeritus of Art History at Rutgers University, examines how these artists developed styles of their own. Rather than illustrating the texts traditionally, they interpret them in intensely personal ways that start from individual points of view.


Widely admired for its exhibitions and educational programs that inspire people of all backgrounds, The Jewish Museum is the preeminent United States institution exploring the intersection of 4,000 years of art and Jewish culture. The Jewish Museum was established in 1904, when Judge Mayer Sulzberger donated 26 ceremonial art objects to The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as the core of a museum collection. Today, the Museum maintains an important collection of 26,000 objects-paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, archaeological artifacts, ceremonial objects, and broadcast media. (Source: Broadwayworld.com).

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Botero's Baroque World

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
March 19, 2011

"The Monsignor"
By Fernando Botero

OHIO - Join Alpha Omega Arts as we experience the art of a 21st century religious art master, Fernando Botero (Colombian). A one day journey starting in Indianapolis, IN and traveling to northern Ohio's Toledo Museum of Art. While there you'll take in the traveling exhibition, "The Baroque World of Fernando Botero" and enjoy a walking tour of some of downtown's impressive religious art & architecture and conclude with Mass with the city's largest Latino congregation. With support from the Archdiocese of Toledo and the Toledo Museum of Art, the tour ends at 6:00 p.m. with a ride back to Indianapolis after dinner at authentic Mexican resturant. March 19, 2011 -- for a complete itinerary or other information, contact us at godsartmuseums@alphaomegaarts.com.

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SABBATH ARTLOOK (Feb. 13)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

"The Clock," Video by Christian Marclay

The following is this week's listing of current art exhibits exploring religious, spiritual and human justice themes in the United States. New to the list this week is Christian Marclay's "The Clock" on view in NYC at Paula Cooper Gallery through February 19 (For gallery information, See below).

• ONISHI GALLERY | NYC, NY - David Chang in "Sacred Dialogues" through February 11.
• MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUS ARTS | ST. LOUIS, MO - "James Rosen: The artist and the capable observer," through Feb. 13.
• MUSEUM OF JEWISH ART | TULSA, OK - “Breaking Glass: Wedding Traditions in Oklahoma Cultures” through Feb. 15.
• PAULA COOPER GALLERY | NYC, NY - "The Clock" by Christian Marclay through Feb. 19.
• JOSHUA LINEAR GALLERY | NYC, NY - Pema Rinzin in "Compassion Transformed," through Feb. 26.
• IUPUI CAMPUS CENTER GALLERY | INDIANAPOLIS, IN - “Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the Disinherited” through February 25.
• RUBIN MUSEUM of ART | NYC - "Grain of Emptiness: Buddhism-Inspired Contemporary Art," through April 11.
• ELLEN NOEL ART MUSEUM | ODESSA, TX - "The Art of Devotion: Latin American Religious Art" through April 22.
• MEADOWS MUSEUM AT SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX - "Lost Manuscripts of the Vatican" through April 23.
• MUSEUM OF ART | FORT LAUDERDALE | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - "Vatican Splendors" national tour through April 24.
• MUSEUM OF ARTS and DESIGN | NYC, NY - "The Global Africa Project," through May 15.
• MUSEUM OF BIBLICAL ART | DALLAS, TX - Michelangelo’s “Pieta’,” a recently acquired reproduction now on permanent display.
• ROTHKO CHAPEL | HOUSTON, TX - Named by GQ Magazine as one of the “ten greatest places to experience art.”

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