LAST CHANCE FOR "SPLENDORS"

FORT LAUDERDALE - The final leg of a three year national tour of a special exhibit of “Vatican Splendors: a Journey Through Faith and Art" opened yesterday at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale in Florida. The exhibit is one of the largest exhibits ever to leave Vatican City and some of the items have never been viewed by the public. Attendees can see original works by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Giotto as well as experience a sense of what it was like to paint the Sistine Chapel or to be in the catacombs in the early days of Christianity. Whether you are interested in history of art, this exhibit is definitely worth the time to visit.

The tour began in St. Petersburg, FL in 2008, and according to Mike Kempf of Evergreen Exhibitions there are no other stops currently scheduled. In addition to Florida, the exhibit has traveled throughout the Midwest including St. Louis, MO and Pittsburgh, PA. Below is the promotional video.

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Stolen Manuscripts on Display

DALLAS (REUTERS) – Rare, lavishly-illustrated manuscripts from the Sistine Chapel that were rescued from Napoleon’s army, went on display in Dallas last week. The exhibit at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows Museum will run through April 23, and is the only chance for the U.S. public to see the stunning hand-made codices or manuscripts. “There were in the Sacristy of the SistineChapel so there were the most private books ready by the popes and cardinals at very special ceremonies. There are some codices here that Michelangelo would have heard or read from,” said Meadows director Mark Roglan. (Photo: books on display for “The Lost Manuscripts from the Sistine Chapel.” AP Photo/LM Otero)

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Offending "Pietà" in England

LONDON (GUARDIAN) - Surrealist painter Max Ernst’s Pietà or Revolution by Night, in Tate Modern, is a gateway to the psychological power of one of the great themes of European religious art. Ernst’s painting depicts a man – the artist himself – supported in the arms of a kneeling bowler-hatted figure. Neither the supported nor the supporting figure seems fully alive: the grey flesh of the one held up is reminiscent of stone or a ghost, and the bowler-hatted helper is brown, like a figure of clay or wood. The painting is taken from the traditional scene of Mary clasping the body of her son Jesus with an image of the artist himself, held by his father, a Roman Catholic.

According to historians at Tate Modern, Ernst's father "denounced his son's work, and the painting is often seen as rising out of their troubled relationship, although - like dreams - it resists precise analysis." Reproductions of Michelangelo's Pietà are currently on view in the US in Texas at the Museum of Biblical Art (See "Calendar") and Minnesota's St. Paul Cathedral.

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Outcasts in Prayer at the IUPUI Campus in Indianapolis

AOA NEWS
By Ernest Britton

INDIANA - Photographer Rick Nahmias took California as a window into the diversity of religion in America in an exhibit at the Cultural Ats Gallery at the Campus Center building of IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis) in Indianapolis. Entitled, “Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the Disinherited,” the exhibit completed in 2006 documents marginalized communities at prayer in their own faith traditions.

Using large scale photography, Nahimias merges art, history and theology in a collection that is thoroughly interfaith,and introduces viewers to the nation’s only halfway house of addicts self-identified as Jewish, a transsexual gospel choir, a Buddhist community in San Quentin, a Mormon congregation organized by the deaf for the dear, Latina sex workers worshiping of the female folk deity Santisima Muerte, and more. “Golden States of Grace brings together such depth and diversity of faith and humanity, that it seems three-dimensional” said Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking. The exhibit is on view through the end of February.

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INSPIRE ME! Church on Saturday

by JAMES HIPPS

When I was growing up, the only times I remember going to church on a Saturday was either to attend a wedding, attend a Saturday Mass (so that we wouldn’t have to go on Sunday), or the rare occasion Christmas eve fell on a Saturday.

I remember my parents joking about how Catholics would attend Saturday evening Mass so they wouldn’t have to show up in church on Sunday with a hangover…although I later figured out the joke really was derived from personal experience.

As I grew older, and became more aware of various religions I discovered there were different groups that attended Saturday service for other reasons including, but not limited to those of the Seventh Day Adventist faith and some messianic Jews.

But let me get back to the point.  For any of you that have read my posts,you’re aware that I’ve been in search for a house of worship for quite sometime.  I’ve been seeking one that truly accepts everyone and one I accept as well.

This past weekend I had one of those “AHA” moments and I may have found a place to go on Saturday that offers everything I’m seeking in building and maintaining healthy spirituality…and no, I’m not talking about having a margarita on the beach.

On Saturday, I awoke from my slumber to find myself feeling quite refreshed. I thought I would take advantage of this and I headed out to Red Pearl Yoga to attend the one and a half hour Gentle Hatha Yoga class that starts at 10:00 a.m.  I’ve taken various yoga classes before but I must admit, I’m not a regular attendee, so this isn’tsomething that’s the norm for me.  In fact, yoga isn’t something I’ve been particularly drawn to, but for some reason I went without giving it much thought, much like many go to church on Sunday without contemplation.

When I arrived, the thought ran through my mind that it was very similar to going to church in many respects.  The people in the class came from all walks of life.  Some were young, some were old,some were men, some women and there were many ethnicities as well.  I also realized much like those who attend church we were all there for the same reason, to do something good for ourselves, but without the fashion show. The structure of the class also has similarities to a church service as there is a distinct beginning, interim and conclusion.

As the class began, I felt myself transcend into a different place.  It was one of those rare times I was really in the moment.  I wasn’tthinking about the million things I had to do later that day.  I wasn’t thinking about how I could rectify what I feel I’ve failed to yet accomplish in my life.  I was simply there and I was completely and spiritually lifted, finding myself wanting to be a better person and allowing that positive energy to flow into the universe with the hopes it would positively impact others.  For one of the first times in my life, I was giving thanks for all the goodness in my life without consciously saying “thank you”.

But it was at closing section of the “service” that I became most moved and the “AHA” moment was realized. As I lay still, almost numb, allowing my mind and body to completely disconnect, a message of hope came from the instructor’s mouth that could have moved a mountain for me.  She said; “Oncewe let go off all that we possess, once we let go off all we regret, once we let go of all we want and once we let go of all our negativity and everything else that isn't productive in our lives, all we have left is love."

The next thing I knew, a tear was gently streaming down my cheek. I felt it turn from warm to cold as it traveled down my face, a sensation I’ve previously never taken the time to feel.  Although I couldn’t see what was happening, it was beautiful.  But perhaps more important, it wasn’t a tear of pain, sadness or sorrow and it wasn’t a tear of joy.  Rather it was a tear of release and learning to let go and feel the love I have within, most importantly, the love I have for myself. Something I never take the time to feel.

Could this be my “church”? What are your thoughts?

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SABBATH ARTLOOK (Jan 30)

The following is this week's listing of current art exhibits exploring religious, spiritual and human justice themes in the United States.

• SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART | WASH., DC - Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia" ends today, January 30.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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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SABBATH ART | WEEK IN REVIEW

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

"Bust of an Angel" (After 1304) by Giotto di Bondone (1267?-1337)

Polychrome mosaic, 92 x 98 x 6.5 cm

On view: Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, FL

Owner: The Reverenda Fabbrica of Saint Peter, Vatican City State



"Pietà orRevolution by Night" (1923) by Max Ernst
Location: Tate Modern, London, England 

Vatican Manuscripts on view in Texas

"Peace and Energy," (2009) by Pema Rinzin
Ground mineral pigments and gold on canvas
41 x 61 in.
Location: New York City

"Green Pas­tures," (2010) by David Chang
25 x 45 inches, acrylic on can­vas,
Location: New York City

"The Crucifixion of St. Peter" (1601) by Caravaggio
Oil on canvas, 91" x 69"
Location: Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome

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Clicking to Collect at Art Fair

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Britton

At 8:00 a.m. yesterday, art collectors around the world excitedly clicked onto the online experiment which is VIP Art Fair -- the world’s first major online art fair. The excitement however faded fast. Unlike the emotional high of a attending a crowded live art fair, such as Art Basel Miami Beach, the hype for VIP Art Fair didn't match the delivery. It was painfully slow. Pages crashed when loading forcing me to reload multiple times. After two-hours online trying to view the undeniably world-class collection of galleries, and especially looking for spiritually themed works, I stopped trying.


Before giving up on the slow pace of this online art fair experience, I did however spy a handful of works worth revisiting later. They included Untitled (Slit) 2009 by Adam Putnam, a mixed media work on paper at the Taxter and Spengemann gallery. There was also Matthew Chamber's He Refers to Soldiers and Kings, 2000 an oil and acrylic on canvas at NY Untitled gallery; and Matthew Darbyshire's Stool Series (Magis Tam Tam Stool and Carved Ashanti Stool), 2010 at London's Herald Street gallery, but I'm not sure I'll go back to learn more because the page is still loading.

Organized by NYC art dealers James and Jane Cohan, and internet moguls Jonas and Alessandra Almgren VIP Art Fair runs through January 30th. It’s certainly an idea that fits the market trend of increased luxury purchases being made online including those at online art auctions.The first step was to assemble an impressive group of founding dealers, who include Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner. The art fair opened online yesterday with 137 booths; 2,349 artists and an inventory of 8,901 works including 699 multimedia pieces, 2,376 paintings, and 492 prints. It’s a high mountain to climb to turn this into a pleasurable shopping experience and it’s not there yet.

Even with all the bells and whistles of interactive capability, which allows collectors theopportunity to view artwork online as never before including viewing artworks in relation to other works of art and in relative scale to the human figure. You can even zoom in to examine details of a painting’s surface, get multiple views of a three-dimensional work, and watch videos of a multimedia piece. Visitors can also interact with the gallery dealer via instantmessaging, Skype, and telephone to discuss works on offer in the virtual booth. It’s also far cheaper for art dealers to participant because they can have a virtual booth for $15,000 versus the $50,000 they might spend at the Art Basel Miami Beach.

Sadly however it doesn’t deliver the passion and even hysteria of being there live. I did appreciate the post on their website, "" but after two hours of ponderous viewing online I stopped trying, and had not even seen 30% of the work available. Since it doesn't end until January 30th, I’ll likely be back but even if I do, I'm convinced that this online experiment is not yet the vehicle for an online art fair.

Other online art world initiatives to watch include:

• 1stdibs.com,and online design and home décor powerhouse for galleries to post works forsale.
• Art.sy.com, a new service set to launch this spring. The site is designed much the way the music site Pandora guides music lovers to new bands. Pandora CEO Joe Kennedy is advising the company, as is Mr. Gagosian. 
• Christie's offers real-time, online bidding at nearly all of its auctions. A Shang Dynasty wine vessel fetched $3.3 million in September, breaking the house record for an item purchased with an online bid.
• Saffronart.com, an online auction house dedicated to Indian art, sold a $2.2 million oil painting last month by Arpita Singh entitled "Wish Dream." 
• Sotheby's re-entered the online auction market last year after the failure of its 2000 launch when it sold an original copy of the Declaration of Independence to sitcom legend Norman Lear for $8.1 million, but ultimately ended online sales in 2003 after a loss of $100 million. Sotheby's video library is effective at both educating and driving interest.
• Artnet.com, which provides a price database and research material on the art market, restarted its online auctions two years ago following a loss of $11 million but even though they sold more than $12 million in art last year, that venture has yet to turn a profit. 
• Oneartworld.com was created by Internet entrepreneur Jonas Almgren and his wife, Alessandra.
• 20x200.com, Jen Beckman's virtual gallery complement to her lower-east side NYC gallery which sells limited-edition prints ranging inprice from $20 to $5,000.

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Religious Art is Advertising | Rome

All art is Advertising, "even religious art" according to Mark O'Connor one of the nominees for the 2011 Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). O'Connor's comical but effective entry in AICP's annual commercial competition argues that the Sistine Chapel was an ad campaign project for the Roman Catholic faith that worked.

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Biblical Art Museum Closed | NYC

The Museum of Biblical Art in New York City is currently closed but will reopen February 11 for the premier of the exhibition Passion in Venice: Crivello to Tintoretto and Veronesa. This will be the first exhibition ever to focus on the image of Christ as the Man of Sorrows, an artistic figure than enjoyed a dynamic history in Venice and the Veneto than anywhere else in Western Europe.


Its origins rooted in Byzantium, the figure entered Venetian art in the late Middle Ages after which it flourished locally for centuries, eventually acquiring its own name in dialect, Cristo Passo. More than 60 works, by such celebrated masters as Crivelli, Giambono, Lotto, Tintoretto, Veronese, Durer, Manet, and Cezanne, from museums in the U.S. and Europe will illustrate the rich visual tradition of the sorrowful Christ in Venice across different media, including illuminated manuscripts, paintings, prints, sculpture, and liturgical objects.

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Art to Talk About | New Zealand

Three artists on the lips of many in the art community this week are Nikki Huizinga (New Zealand), Salvador Dali (Spain) and Brian Keith Byrd (Georgia, USA). Each artist made a commitment to using their art to explore religious and spiritual themes. Two emerging artists are shaking up what people assume about religion today just as Dali, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work, did in the last century.


New Zealand artist Artist Nikki Huizinga wants to get people to talk. Also known as Nichola Romney, she says her art is designed to foster debate and freedom of expression in a 'conservative' artworld. She is especially interested in 'blasphemy' and is completing 14 works this month for a show designed to do just that including one with burnt pages of a bible.

A new museum dedicated to a far more well known but also controversial artist during his time has opened in Florida -- the new Salvador Dali Museum of Art in Petersburg, Florida. The collection shows that Dali wasn't always a trippy Surrealist painter. It includes works from his beginnings as a classically trained artist who painted still lifes of bread and soft landscapes of his Spanish hometown, his evolution into the world of Surrealism, and his later, religious-themed paintings.

While in Florida, you should also drive over to Fort Lauderdale to artist Byron Keith Byrd's exhibit at Ellen Charapko Gallery which challenges beliefs norms of Christianity in his second solo exhibition, Biblical Proportions.Byrd seeks the validity of its claims through works like Religious Trap, a 103 inch tall wooden cross which is seemingly plain from a distance. Upon closer inspection, it is revealed to be constructed of over 300 wooden mousetraps, a clear reference to “religious trappings.” His work provokes the viewer to untangle religious misperceptions and challenges our religious perceptions.

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Smithsonian on Defensive | DC

Months after the complaints of two powerful legislators prompted cutting David Wojnarowicz's controversial religious-themed video from display at the Smithsonian, the controversy has not gone away and finally the Smithsonian is rising to its own defense.

Earlier this week, Wayne Clough, director of the National Portrait Gallery told the Associated Press he pulled the video because the controversy had overshadowed the exhibition and threatened to spiral beyond control into a debate on religious desecration.

On Thursday, he used the Internet, a Town Hall Los Angeles luncheon and a brief news conference to say he would make the same decision over again - but he would handle it better. Handling it better includes how he gets advice from his directors and consultants and getting public feedback. He told the AP:

"I respect and appreciate the opinions and advice they have shared with me, particularly with respect to how the Smithsonian communicates and consults on important issues. I am committed to improving these processes so that this Institution can meet the challenges of its public mission, including our role in educating about complex topics that involve social transitions or incorporate, in art or objects, cultural or religious symbols," he wrote on the Smithsonian's website.

The storm of controversey started after Clough received complaints from the Catholic League about "A Fire in My Belly," a video by the late David Wojnarowicz. The league called ants crawling on a crucifix sacrilegious, and Republican congressional leaders called for the closing of the show. The next day the video was pulled and since then protests have occured in the streets as well as denouncements by museum directors around the country. (See video artwork below)

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God's Art on PBS | DC

I am convinced that ignorance of US religious history underpins some of the most serious problems the country currently faces. So, I have been more than pleased with the new PBS approach to religious themed programming. The Story of India kicked off 2009 and was followed-up this past April with the two-hour series on the Buddha which included an online art exhibit.


This past Fall there was the fascinating, if somewhat slanted, God in America and a rich website which features self-guided tour information for visiting America's Sacred Spaces. And the momentum continued with the recent series The Calling, which was an absorbing and sometimes wrenching American education about the diverse clergy in America, and their challenges outside of the Sunday morning pulpit. Now PBS's long-running series Religion & Ethics Weekly is suddenly on my radar because of these series as well as the insightful examinations being done on PBS NewHour, The American Experience and Frontline. 

So like many others who are interested in increasing US religious knowledge, we are looking to PBS to increase its work with documentaries such as Freedom Riders, coming May 2011, and we will be encouraging many others to do the same.

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SABBATH ART | WEEK IN REVIEW

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

The Dead Christ Supported by Angels, c.1580–1588.
Paolo Veronese (1528–1588),
Oil on canvas, 98.1 x 71.4 cm (38.6 x 28.1 in.)
On view: Museum of Biblical Art, Feb. 11-June 12, 2011



"Bible Belt"
by Byron Keith Byrd
Mixed Media on Wood
46.5 x 7.25 x 2 inches

"Lighting Freedom's Flame" (2004)
by Elizabeth Metz, Oil on Canvas, 8" x 11"
Private Collection

"Look to Your Own Words, Preacher"
Nikki Huizinga (New Zealand)

"Fire in my Belly" (1987)

by David Wojnarowicz, video (4:10 min)
Music: Diamanda Galas

AICP Next Awards - Case Study #241
from Mark O'Connor on Vimeo.

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MLK Day | Cincinnati

Twenty years ago today in Cincinnati, we began an annual breakfast to honor Rev., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During much of that time, I've frequently chaired the event, and I am again today's co-chairperson. Reflecting on Dr. King's life and dream of a beloved community has been an essential part of her MLK Challenge model. Putting young people first, her goal has been that students and the community will start their day with a better understand Dr. King's dream of equality and true social justice. She has shaped an event in Cincinnati that provides students with opportunities to reflect on Dr. King and service through their art, scholarship and leadership will allow them to connect their service to Dr. King's life of action. 

Quotes serve as an easy reflection starting-point. Some communities include a sheet of quotes in the challenge packet and encourage student leaders to discuss them over breakfast with their family. 

MLK quotes --

• Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
• I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.
• Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?
• Let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge, to make America what it ought to be. 
• Although social change cannot come overnight, we must always work as though it were a possibility in the morning.
• An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
• All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
• Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.
• Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
• Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
• We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
• I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
• The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
• Although social change cannot happen overnight, we must always work as though it were a possibility in the morning. 
• These students are not struggling for themselves alone. They are seeking to save the soul of America. They are taking our whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the formulation of the Constitution & the Declaration of Independence. In sitting down at the lunch counters, they are in reality standing up for the best in the American dream. One day historians will record this student movement as one of the epics of our heritage.

Today's breakfast has a long history. Beginning with the Arts Consortium and the Cincinnati Historical Society it is today co-sponsored by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Greater Cincinnati Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition, but remains community focused on service. 

Have a blessed MLK day of service.

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EXORCISM IS BACK AGAIN | CA

Everyone is talking about exorcism right now. The Discovery Channel and the Vatican are arguing about involvement in a new reality show on exorcism. The Baltimore Sun reports that local Priests are taking exorcism training. And on January 26, the newest major exorcist movie The Rite premiers featuring Anthony Hopkins.

Certainly the movie will benefit from all this extra word-of-mouth of exorcism but what struck us was the new poster. It features an upside down crucifix motif and individual image boxes with those evil Hannibal Lector eyes piercing through it. Some unearthly power will is pushing this international dialogue about exorcism so I guess we'll definitely see this movie. Bring the holy water, crucifixes, popcorn and nachos!

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Censorship Protests Continue | NY

David Wojnarowicz's controversial religious-themed video which was pulled from display at the Smithsonian in November went on display Thursday at Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art. In addition to New York City's MoMA, in Pittsburgh, The Mattress Factory Museum is also currently screening David Wojnarowicz's "A Fire in My Belly" in their lobby through February 13, 2011.

The video which includes images of crawling ants on a crucifix was removed from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in response to pressure from religious extremists. On January 2nd,God's Art Museum"honored" (is that the right word?) the censors of the Smithsonian display with our first annual Worst of the Year Awards.

Also showing the video are the the Andy Warhol Museum and the Wood Street Galleries in Pittsubrgh; The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA; The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the Pacific Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR; The New Museum, New York; International Center for Photography, New York; The Glassel School of Art, Houston, TX; Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA; The Tate Modern, London; and many more.

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How to Meet a Hindu | India

The last work of Indian contemporary master artist Tyeb Mehta, painted just before his death in 2009, is now on view in Delhi, India in a rare exposition of the artist`s unseen work at India Art Summit through Feb. 18. Mehta, one of India`s most expensive artists, created auction history in 2005, when his ‘Mahishasura,' an interpretation of the buffalo-demon of Hindu mythology was bought for $1.58 million dollars at Christie's auction in New York.

Hinduism, is the third largest religion in the world, but have you ever met a Hindu artist, or even a Hindu? Do you know even a little about what Hinduism? According to Webster, it is the dominant religion of India that emphasizes dharma with its resulting ritual and social observances and often mystical contemplation and ascetic practices." A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend an 8-hour drive during a snow storm with a young Hindu attorney, Neha Matta who graciously gave me a much needed education. She began with saying, "It is the world's oldest religion still in existence, with over a billion followers."

Obviously, the most effective way to counter a prejudice is to know someone about whom the prejudice is supposed to apply. Those who personally know Hindus are far less likely to have negative thoughts and feelings about them, or to confuse them with Muslims—but in a country of over 300 million Americans, and overwhelmingly Christian, and under 2-million Hindus, this advice remains wishful. I suggest another way, explore Hindu art & culture by visiting the museum collection at your local art museum.

I've found that art rules every part of Indian life, and is found in every reference of ancient Indian Civilization. Indian art is considered a disciplined style of worship and self-restraint. In doing my own research, it's hard to identify a major art museum without a collection of Hindu art and the second most popular figure seems to be lord Shiva. He is visually represented as "King of Dance" or Nataraja. The Shiva is a symbol of divine powers which has been frozen in stone and bronze for around 5,000 years. The #1 figure however, and recently popularized to American audiences in the book and movie, "Love, Eat, Pray" is the elephant deity Ganesha.

I also asked my new Hindu friend, Neha Matta to name their sacred text, and she told me it is called the Shastra and later, I found a helpful website on it. What I've discovered is that it is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices that originated in India, characterized by the belief in reincarnation, and one absolute being of multiple manifestations. It's a faith about "cause and effect," and following the path of righteousness to end the "cycle of births and deaths."

Obviously none of this new knowledge makes me an expert on Hinduism,  nor does visiting a museum increase your chances of meeting a Hindu. However in a nation where their small population is not distributed evenly across the country (See Temple distribution), but concentrated in places like California, and major cities such as Chicago and New York City, exploring their art at your local museum is a good place to start for when you do meet a Hindu.

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World Religion Day

Yesterday was World Religion Day, established by the Baha'i faith of the United States in 1950 to call attention to the essential oneness of the world's religions. As the Baha'i writings state, "the gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion." World Religion Day is now observed around the globe by many faith traditions with conferences, interfaith activities and prayer services.

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Art by James Rosen on View | MO

James Rosen, S. Agata, 1986.
Oil and wax/oil emulsion on canvas.
Collection of MOCRA.

St. Louis-based Museum of Contemporary Religious Arts reopened on Tuesday, January 11 following the holiday break. The Museum also announced that the current exhibition James Rosen: The Artist and the Capable Observer has been extended through February 13, 2011.

The exhibition is a survey of paintings, watercolors, and drawings from the artist's six-decade career creating  poetic images that are conducive to quiet contemplation.

Established in 1991, the museum is located  at 3700 West Pine Mall Blvd (a pedestrian mall) on the campus of Saint Louis University in midtown St. Louis, Missouri.

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A Labyrinth of Snow at the Museum | Indianapolis

AOA NEWS
By Ernest Britton

INDIANA - In Indianapolis yesterday, the public was invited (for "Free") to help make a large-scale pathway out of snow: a meditative labyrinth. The experience was organized for ages 6 and up, and facilitated by artists Heidi Fledderjohn and Tom Streit. All who attended were encouraged to dress warm and to bring their own shovel. Afterward, the Indianapolis Museum of Art invited everyone inside for lunch and hot chocolate.

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Quote: "Live up to our children's expectations." - Pres. Obama

Wednesday nights memorial service in Tucson, AZ took on the form of a national catharsis, including a presidential reading from the Book of Psalms. Thousands of students and others in the crowd cheered at several points during Mr. Obama’s 32-minute address, which sometimes had the feel of a rally dedicated to the Arizona victims.
 

The entire memorial service is included below:
 

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THE WORST OF 2010

It's awards season, and on this first Sabbath Day of the new year we're not honoring the heroes of religious artistic expression but the worst villains of 2010 with the new Religious Arts Censorship Awards (RACA). This lowly award recognizes the year's worst censors of religious artistic expression.

Why create such an award category? Because we want to bring a much needed light of faith to stories that would otherwise be forgotten as purely culture wars between good religious people vs. bad non-religious artists. The five RACA's will be presented this afternoon in Cincinnati, Ohio, a city well-known for censorship and the home of a leading nominee, House Speaker to-be John Boehner. The 2010 set of winners of the lowly RACA are:

• Pontius Pilot Award:
  Congressmen John Boehner and Eric Cantor for reigniting the culture wars by calling for the closing of a Smithsonian exhibit based on their religious views without even seeing the exhibit.
• Judas Iscariot Award:
  Director of Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, Dr. Martin Sullivan for caving in to political pressure and censoring a religious work by a gay American artist.
• Goliath Award:
  Montana truck driver Kathleen Folden for the destruction of artwork by Professor Enrique Chagoya.
• King Herod's Award:
  Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki for issuing a death threat on an American artist for creating Draw Mohammad Day.

In contrast to this lowly RACA, separately each Fall the readers of "God's Art Museum" vote to honor an artist each for excellence with its Gammy Prize. The Gammy Prize, acknowledges the very highest levels of achievement in promoting dialogue in America about excellence in religious & spiritual art. Further details on the work of Alpha Omega Arts can be viewed online at the website: http://www.alphaomegaarts.com/

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SABBATH ART | WEEK IN REVIEW

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

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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Religious Art Journeys | Indianapolis

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

INDIANA - For a full-day on Saturday, January 29th, the city of Indianapolis will become the focal point for contemporary religious art tour & dialogue. Alpha and Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts will host its first AOA Meetup | Indianapolis, a "Journey" program highlighting five interfaith centers of artistry and craft in the Indianapolis area.

• Indiana Buddhist Center is located at 9260 E. 10th Street. The exterior facade of an ordinary suburban home disguises iconic surprises inside.
• Beth El Zedeck Synagogue, dating from 1915 features artwork, meditation gardens, stained glass windows, an art gallery and gift shop.
• Saint John the Evangelist, an 1860s Gothic Revival structure in downtown Indianapolis is the first cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church.
• The Islamic Society of North American (ISNA), located in Plainfield (just outside Indianapolis),  features Islamic art and contemporary architecture. It is home of the student association.
• Hindu Temple of Central Indiana, located at 3350 North German Church Road, is a growing spiritual community with plans to build a more traditional Hindu structure but inside their current home are the shrines and altars where Hinduism is practiced today. 

The six-hour tour begins at 8:30am and concludes at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for refreshments and dialogue with a local artist about the intersections of art & faith in Indianapolis. The tour is "free" but donations are welcomed, including donations at the planned destinations. RSVP for a schedule, contact Alpha Omega Arts by phone at 317.755.8400 or via email at journeys@alphaomegaarts.org.

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Shari'ah Laws: UK vs. Oklahoma

As Islamic civil rights activists in America like Haroon Moghul were challenging Oklahoma's new anti-Sharia Law as unconstitutional, Islamic artists in the UK were mounting an art exhibit to illustrate that Sharia is a real threat to artistic freedom. Their exhibit was entitled, Passion for Freedom of Art. On November 20, amid speeches against the censorship of Sharia Laws, the shows winners were announced by Agnieszka Kolek, artist and curator who said, "There are regimes that are afraid of art, but artists are not afraid of regimes."  

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A Visiting Methodist | Michigan

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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Quote of the Week | Tolstoy

“Art…is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings,and is indispensible for the life and progress towards the well being of individualsand of humanity.”
– LEO TOLSTOY, What is Art?

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New Year's Resolution, January 1, 2011

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest @DisneyBritton

Make 2011 the year that make the A&O Prize, a cash prize for religious artistic expression.   [Resolutions!]

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INSPIRE ME: Artist, Michelangelo



By Tahlib

The first historical CWG of 2011 features Michelangelo of the "The David" and Sistine Chapel fame. His Italian style and interest in male fitness add a unique flavor to this interview that I find really intriguing. If you haven’t done a tour of his work in Rome, I’d really recommend checking him out. His display at the Sistine Chapel is well worth the dime to fly to Rome, and we Americans are lucky because a replica of his Pieta on permanent display in Minnesota at St. Paul's Cathedral. As for Michelangelo’s inspirations, I’m pondering how I can implement my own version of his inspirations (below) into my life as well. Enjoy!

I born on March 6, 1475, the second of five brothers in Tuscany to a wonderful father named Ludovico di Leonardo di Buonartto Simoni and a my mother was Francesca Neri. Although born in a small village, I've always considered myself a "Citizen of Florence" and some say I have the ego to match. Even so, I have always tried to live each day aware of who I am and how I treat others. It's just how I was raised. Now that I am definitely in the public eye I feel it is even more important. I don't really want to be a role model though, just the envy of all other artists (especially that pompous Leonardo da Vinci). There is so much pressure today to be the best. Even the Pope thinks I am the best and so he trapped me here at the Vatican for five long years painting this ceiling, when I'd rather have been back in Florence sculpting. Anway, I still did it better than anyone else!

Michelangelo's First Painting (1487-88)

I do believe that taking care of your health is important so beautiful bodies are one of my many inspirations! Also, if I feel tired, stressed or out of shape my whole life crumbles around me. I feel almost as bad as St. Anthony must have when he was being tormented by the monsters I painted in 1488 (above). So, I make sure to carve out time everyday to focus on me. Whether it is going for a drink, having great sex with a new lover, or simply relaxing in a hot bath, I plan something to calm my mind and make me feel good. This keeps me sharp and ready for any challenge that may come my way. Oh, and I pray too.

I love that my art is an outlet for my creativity even though my Dad was originally opposed to it.  Every day I get to create a new spiritual experience for people and hopefully inspire them with great beauty. I have always enjoyed working on creative projects. When I was a young apprentice to Domenico Ghirlandaio, I would sit for hours cutting out images of Shepards for him from magazines.  If I don’t challenge myself to try new things I become restless and irritated so that apprenticeship only lasted one year. You can ask anyone in Rome or Florence about that. Lately, I have been reading a lot of blogs that feature stuff about that Alpha & Omega Project in America. If I was an American, I think I'd come up with a new idea to enter into their fine arts competitive next year.

I think one thing people are surprised by when they meet me is what a goofball I am. I mean, I hate to take myself too seriously (well, except for my art). Life is too stressful, especially with the Vatican breathing down your neck constantly about "finish, finish" finish" to spend every day worried and upset, or to be too stuck-up like Leonardo. Whenever I have a bad day I force myself to smile and find someone to laugh about (usually Leonardo da Vinci or the Pope). If you want to read more about me and the Pope, check out Ross King's paperback, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling. They say that the simple act of smiling can also make you happier so I try. I also like to blast rap music and dance and act a fool with my boyfriends (I mean friends). It cures all my sorrows.

The Statue of David (1504)

Lastly, eating well is something I am trying to control, but it is so difficult for me.  Italian's make great ice cream and pasta, and I love to eat it whenever I can! However, I am learning that saving for a special splurge can make it all the more worth it and keeps me slim.  I remind myself that if I eat healthy all week and hit my goals I can have one party night and huge a platter of spaghetti instead of the ice cream I crave every night. I also tell myself that if "The David" had eaten like I want to eat, who would have ever wanted to keep the sculpture! The one I co-created with God looks good even on a switchplate.

Recommend another "Out of the Past" INSPIRE@alphaomegaarts.org

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