StyleIslam: Fun, Creative and Unifying Fashion & Design

ARAB NEWS
By Lisa Kaaki

GERMANY - After 9/11, the world changed its attitude toward Muslims and Islam. Every Muslim was viewed as a possible terrorist. At that point, the founder of Styleislam, graphic designer Melih Kesmen, thought it was time to show Islam in a different light and come up with a positive statement. Before founding Styleislam, an online Islamic-themed clothing label, in Germany three years ago, Kesmen was the CEO of Manatwork, an advertising agency which he established in 1998. Kesmen wanted to challenge the stereotypes of Islam that were being circulated, so he designed hip street wear along with accessories adorned with Islamic messages. These slogans introduced people to the Muslim faith. Kesmen is especially committed to international projects involving young Muslims and non-Muslims in Germany. Although the majority of customers are Muslims, approximately a quarter of the customers are non-Muslim. [link]

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Movies 2011: An A&O Journey

By Greg Disney

A&O MOVIES (it's in my blood) is an archive of movies seen, and posts made about the religious & spiritual in movies. In 2008, we began making movie dates each Saturday in two different cities, and blogging about them for friends the next day.

DECEMBER 2011

• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hardy
• Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol - Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Robert Downey, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright\
• We Bought a Zoo - Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Patrick Fugit, Thomas Haden Church

NOVEMBER 2011

• J. Edgar - Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Damon Herriman, Judi Dench
• Immortals - Henry Cavill, Reymundo Banderas, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto
• Hugo - Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz
• The Muppets - Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones

OCTOBER 2011

• The Rum Diary - Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins

SEPTEMBER 2011

• Contagion - Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon
• Killer Elite - Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Dominic Purcell, Robert De Niro
• Moneyball - Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright

AUGUST 2011

• Rise of the Planet of the Apes - James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis
• The Help - Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney
• Colombiana - Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Amandla Stenberg
• The Debt - Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson

JULY 2011

• Larry Crowne - Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Taraji P. Henson, Cedric the Entertainer
• Project Nim
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Helena Bonham Carter
• Friends with Benefits - Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Alex Rodriguez, Woody Harrelson
• Cowboys and Aliens - Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Noah Ringer
• Crazy, Stupid, Love - Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore

JUNE 2011

• X-Men: First Class - James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Caleb Landry Jones
• Green Lantern - Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong 
• Bad Teacher - Cameron Diaz, Lucy Punch, Jason Segel, John Michael Higgins
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, James Avery, Frances McDormand

MAY 2011

• Thor - Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Colm Feore, Jaimie Alexander
• Bridesmaids - Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Ellie Kemper
• Midnight in Paris - Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Carla Bruni, Rachel McAdams
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane
• The Hangover Part II - Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha
• The Tree of Life - Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Tye Sheridan

APRIL 2011

• Arthur - Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner
• The Conspirator - James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood
• Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family - Isaiah Mustafa, Loretta Devine, Bow Wow
• Water for Elephants - Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, Hal Holbrook

MARCH 2011

• The Adjustment Bureau - Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Shohreh Aghdashloo
• Battle: Los Angeles - Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, Bridget Moynahan
• Limitless - Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel
• The Lincoln Lawyer - Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy

FEBUARY 2011

• Sanctum - Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson, Dan Wyllie
• I Am Number Four - Alex Pettyfer, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Kevin Durand
• Unknown - Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Frank Langella

JANUARY 2011

• The Dilemma - Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly
• The Green Hornet - Seth Rogen, Michael Pena, Adam Sandler, Cameron Diaz
• No Strings Attached - Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Ben Lawson, Greta Gerwig
• The Rite - Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds

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Canada Bans Islamic Veils at Citizenship Oath

BBC NEWS

Canada is considering a wider ban on veils in government offices, schools and hospitals

CANADA - Canada's government has introduced a ban on the wearing of veils while swearing the oath of citizenship. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney told a news conference in Montreal anyone wanting to become a Canadian would have to show their face. He said citizenship judges and MPs had complained it could be hard to tell if veiled applicants were actually reciting the oath. Veils and face coverings are already banned in Quebec for people receiving some government services. Canada is considering a wider ban on veils in government offices, schools and hospitals.Some European countries are also debating the issue. France and Belgium have introduced a ban on wearing the full Islamic veil in public. [link]

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India's Art & Soul Gallery Showcases Artists who Blend History & Myth

THE HINDU
By Anusha Parthasarathy

"Stories of yore: by Raghavendra S.T.

INDIA - The Art and Soul gallery is situated in a peaceful suburb on ECR and as if to enunciate its ambience, the ‘View 4' exhibition has serene Buddhas with kohl-lined eyes and stencil eyebrows, and multi-hued abstract flowers looking up to a deep-yellow sun. The exhibition, which showcases the works of four artists, seems to blend seamlessly the vast world of Indian history and mythology into contemporary canvases: Ashok B.S., Arunkumar S. Hadapad, Raghavendra S.T. (above), and Mahesh A. Umatar. [link].

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Ancient Japanese Buddhist Artworks in Seoul, Korea

KOREAN HERALD
By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldm.com)

Openwork Keko (Flower Basket) — 12th-13th century,
Jinsyoji Temple, Japanese National Treasure (National Museum of Korea)

KOREA - The National Museum of Korea’s current exhibition, “Japanese Buddhist Art from the Lake Biwa District ― Aspiring for Rebirth in the Buddhist Paradise,” features 94 Japanese Buddhist artworks from the region, including four national treasures of Japan. “Many Koreans may not be so familiar with the Lake Biwa district,” said Ryu Seung-jin, the Asian art curator of the museum. “But the region carries a lot of significance in Korea-Japan history, as it was the area where Buddhism was introduced by Baekje migrants....” The exhibition runs until Feb. 19. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000 or visit www.museum.go.kr. [link]

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Rastafarian Art Case Appeal is About Copyright Protections vs. Creative Freedom

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Randy Kennedy

Richard Prince's "Inquisition," which uses the
Rastafarian pictures taken by the French photographer Patrick Cariou.

NEW YORK - In March a federal district court judge in Manhattan ruled that Mr. Prince — whose career was built on appropriating imagery created by others — broke the law by taking photographs from a book about Rastafarians and using them without permission to create the collages and a series of paintings based on them, which quickly sold for serious money even by today’s gilded art-world standards: almost $2.5 million for one of the works. The decision, by Judge Deborah A. Batts, set off alarm bells throughout Chelsea and in museums across America that show contemporary art. At the heart of the case, which Mr. Prince is now appealing, is the principle called fair use, a kind of door in the bulwark of copyright protections. [link]

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South Koreans React to North Korean Grief

RUETERS

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Native American is Proclaimed Catholic Saint by Vatican

USA TODAY
By Cathy Lynn Grossman

Image courtesy of blog, Communio

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican on Monday (12/19) announced a 17th-century Mohawk-Algonquin woman will be canonized as a Catholic saint, the first Native American from North America so proclaimed. It takes proof of two miracles to certify that a Catholic is clearly in heaven asking God to help people who pray in their name. Now, a second critical miracle has been credited to prayers in the name of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, who died in 1680 at age 24. The Vatican scrupulously investigates miracle claims for proof that recovery was not a result of medical or surgical attention. Known as the Lily of the Mohawks, Tekakwitha was born in what is now Upstate New York, the daughter of a Mohawk chief and Algonquin Christian mother. She was just 4 or 5 when she was scarred in the smallpox epidemic that killed her parents and most of her family. Believers say her scars vanished at her death. The dates for the celebration of their canonization will likely be announced by February, Bunson said. [link]

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5th Day of Christmas: Remembering the Holy Innocents

ST NICHOLAS AND CHRISTMAS | BLOG

"Massacre of the Innocents (1656-1658), By Valerio Castellos
Image Courtesy: The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

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Raw Video: Midnight Christmas Mass in Bethlehem

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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North Korean's Say Goodbye to "Dear Leader"

AFP

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Helen Frankenthaler Obituary: Artist Who Rejuvenated the Post-Pollock Era

GUARDIAN
By Michael McNay

Helen Frankenthaler in 1956. Her work never departed from the example of
Mountains and Sea. Photograph: Gordon Parks/Getty Images

NEW YORK -  At the age of 23 Helen Frankenthaler painted Mountains and Sea (1952), an abstraction that freed up the logjam in postwar American art following the first sensational burst of creative activity by the abstract expressionists. The method and the scale of it was, of course, borrowed from Jackson Pollock's procedure, but it was totally devoid of Pollock's angst-ridden search for the sublime. Frankenthaler said later that, fresh from the north Atlantic, she painted from the memories absorbed into not only her mind but her wrists as well. Painting became once again, as in many of its best periods, an instinctive coalition of hand and eye and controlling intelligence. Colour field painting is what was possible, the next big thing in American painting. Helen Frankenthaler, artist, born 12 December 1928; died 27 December 2011 [link]

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Islamic Art of Calligraphy to be Taught at IUPUI Campus

IUPUI HERRON SCHOOL OF ART
By Ami Maidi

INDIANA - Contributing to the 2011 trend of fascination with Islamic art, the Herron School of Art & Design in Indianapolis is offering a class on Islamic calligraphy this spring. Islamic calligraphy, colloquially known as Arabic calligraphy, is the artistic practice of handwriting, or calligraphy, and by extension, of bookmaking in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage. It is a centuries old communication and art form that is both beautiful and useful. Herron is one of only a very small number of colleges offering this course in the United States. It is being taught by Abdalla Ali, Ph.D., who has studied and taught in Saudi Arabia. This is a rare opportunity for students to learn this skill. Please contact Amy Maidi at amcwoods@iupui.edu if you have any questions. [link]

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4th Day of Christmas: 4 Calling Birds

CANTERBURY COTTAGE BLOG

Courtesy of Canterbury Cottage Blog | [link]

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North Korea holds funeral for Kim Jong-il

EURONEWS

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French Muslim Jailed for Punching Nurse Who Removed His Wife's Burqa

FOX NEWS

FRANCE -  A Muslim man has been jailed in France for punching a nurse who tried to remove his wife's burqa during an emergency C-section. Nassim Mimoune, 24, was earlier banned from the delivery room after calling a midwife a "rapist" when she tried to perform an intimate examination on his wife in a Marseille hospital on Monday, La Provence newspaper reported. The pregnant woman, who had been having contractions for two days when she was admitted, begged her husband to allow the examination, but he threatened her with divorce. He said seeing his wife's veil lifted in front of a male health worker was like seeing her "bare-chested" in front of another man. [link]

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3 French Hens: 12 Days of Christmas Continues

THE IMPERIAL REPUBLICAN | OPINION
By Lori Pankonin

NEBRASKA - I’ve never given much thought to the lyrics in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song. Twelve drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 Lords a leaping. Does it have to make sense? I mean, look at nursery rhymes. Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater put his wife in a pumpkin shell in order to keep her. Why was Little Jack Horner a good boy for sticking his thumb into a pie and pulling out a plum? Never had I given any thought to the Christmas song having a religious connection. That is until I read a suggestion recently that it was originally a catechism song written to help Catholics learn their faith at a time when practicing Catholicism was criminalized in England. So here’s the interpretation: [link]

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Christmas in Bethlehem, 2011

ABC NEWS
By Dalia Nammari and Daniella Cheslow | Associated Press



PALESTINE - Tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims packed the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations Saturday, bringing warm holiday cheer to the traditional birthplace of Jesus on a raw, breezy and rainy night. With turnout at its highest in more than a decade, proud Palestinian officials said they were praying the celebrations would bring them closer to their dream of independence. As the fighting has subsided in recent years, the tourists have returned in large numbers. By late night, the Israeli military, which controls movement in and out of town, said some 100,000 visitors, including foreigners and Arab Christians from Israel, had reached Bethlehem, up from 70,000 the previous year. [link]

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The Year's Best Arts Adventure? The Met's Islamic Galleries

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
By Pia Catton

Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Later South Asia' opened at the Met in November.

NEW YORK - Late December is the time of year for lists, and there's more than enough material for a countdown of New York's 10 best artistic efforts in 2011. But I'm skipping it.This year, one development in the arts stood out so far beyond the rest that it deserves solo recognition: the Metropolitan Museum of Art's November opening, following an eight-year renovation, of the galleries now named "Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Later South Asia." What makes the presentation so successful is that it is completely absorbing at both the micro and macro levels, from the details of individual objects to the sweeping arc of history they compose.  [link]

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Two Turtle Doves, for 12 Days of Christmas

FLORIDA TIMES-UNION | JACKSONVILLE
By Jackie Rooney

FLORIDA - The most nerve-wracking song in the Christmas carol book tells the story of gifts delivered to a young woman by her “true love” each day between Christmas and the Epiphany. In addition to the partridge, she received a couple of turtledoves and various other fowl, golden rings — now we’re talking — milkmaids (but did they do windows?), dancing ladies, leaping lords, pipers and drummers. It’s theorized the song originated during the 300-year period from 1558 to 1829 when Catholicism wasn’t allowed to be practiced openly in England. It was a catechism rhyme with two levels of meaning to covertly teach young Roman Catholics about their religion. For example, the partridge in the pear tree represented Jesus Christ; two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments, and 10 lords a-leaping symbolized the 10 commandments. The chant was published in a children’s book in London in 1780 before it became a carol. [link]

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Iran's President Steps into Islamic Fashion Debate

THE WASHINGTON POST
By Thomas Erdbrink

Vahid Salemi/AP - Iranian women visit an exhibition depicting
Islamic Dress Code during an exhibition in Tehran last August.

IRAN - In the Islamic republic of Iran, the law requires women to cover their hair and bodies in public. But how to do so remains up to them, and the result is persistent confusion in the streets. Though leading Shiite Muslim clerics advise women to wear chadors — the traditional head-to-toe cloak, usually black — Iran’s urban fashionistas increasingly prefer tight-fitting coats and scant head scarves. Now, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is stepping into the dispute. He wants to settle it by promoting government-approved apparel for women, garments intended to introduce an array of clothes that are “Islamic and beautiful” at the same time. Hard-liners are not amused. But at a recent government-sponsored fashion show, young women and their mothers gazed approvingly at the plastic mannequins showcasing the new coats and scarves. [link]

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MERRY CHRISTMAS from Alpha Omega Arts | A New Beginning

AOA NEWS
By Ernest Britton

Few contemporary artists create reverent scenes of the infant Jesus and his mother, and that is why "The Matriarch" by Niccolo Cosme (above) is featured here on Christmas Day 2011. Once upon a time images of Jesus and his mother were unavoidable anywhere that celebrated Christmas, but not so today. Old time favorites can certainly be found in museums such as The Mystical Nativity by Sandro Botticelli, (1500-1501), The Adoration of the Magi by Pieter Aertsen (1560), and The Adoration of The Magi by Andrea Mantegna (1500). 

Other favorites from the past include works by Giotto, the founder of Italian Renaissance painting, Leonardo Da Vinci and Mantegna too but when we think of contemporary art for Christmas, we are left with shock works such as Chris Ofili's view of the Virgin Mary created from dung or perhaps how Salvador Dali re-interpreted the genre. Although religious painting may not be the most fashionable, works such "The Matriarch" by photographer Niccolo Cosme offer hope for a new beginning. May your Christmas today be filled with many more, new beginnings.

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Religious Artweek: Dec. 25 - Dec. 31

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

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RELIGIOUS ART | TALK OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

"EID GREETINGS" is a US Postal Service stamp by Muslim American calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya of Arlington, Virginia. It was first issued in the summer of 2001 to commemorate two major Islamic holidays, thus it is known as the "Eid Stamp." Eid is a generic Arabic term that means "holiday" or "festival." This week after finishing up the list: Top 6 Religious Art Shows of 2011, I found this newest version of the Islamic designed stamp, shaped like a Christmas tree and I knew it was an ideal message for closing out 2011: Eid Greetings to you all! Listed below are the other religions art news stories of the past week from our interfaith world.

AOA INTERFAITH NEWS:

• CEO's Year End Message of Art & Faith | By Ernest Britton
• Holy-Days Journeys Planned for 2012 | By Ernest Britton
• Religious Artweek: Dec 25-31, 2011 | By Tahlib
• Merry Christmas, a time for Beginnings | By Ernest Britton

BUDDHIST ART:

• Art: On the Trail of Tintin's Tibet (The Daily Beast | Newsweek)
• Mumbai Artist Sketches the Life of Buddha in 80 Paintings (Hindstan Times)
• Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew's Contemporary Buddhist Paintings (Bangkok Post)

HINDU ART:

• Gulbarga Symposium in India Promotes Fine Arts to Aspiring Young Artists (The Hindu)

ISLAMIC ART:

• America's Dark Age of Islamophobia (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Art Show Displays Similarities Between Christianity and Shia Islam (Pakistan Today)
• Islamic Art in the Middle of Ideological Disputes (Art Media Agency)

JEWISH ART:

• Video: Hanukkah Song by Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert (Comedy Channel)

CHRISTIAN ART:

• Vicar Gavin Tyte Wins ITN's Nativity Factor with Beatbox Entry (BBC News)
• Religious Statues Spray-Painted by NYC Vandals (The Wall Street Journal)
• The Gospel According to Jeffrey Vallance at The Andy Warhol Museum (AOA News)
• America's Carvaggio Fever (AOA News)
• New Music: Napoleon IIIrd – Deck the Halls (The Guardian)
• William Bouguereau and His Religious Works (The Epoch Times)
• How Santa Helps Christians Love Jesus (The Washington Post)
• Christmas Worship Services in Downtown Indianapolis (Around Indy)
• Handel's Messiah at Abyssinian Baptist Church (ABC Religion)

Get your daily dose of Alpha Omega Arts on Facebook and/or Twitter, or just come back each day. There's always something new to talk about in today's interfaith world of art.

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Handel's Messiah at Abyssinian Baptist Church | NYC

NYC RELIGION

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Christmas Worship Services in Downtown Indianapolis

AROUND INDY
By Brittany Smith

Christ Church Cathedral, Monument Circle, Downtown Indianapolis

INDIANA - Downtown churches and places of worship are celebrating the holidays and you are invited! Many locations offer family services, special holiday performances and much more throughout December. Downtown places of worship offer something for people of all faiths. [link]

All Saints Episcopal Church
http://www.allsaintsindy.org/
Dec. 24: service at 10:30 pm, mass at 11 pm
Dec. 25: service at 10 am

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal
http://www.bethelcathedral.org/
Dec. 24: service at 11 am

Central Christian Church
http://www.indyccc.org/
Dec. 25: Bible study at 9 am, service at 10:30 am

Christ Church Cathedral (pictured above)
http://www.cccindy.org/
Dec. 24: pageant at 3 pm, lessons and carols at 5 pm, in Spanish at 7:30 pm, Eucharist at 11 pm
Dec. 25: Eucharist at 10 am, in Spanish at 1 pm

City Community Church
http://www.citycommunitychurch.com/
Dec. 24: Service at 5 pm

Greater Gethsemane Missionary
http://www.indy-ggmbc.org/
Dec 24: Service at 7 pm
Dec. 25: Service at 10:15 am

Holy Rosary Catholic Church
http://www.holyrosaryindy.org/
Dec. 24: Mass at 4:30 pm, in Latin at 8 PM, Mass at 11 pm
Dec. 25: in Latin at 7 am, in Latin at 9:30 am

Indy Metro Church
http://www.indymetro.org/
Dec. 24: Celebration at 6 pm

Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church
http://www.lockerbiecentral.org/
Dec. 25: Service at 6 pm

Park Avenue Church of Christ
http://www.parkavenuecoc.com/
Dec. 25: Service at 11 am

Redeemer Presbyterian Church
http://www.redeemindy.org/
Dec. 25: Services at 8:30 and 11 am

Roberts Park United Methodist Church
http://www.robertsparkumc.org/
Dec. 24: Family service at 6 pm, jazz service at 8 pm, lessons and carols at 10 pm
Dec. 25: Service at 10:30 am

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
http://www.stjohnsindy.org/
Dec. 24: Mass at 5:30 and 11:30 pm
Dec. 25: Mass at 9:30 am

St. Mary Catholic Church
http://www.saintmarysindy.org/
Dec. 24 : Mass at 5 and 11 pm
Dec. 25: Bilingual mass at 10 am

St. Philips Episcopal Church
www.stphilips.indydio.org/
Dec. 25: Service at 10:15 am

SS. Peter & Paul Cathedral
http://www.ssppc.org/
Dec. 24: Carolers at 4:25 pm, mass at 5 pm, lessons and carols at 11:15 pm
Dec. 25: Mass at 10:30 am

Unity Church of Indianapolis
http://www.unityofindy.com/
Dec. 25: Service at 10 am

Zion Evangelical United Church
http://www.zioneucc.org/
Dec. 24: Family service at 5 pm, communion at 8 pm
Dec. 25: Services at 8 and 10:10 am

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How Santa Helps Christians Love Jesus

THE WASHINGTON POST
By John Mary Reynolds

America should be proud of Santa Claus. He is an American myth and we don’t have that many. These teaching stories were what Plato would have called “myths.” Sadly, most of us get stuck on one meaning of the term “myth:” stories about ancient gods that are false. Plato knew better. He knew that a good story could prepare the soul for the deeper truth that it was not yet ready to grasp. Good fairy tales do this ethical training for us.  Frank L. Baum enfolded the myth of Santa Claus in his Oz world. Santa Claus is very American and so a very Christian myth. He rewards good behavior and punishes bad behavior. He is old, but avuncular and he loves children. He is an American legend, our own Zeus, but like Zeus he is not real. Instead, as his creators understood, Santa prepares the heart for the deep reality of Christmas: Jesus is God come in flesh. Merry Christmas! [link]

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William Bouguereau and His Religious Works

THE EPOCH TIMES
By Kara Lysandra Ross

La Vierge Aux Anges, 1881. 83 7/8 x 59 7/8 inches. Oil on canvas.
(Image courtesy of the Museum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, CA, USA)

FRANCE - William Bouguereau (1825-1905), has also become one of the most beloved religious painters of all time. Bouguereau strived for perfection and would often use the hands of one model, the eyes of another, hair from yet a third, etc. In his religious works and his depictions of the holy, he took extra care in finding a compelling human image that could capture the divine, and once he found what he wanted, he did not stray. The recently published Catalogue Raisonné on the artist by Damien Bartoli and Fred Ross, clearly illustrates through over 760 examples of this artist’s work, the tremendous fortitude of Bouguereau’s prowess with the brush. [link]

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New Music: Napoleon IIIrd – Deck the Halls

THE GUARDIAN
By Michael Cragg

All you want for Christmas ... Napoleon IIIrd. Photograph: Sonny Malhotra

UNITED KINGDOM - If your Christmas wishlist for this year included a frankly barmy re-imagining of Deck the Halls, complete with a "fa la la la la" chorus shouted with barely hidden delirium, then you're in luck. London-based Napoleon IIIrd, aka James Mabbett, first emerged in 2007 and has since released a string of EPs and two albums, with 2010's Christiania receiving universal praise for its experimentation and energy. Both of these things are in abundance on this Christmas curio, released for no reason other than to give people something to dance to on the special day. [link]

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Holy Days: A Religious Arts Journey for 2012

AOA NEWS
By Ernest Britton

The word commonly used term holiday evolved from the religious term, "Holy Days" or special religious days, but while few today connect these days of relaxation and recreation with much in the way of religion. What can we learn about our differing faiths by returning to the original meaning?  Inspired by this months interest in Menorahs and Nativity scenes, I asked the AOA NEWS team to begin exploring the links of religious art to the holydays of the major faiths.  We've also added a Holy Days calendar page to help guide this particular journey. The first up will be on Thursday, January 5, 2012 when we explore the religious art of "Twelfth Night" a Christian holyday. We invite you explore Holy Days in a new way in 2012 as part of the religious arts journey. Happy New Year!

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America's Caravaggio Fever

AOA NEWS
By Tahlib

"The Sacrifice of Isaac" (1590-1610) by Caravaggio;
Oil on canvas, on display at Kimbell Art Museum

America is caught up in Caravaggio fever this year. There is a major exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio and also at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. For those who think those museums are too far to visit, you can still watch this summer's PBS series on artists produced by Thirteen/WNET, and now there is a new biography by Andrew Dixon-Graham which in novel-like style tells how this original "master of light" became a favorite of priests, patrons and prostitutes. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) died during an attempt to escape from pursuers at the age of 38 years of age.

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The Gospel According to Jeffrey Vallance at The Andy Warhol Museum

AOA NEWS

"Juliet’s Balcony, Verona" (2006) buy Jeffrey Vallance,
courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York

PENNSYLVANIA - The Andy Warhol Museum presents The Word of God: Jeffrey Vallance, an exploration of Christianity through February 5, 2012. Vallance is a California artist who creates objects, installations, performance and curatorial works. Vallance’s exhibition of  relics and religious artistry includes The Vallance Bible, a series of writings based upon Vallance’s personal experiences, spiritual upbringing, studies and reading.

This book includes a preface, a foreword, a gospel original - The Gospel According to Jeffrey - and a series of reproductions of works in connection with religion, the Reformation and John Calvin. This illustrated bible, published the year of celebration of 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin (Jubilee), will be co-published and distributed by Co-published by Grand Central Press and Centre d’édition contemporaine. The exhibition also contains a selection of his reliquary objects, and is the concluding exhibition in the 5-part Word of God Series.

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6 Religious Art Shows of 2011

AOA NEWS
By Tahlib

A nation of creators, believers, and celebrators best describes the religious art moves made by American cultural institutions during 2011. Below, with one exhibit for each major religious tradition, are AOA NEWS’s most memorable 2011 picks, and dialogue starters.


"Word of God Series" | The Andy Warhol Museum | Pittsburgh, PA

During it's sixteen year history, The Andy Warhol Museum has consistently presented difficult and provocative exhibitions in order to spark community dialogue, and this year's Word of God Series is another high-mark in their history of successes. Coinciding with both the 400th anniversary of King James Bible, and the Arab Spring uprisings, The Warhol spent the year exploring the world's five major religious traditions with five separate exhibitions by living artists, one artist for each faith. At a time when governments around the world are wrestling with questions of secular versus theological power, The Warhol gave us a way to engage those complex issues through the lens of artists. The final exhibition, The Word of God: Jeffrey Vallance exploring Christianity is on view through February 5, 2012.

"The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara" | Asia Society of New York | NYC

Thanks to the Asia Society of New York City, this past August, The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara came to Manhattan. Skeptics asked, "Is the show worth all the Pakistan vs. US government headaches it caused?" Anyone who visited easily answered, "yes". Rich with "bodhisattvas, polycultural goddesses and occasional flights into stratosphere splendor" according to one reviewer, this show of ancient Buddhist art pulsed with human warmth, and provided cultural and diplomatic lessons at time when the world desperately needs a helping hand.

"Passages" | Oklahoma City Museum of Art  | Oklahoma City, OK

Angling to position itself for establishing a world-class museum built around their extensive bible collection, the Green family of Oklahoma launched Passages an interactive bible exhibition this past May. It began at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in the heart of evangelical America. This imaginatively designed exhibition is a must-see experience for those seeking to understand the rise of Christianity from its Jewish roots through to its modern-day evangelical stewards in America. Grounded with an exquisite and rare collection of biblical manuscripts, printed Bibles, and historical items is presented in a uniquely American style. Passages is currently on view in Atlanta, GA before portions of the collection head to The Vatican.

"Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior" | Frist Center for the Visual Arts | Nashville, TN

Five years in the making and finally opening this past February through May, the scope of Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior was vast, covering an epic sweep of the religious and cultural spectrum of Hinduism. This was not an exhibit for casual sipping, it was an exhibition in which you sat and savored one full and rich glass of richness at a time. Considered the world's oldest living faith, something that surprised more than a few Christians, this new exhibit at the Frist Center was the first major museum exhibition to focus on the Hindu deity Vishnu (Brooklyn Museum hosted the exhibit after it left the Frist). Vishnu encompassed a complex spectrum of regions, periods and traditions. Including 170 sculptures, paintings and objects from as early as the fourth century, the exhibit displayed work from over 40 lenders worldwide, boasting a number of pieces that had never been exhibited.

"Art of the Arab Lands" | Metropolitan Museum of Art | NYC

Since 2003, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art galleries have been closed in preparation for what many consider the major religious art opening of 2011. On November 1, fifteen renovated galleries opened offering a fresh perspective on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of more than 12,000 Islamic works of art. The vast collection which spans 13 centuries and an area ranging from Spain to India was once succinctly termed Islamic Art, but has been re-named, as Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia. The new emphasis on geography grew out of the view that while religion unifies the collection, region diversifies it. During this, America's dark age of Islamaphobia, city leaders hope this exhibition helps to shed new light on a faith tradition that is both as rich & complex as the Christianity most Americans so eagerly embrace.

"Art of Matrimony" | The Jewish Museum | NYC
 
In the year that marriage equality for gay & lesbian couples came to the state of New York, The Jewish Museum created, Art of Matrimony an elaborate exhibition of Jewish marriage contracts. The Ketubbah, as they are called is a part of 2,000 years of cultural heritage that documents the bridegroom's obligations toward his bride in the event of death, or worse: divorce. Culled from the world-renowned collection at the The Jewish Theological Seminary Library, thirty Ketubbot were featured, dating from the twelfth through twenty-first centuries. For non-Jews, this exhibition helped us to explore varied marriage custom during a time when the institution of marriage itself was once again changing.

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Vicar Gavin Tyte Wins ITN's Nativity Factor with Beatbox Entry

BBC NEWS



UNITED KINGDOM - A Devon vicar who produced a beatbox version of the Nativity has won a national competition. The Reverend Gavin Tyte's beatbox video has been watched more than 57,000 times on YouTube and was judged the winner of the Nativity Factor. Mr Tyte, 40, the vicar of Uplyme Church, said he was "over the moon" to have won. Mr Tyte, who has been vicar of Uplyme for the past two years, describes how he produced the YouTube video on the Uplyme church website. [link]

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Hanukkah Songs by Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert

COMEDY CHANNEL

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Islamic Art in the Middle of Ideological Disputes

ART MEDIA AGENCY

FRANCE - Islamic Arts are currently at the centre of media coverage in the art world. This disparate ensemble including art works from various origins, is problematic for two reasons: the sacred dimension intrinsic to the art and the Eastern-Western relationship reflected with the term “Islamic Art”. In fact, no one has ever used the term “Islamic” to refer to Mughal Art or to the architecture of monuments such as Taj Mahal in India: fusion of Persian and Indian cultures. However, Wesern museum visitors, galleries and other actors of the art market could be easily confused. A relevant example is the Islamic Arts section in Sotheby’s, as the society organises auctions dedicated to traditional Islamic Art, Modern Art and Contemporary Art of the Middle-East and other related areas. It seems the Islamic art concept was created from an ensemble of ideas dating from the colonisation era and echoes several practices of looting and desecration against the colonised civilisations. This thesis is presented in Edward W. Saïd’s book, Orientalism.  [link]

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Religious Statues Spray-Painted by NYC Vandals

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Via Associated Press

NEW YORK - Police say vandals have sprayed black paint on several religious statues at homes and a church in Yonkers. The police report calls the vandalism a hate crime. Spokesman Lt. Patrick McCormack says there were five incidents. He says four statues of the Virgin Mary were painted black at shrines or Nativity scenes in homeowners' yards. [link]

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Art Show Displays Similarities Between Christianity and Shia Islam

PAKISTAN TODAY
By Fizza Hassan

PAKISTAN - In a country where it is easy to label an act as “blasphemy”, it would be impious, if not blasphemous, to not see the art collection. The opening of a two-person show – Komail Aijazuddin’s ‘Altars’ and Muhammad Ali’s ‘Condolence Theatre’ – was recently held at the Canvas Gallery. Out of 17 artworks that are on display, five are Ali’s paintings, whereas 12 are Aijazuddin’s altars. While the material worked on and the philosophy behind the art is entirely different, the two young artists have presented the similarities Christianity and Islam, especially Shi’ism, share. Aijazuddin’s altars celebrate weddings – a reference to the wedding of Qasim in Karbala – and pay homage to St Sebastian, a Christian saint.  Holding in high regard the great martyr of Islam, Imam Hussain, and St Sebastian, it was natural for Aijazuddin to objectify the two historical personalities. [link]

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America's Dark Age of Islamophobia

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER | GUEST COLUMN
By Tony Norman

Muslims really thought they were doing the world a favor by pulling Europe and its mostly illiterate Christians out of the Dark Ages. But just because they foisted algebra, trigonometry, optics, astronomical charts, the classics, Arabic numerals, advanced surgical techniques, perspective in art, the lute, and artichokes on the world - while the Christian kings of Europe were smothering free inquiry - we're not about to give them any credit a thousand years later. Americans are so used to thinking of Muslims as an exotic "other" that many fail to realize they're an inextricable part of who we are and have been since the nation's earliest days. But Islamophobia, like its twin brother, anti-Semitism, has a way of injecting itself into the cultural discourse. Contempt for Muslims remains an acceptable prejudice for millions who continue to equate the religion with terrorism. Crawling out of this depressing sequel to the Dark Ages won't be easy. [link]

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Year End Message of Art & Faith

Dear Believer:

As you know, throughout human history, religion and art have been joined as part of the wider quest for meaning. That is why we need both.

At the Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts we view religious art as a powerful catalyst in promoting inter-religious dialogue and understanding. During the past year, with your support we've explored Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and others by examining their religious art.

The images, representing many faiths speak to our human desire for religious and creative freedom, and our quest for meaning. Thank you for being part of making that conversation possible during this past year. As we look ahead, we invite you to support the creation and celebration of religious art with a year-end gift. Please follow this link (Support Art), to review a short list of extraordinary groups who have explored religious art during 2011, and support one or all of us.

Every gift matters, and none of us can do what we do with you.

Best Wishes,
ERNEST O. BRITTON

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RELIGIOUS ART | TALK OF WEEK

AOA NEWS
By TAHLIB

"MUSLIM ICON" (above) by Komail Aijazuddin shows a woman in traditional Muslim dress. Using Christian stylized imagery of a traditional American nature (such as Whistler's Mother), Aijazuddin shows this Islamic women in a new light. Trained in NYC, the artist's work which went on display this week in a Pakistani gallery helps us to frame the struggle of Islamaphobia in America today. Two weeks into the debacle where Lowes pulled its advertising from the innocuous cable show, All-American Muslim, decent Christians are rallying to the side of American Muslims (and Jewish comedian Jon Stewart is making Lowes look appropriately stupid), this Creator Spirit reminds us that artists have a gift that can help us to celebrate our religious similarities, and to press past our differences (Image courtesy of GLAAD). Listed below are the other religions art news stories of the past week from our interfaith world. The stories are grouped by the five largest faith traditions, with an additional category for other/interfaith.

BUDDHIST ART:

• Art: On the Trail of Tintin's Tibet (The Daily Beast | Newsweek)
• New Arts of Japan Gallery to culminate five-year initiative to expand presentation of Asian art (ArtDaily)
• Major Exhibition On Tibetan Buddhist Mandalas For The First Time in Atlanta at The Carlos Museum (Music Industry News Network)
• Mumbai Artist Sketches the Life of Buddha in 80 Paintings (Hindstan Times)
• Buddhist Art Show Promotes Amaravathi, India as Destination for Chinese Tourists (The Hindu)
• Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew's Contemporary Buddhist Paintings (Bangkok Post)

HINDU ART:

• Gulbarga Symposium in India Promotes Fine Arts to Aspiring Young Artists (The Hindu)

ISLAMIC ART:

• Art & About: The Many Faces of Islamic Architecture (News Straits Times)
• News Video: Lowes Pulls Ad Support for American Muslim TV Show (Ajajeerah News)
• One American's Passion Birth's Islamic Museum in Washington DC (Voice of America)
• Florida Extremists Hijack Christianity, American Muslims Suffer (Detroit Free Press)
• Shia Islamic Art that Defies Islamic Constraint on View in Pakistan (News International)
• Islamic Art Show Depicts Parallells Between Christian & Islamic Faiths (Dawn News)

JEWISH ART:

• Art & Auctions of Judaica at Sotheby's Tomorrow (The New Yorker)

CHRISTIAN ART:

• Salem Woman was an Artist saved by Christian Faith (Salem News)
• N. Korea Threatens S. Korea Not to Put up Christmas Trees (USA Today)
• Pastors Use the Art of Video to Transform Lives During Advent (AOA News)
• Art Review: Transition to Christianity, Onassis Cultural Center, NYC (California Literary Review)
• Banksy Creates Art Commentary on Church Sex Abuse Scandal (Daily Mail)
• 'Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever!' May Shock Thin-Skinned Crowd (Los Angeles Times)
• Caravaggio's Light: Andrew Graham-Dixon's Portrait in Words (The Guardian)
• Video Conversation: Andrew Graham-Dixon, Author of 'Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane' (PBS News Hour)
• Perspective: Christian Musicals with Miraculous Staying Power (Los Angeles Times)

OTHER "RELATED" MIX:

• Video: [Advent Conspiracy] Enter the Story 2011 (AC Amen)
• Video: [Advent Conspiracy] Made to Work (AC Amen)
• Video: [Advent Conspiracy] Amen for Water (AC Amen)
• Scientists Narrow Search for the "God Particle" (USA Today)
• Art Buying Time? Doing it Online is Easier Than You Think (Wall Street Journal)
• Video: How to Start a Movement, According to TED (TED)
• American Artist Ralph Brancaccio Travels to India to Inspire Young Artists (AOA News)
• Scientists Find that Atheists Trust Believers More Than Other Atheists (ABC News)

Get your daily dose of Alpha Omega Arts on Facebook and/or Twitter, or just come back each day. There's always something new to talk about in today's interfaith world of art.

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Islamic Art Show Depicts Parallells Between Christian & Islamic Faiths

DAWN NEWS
By Salman Haqqi

"The Ascension of Iman Hussien" by Komail Aijazuddin

PAKISTAN - Few shows have really tackled the role of religion in our society, but an exhibition of artworks titled “Altars” by Komail Aijazuddin and “Condolence theatre” by Muhammad Ali which opened Tuesday does just that. Showing at the Canvas Art Gallery in Clifton, the exhibit takes a look at the Shia tradition of mourning from the perspectives of two different artists. Komail Aijazuddin, a graduate from NYU, described his set of 12 pieces as a manifestation of his search for faith. He said he wanted to take concepts from the history of Shia tradition and look at them, not from the lens of western religion, but from the depiction of religion in western art. “There are a lot of parallels between Christianity and the Shia tradition,” he said. “And I wanted to highlight them without being too in-your-face about it.” The exhibition is showing till December 22, daily from 11am to 8pm (except Sunday) at the Canvas Gallery. [link]

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Perspective: Christian Musicals with Miraculous Staying Power

LOS ANGELES TIMES | ENTERTAINMENT
By Larry Stempel, Special to the Los Angeles Times

"JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR": Paul Nolan in the rock-godish title role. (Stratford Shakespeare Festival)

Before "Godspell" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" first hit off-Broadway and Broadway, respectively, 40 years ago — the first like an ember that caught fire, the other like an explosion — who but the most prescient or devout would have laid odds on any musical that ended with a crucifixion? What helped create a climate conducive for religion to come out of the musical theater closet was the convergence in the 1960s of two cultural trends: the liberalizing spirit within Christendom in the wake of Vatican II, and the anti-Establishment fervor of the youth counterculture in the U.S. Can any musical created in response to such a time still speak to us today when what was once so fresh, indeed subversive, has become the very thing it sought to subvert? In this light the revivals of "Godspell" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" this season have two important tasks: making successes of these works once again, and making them speak to our time as wisely, or as tellingly, as "The Book of Mormon." [link]

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Conversation: Andrew Graham-Dixon, Author of 'Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane'

PBS NEWS HOUR
By Jeffrey Brown

Watch Conversation: 'Caravaggio: a Life Sacred and Profane' on PBS.
See more from PBS NewsHour.

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'Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever!' May Shock Thin-Skinned Crowd

LOS ANGELES TIMES
By Jamie Wetherbe, Special to the Los Angeles Times

The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever! makes its West Coast debut at the Avery Schreiber Theatre in North Hollywood. Shown are Allyson Mendelbaum {Mary], Jen Mcclone [Angel], top, and Garrett Braddock [Joseph]. (Janice Allen)

CALIFORNIA - After a successful off-Broadway run, Alternative Theatre Company founder and playwright Joe Marshall's gay-themed Christmas comedy, "The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever!" made its West Coast premiere Monday at North Hollywood's Avery Schreiber Theatre. And it features a veritable parade of stereotypes for the holidays. The show is egalitarian in its aim to offend all classes and creeds — think of it as staged episode of "South Park." "The underlying message is one of visibility, and those of us who are gay and lesbian struggle with that," says Jen McGlone, who butches up the Nativity as a lesbian angel in a bow tie and suspenders. "The hope is that some day [this play] won't be a big deal because it's gay. It will just be another Christmas pageant people will want to see because it's well-written and because it's funny." The Avery Schreiber Theatre, 11050 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; Through Dec. 30; see website for showtimes; Price: $18; Info: (818) 766-9100, averyschreibertheatre.com. [link]

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Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew's Contemporary Buddhist Paintings

THE BANGKOK POST

"Seeing Through Body [Mom]" by Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew (2006)
Inkjet on one layer of canvas and oil painting on two layers of mosquito netting, with thread | Size (inches): 36 x 28

THAILAND - Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew, an award-winning young artist, captures the Buddhist idea of the inescapable truths of life: birth, ageing, sickness and death, in a series of oil paintings and mixed media works. Nimmalaikaew is one of Thailand’s most exciting and widely admired new-generation artists, "The Essence of Impermanence" runs through Jan 13, 2012 at Ardel Gallery of Modern Art, Bangkok, Thailand, ardelgallery.com. [link]

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Scientists Find that Atheists Also Don't Trust Other Atheists

ABC NEWS

“Where there are religious majorities — that is, in most of the world — atheists are among the least trusted people,” said the study’s lead author, Will M. Gervais, a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia, in a press release from the University of Oregon, where a co-author is an assistant professor. The research was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In six separate studies, the researchers asked 770 people – American adults and Canadian college students – a number of questions. In one study, when presented with a description of an untrustworthy person, participants said they believed that description represented atheists and rapists to a similar degree and wasn’t as representative of gays, feminists, Christians, Jews or Muslims. Atheists also tend to trust religious people more than they trust other atheists. [link]

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