NYC artist Yona Verwer on view in Michigan Museum

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Britton

"Cemetery dodges the wrecking ball" by Yona Verwer
24" x 72" | Mixed media on Canvas | Courtesy of the Artist

MICHIGAN - NYC-based artist Yona Verwer, and head of NYC's Jewish Art Salon is one of the featured artists in "Silent Witnesses: Migration stories through Synagogues Transformed, Rebuilt, or Abandoned" (through April 13, 2012) at the The Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills (Metro Detroit). The Artists in this exhibition are researchers and travelers. As interpreters of history, they photograph, document, represent, they weave together the stories of the past and the present. The exhibition explores how Synagogues are built by Communities with hope and prayers for the future, and yet as places of tradition, they change over time into new forms for the present.

Silent Witnesses - CAJM Dinner
Photo by Miriam Stern of works by Joan Roth and Yona Verwer

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When God made Man, he gave him a Beard (Bearded Gospel Men)

BEARDED GOSPEL MEN
By @bgospelm

Bearded Gospel Men is meant to be fun, promoting all forms of pogonotrophy (and, of course, the gospel). I dropped a few bucks and secured beardedgospelmen.com. At the moment that link directs everyone here. That will make it easier to share the site. Eventually I’ll figure out how to set it up to work throughout the tumblog. Please do not take this site too seriously. I do not believe that God commands all men everywhere to grow their beards. But I would love to see another great era of the beard. Not a mere fad, but a generation of men who grow up and age well wearing the masculine mark.

We at Alpha Omega Arts came across "Bearded Gospel Men" on Twitter via @ChrisKoelle. Thanks Chris!

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Number of U.S. mosques up 74% since 2000

USA TODAY | RELIGION
By Cathy Lynn Grossman

The number of Islamic places of worship in the United States soared 74% in the past decade. While protests against new mosques in New York, Tennessee and California made headlines, the overall number of mosques quietly rose from 1,209 in 2000 to 2,106 in 2010. And most of their leaders say American society is not hostile to Islam, according to a comprehensive census of U.S. mosques and survey of imams, mosque presidents and board members released Wednesday. States with the most mosques are New York (257), California (246) and Texas (166). [link]

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Artist Setsuko LaCroix, to Exhibit in Cincinnati's Malton Gallery

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"Bishamonten" by Setsuko LaCroix | Courtesy Malton Gallery

OHIO - Meet the artist Setsuko LaCroix on Friday, March 9 at Cincinnati's Malton Gallery for the opening of her new exhibition, "From East to West, an Artists Journey." Meet the artist, but also experience her evolution from an award-winning traditional Japanese screens to contemporary oil paintings. The Malton Gallery is conveniently located in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Hyde Park, and features a broad range of contemporary artwork in a welcoming, low-key environment. The gallery represents nearly 100 artists from Cincinnati, the United States and beyond. Artists at Malton range from emerging artists to those with established national reputations, with new work of every size, medium and price range. (March 9 through March 22) 3804 Edwards Road, Cincinnati, (513) 321-8614, maltongallery.com.

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Virginia Museum Hosts Exhibit “The Adoration of the Magi by Bartolo di Fredi”

CHARLOTTESVILLE NEWS
By  John Ruscher

“Seven Saints in Adoration” by Bartolo di Fredi

VIRGINIA - A momentous reunion is happening at the University of Virginia. No, we’re not talking about alumni returning to town to relive their glory days. This goes back much further than even Mr. Jefferson himself—all the way to 14th century Italy, when painter Bartolo di Fredi took up his brush to create an altarpiece for a church in his native city of Siena. As he applied his tempera and gold leaf, he surely didn’t imagine that half a century later parts of his painting would scatter across the globe, nor that they would be reunited for “The Adoration of the Magi by Bartolo di Fredi: A Masterpiece Reconstructed,” an exhibition opening Friday at the UVA Art Museum. [link]

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Holy-day Art (Lent, Day #7) Tattoos by Scott Erickson | Texas

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER
By Kate Shellnutt | Houston Chronicle

Designer Scott Erickson, left, and the Rev. Chris Seay
pose with other community members at Ecclesia Church in Mon­trose

TEXAS -- Asking his congregation to get perma­nent tattoos as a part of their Lenten observances may be one of the craziest things Ec­clesia pastor Chris Seay has done at his artsy, pop-cultu­re-savvy Montrose church. The designs use new typi­cal religious images -- no gi­ant wooden crosses or depic­tions of Jesus' face. Instead, Ecclesia's artist-in-residence, Scott Erickson used Russian prison tattoos and Sailor Jerry tat­toos as inspiration, hoping the designs would prompt questions and give Christians the opportunity to explain the meaning behind the art­work on their arms, shoul­ders, feet and backs. "I totally think the cross is important, but as a symbol, it doesn't inspire thought any­more. It's become decora­tive," said Erickson. Instead, he incorporated more subtle Christian symbols -- such as the goldfinch, which tradi­tionally represents Christ at the Passion -- and Latin phrases. [link]

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YouTube star wants to make Jesus famous

TIME MAGAZINE
By Kayla Webley/Tacoma

WASHINGTON - [Jeff] Bethke is not a pastor, a teaher or even a divinity student. He's a YouTube senation whose spoken-word poem "Why I hate Religion, but Love Jesus" has been viewed more than 19 million times since Jan. 10. Bethke admits his theology, as he puts it, may not be "airtight," but his delivery--with his shaved head and sloganeering--offers lessons for churches looking to get young people into their pews. He attends a Seattle megachurch called Mars Hill and strives to practice what it preaches. [link]

Christian Message: Jeff Bethke "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus" (YouTube)

Atheist Response: The Amazing Atheist "Why I Hate Religion, and Jesus Too"(YouTube)

Muslim Response:  lebo2196 "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus" (YouTube)

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Is Rapper Jefferson Bethke's YouTube Hit a Misleading Picture of Jesus & Religion?

THE CHRISTIAN POST
By Eryn Sun , Christian Post Reporter



Though Jefferson Bethke’s “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” video may have been intended for good, it might be doing the exact opposite – giving people the wrong impression of who Jesus is and what he actually loves. Readdressing the issue examined by the spoken word poet in his video, which has gone viral within days of its posting, two pastors – Kevin DeYoung and Jared Wilson – hope to explain why Bethke’s message might not be the most accurate picture of the Jesus they know in the Bible. Jesus did not hate religion, DeYoung pointed out. He was a Jew, went to services at the synagogue, observed Jewish holy days, did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them....“Jesus was not your go-to-guy for hating religion,” he emphasized. [link]

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Video: I Hate Religion, And Jesus Too

THE AMAZING ATHEIST

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Video: Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Muslim Version || Spoken Word || Response

YOUTUBE

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Video of Week: Art of the Book with Tobi Kahn at Museum of Biblical Art | NYC

CBS TV



"Art...takes everything the artist brings to it, and everything you bring to it." ~ TOBI KAHN

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ABC’s welcomes "Good Christian Bitches" to American Airwaves

BIG HOLLYWOOD
by Amelia Hamilton

On March 4, the new show “GCB” will premiere on ABC. The series is based on the book “Good Christian Bitches” by Kim Gatlin. The book and TV show are about a former mean girl who moves back to her hometown in Texas only to be the subject of gossip and backstabbing by Christian women. As a Christian woman, I can’t help but wonder what to expect from the show. To find out, I first looked into the source material. [link]

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Tomb exploration reveals first archaeological evidence of Christianity from time of Jesus

SIGN CODEX

ISRAEL - The archaeological examination by robotic camera of an intact first century tomb in Jerusalem has revealed a set of limestone Jewish ossuaries or "bone boxes" that are engraved with a rare Greek inscription and a unique iconographic image that the scholars involved identify as distinctly Christian. The four-line Greek inscription on one ossuary refers to God "raising up" someone and a carved image found on an adjacent ossuary shows what appears to be a large fish with a human stick figure in its mouth, interpreted by the excavation team to be an image evoking the biblical story of Jonah. In the earliest gospel materials the "sign of Jonah," as mentioned by Jesus, has been interpreted as a symbol of his resurrection. The tomb in question is dated prior to 70 CE, when ossuary use in Jerusalem ceased due to the Roman destruction of the city. [link]

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Soul singer Erykah Badu's Allah tattoos upsets Malaysians

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
By AFP

Singer Erykah Badu's body art is causing anger in Malaysia.

MALAYSIA - A newspaper in Muslim-majority Malaysia apologised after it came under fire for running a photo of American singer Erykah Badu showing body art that included the Arabic word for Allah. The controversial soul artist is scheduled to perform in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, and a preview story in The Star daily on Monday included a photo showing various symbols on her upper body including some in Arabic and Hebrew. Tattoos are forbidden in Islam and many Muslims also frown upon depictions of the word Allah that are deemed frivolous or disrespectful. [link]

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Egyptian Photographer Seeks to Break Society's Taboos for Women

AHRAM ONLINE


"Hiding" by Marwa Adel

 EGYPT -- Born in 1984, Marwa Adel is photographer and installation artist who combines text with photography in many of her projects. Adel explores the taboo of the nude model in her works, where male and female forms are digitally manipulated to hide the essential without affecting the movement. Her use of text accentuates and confirms the visual message. The extensive use of female models is a self exploratory statement about the situation of a female in certain social dynamics. Adel maintains a very personal voice as her work is unique in tackling the taboo of the human figure. Art Sawa Gallery, February 28 – March 12, Dubai DIFC [link]

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Holy-day Art (Lent, Day #6) - "The Crucifixion" by Donald Jackson for St. John's bible

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS | St. John's Bible

"The Crucifxion" by Donald Jackson | St. John's Bible (Luke 23:44-49)

Rendered in raised and burnished gold, the crucified figure of Christ dominates this composition. Luke's Gospel recounts that upon Christ's death darkness covered the earth for three hours, indicated here by the night sky, and that the curtain of the temple, shown as shreds of purple, was torn in two. The contrast of pain with the glory of gold relates this image to current theological discussions concerning the meaning of the Crucifixion in the contemporary world. The delicate gray border was printed with English lace, contributing to the recurring theme of textiles in The Saint John's Bible illuminations. [link]

Preliminary sketch for the Crucifixion

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Huffington Post's Salute to Ash Wednesday for "Lapsed Catholics"

HUFFINGTON POST

Courtesy of Huffington Post

Happy Ash Wednesday, everyone. For those lapsed Catholics who forgot, today [Feb. 22] is the beginning of Lent, marking the start of 40 days of fasting and prayer. The holiday gets its name from the ritual of marking a cross of ash on one's forehead in honor of mourning and repentance to God. Even if you are not Christian, Ash Wednesday is a reminder of the power of ritual and the importance of sacred rites. Of course, leave it to the art world to take a pretty serious tradition and stir things up. Here are some of our favorite Ash Wednesday-inspired works, from the reverent to the naughty. [More Images]

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Religion Dominated the News in 2011, Researchers Found

THE PEW FORUM

The biggest religion news stories of 2011 involved tensions over Islam and questions about faith in presidential politics, especially Mormonism, according to an annual review of religion in the news by the Pew Reseach Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. [link]

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"Artists Celebrating Christ" Conference in North Dakota this March

BISMARK TRIBUNE
By Karen Herzog

"Earthenware" by David J. Hooker

NORTH DAKOTA - Speakers specializing in church architecture and contemporary sculpture will be highlighted at this year’s Artists Celebrating Christ art show at the University of Mary from March 22-25. This is the sixth year for the interdenominational show, which focuses on the use of the arts to enhance worship. Artists from across the country will exhibit work in a variety of mediums. Other events include a Quick Draw, a juried art show, student art, a silent auction, and classes and tours for students. Sam Coleman of Bismarck will be this year’s featured artist. His work will be on display at the university’s Benedictine Center. Artists Celebrating Christ 2012 is sponsored in part by Dakota West Arts Council, the Christian Leadership Center, the University of Mary and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans of Morton County. [link]

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Holy-day Art (Lent, Day #5) "The Body - The Blood" by Gerda Liebman

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"The Body - The Blood"  by Gerda Liebmann
fabric, hosts, veil, dye, 2 x 12' x 2'

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"Maria & Madonna" (2010) by Kim Dong Yoo at Hasted Kraeutler Gallery

ART SLANT

"Maria & Madonna" (2010) by Kim Dong Yoo
Oil on canvas 76.4 x 61" | Courtesy Hasted Kraeutler Gallery LLC

NEW YORK - Hasted Kraeutler is pleased to announce the first exhibition of paintings by Kim Dong Yoo in the United States...through March 24, 2012. Kim Dong Yoo is best known for paintings of iconic images that are comprised of thousands of smaller images, which either contradict or support the primary subject, such as John F. Kennedy, Mao Tse-Tung, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Albert Einstein. Born in 1965 in Gongju, Korea, Kim Dong Yoo has exhibited widely in Korea and internationally since 1988, when he completed his MFA at Mokwon University. He now lives in Seoul, Korea. [link]

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RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

"DO NOT DESTROY" at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco is the Talk of Week, especially for those moved by this week's Koran burning protests in Afghanistan. The tragic headlines from  Afghanistan look all too familiar and by the second day, killings and shootings over the Koran (Quran) burning began to be reported. Back in California, the exhibition Do Not Destroy: Trees, Art, and Jewish Thought, whose title is is taken from a commandment in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 20:19), seeks to remind us of the peril that comes from the wanton destruction of war. Maybe if we were listening to these artists, versus political leaders, we would stop destroying the trees, the holy-books, and the people too.

INTERFAITH MIX-UP:

• Video: ‘In Between’ builds mystical world in Oakland gallery (The Daily Californian)
• Christian vs. Muslim Chess Sets: A New Method of Conflict Resolution (Alpha Omega Arts)
• Artist Quote of Week: "God is really another artist..." ~ Pablo Picasso (Alpha Omega Arts)
• The story behind the World Press Photo: Today's Michelangelo's Pieta (BBC News)
• Burning Man Festival Ticket Update (Burning Man Blog)

BUDDHIST ART:

• Art Review: The Buddha in the center of the room at MFAH (Culture MAP)

HINDU ART:

• Over 200 deities to gather for Mandi Shivratri (Hill Post)

ISLAMIC ART:

• Quran burning angers Afghans; U.S. vows probe (CBS News)
• Artistic culture: BYU issues invitation to See Islamic Art up close at 'Beauty and Belief" (Daily Herald)

JEWISH ART:

• Trees and Judaism in San Francisco (Alpha Omega Arts)
• New exhibition, "Archie Granot: The Papercut Haggadah" at Museum of Contemporary Religious Arts (MOCRA Blog)
• Art exhibit explores nature themes for Jewish holiday (The Daily Californian)

CHRISTIAN ART:

• Final Day for Cincinnati! "Saint John's Bible" Ends Feb. 26th (Alpha Omega Arts)
• Art review: Pop! goes religion in Legaspi's 'Pop Idols' exhibit (GMA News)
• Walt Disney's God Dream for American Believers (DisneyDreamer)
• In honor of Contemporary Religious Artist, Andy Warhol (Feb. 22, 1987)
• The Mystery of Christ Crucified | Art by David Mach (Artway)
• Dubious $4.3-Million Michelangelo Becomes an Icon of Government Waste in Italy (ArtInfo)
• Ash Wednesday Art | by Jennife Khoshbin (Alpha Omega Arts)

Get your daily dose of Alpha Omega Arts on Facebook and/or Twitter, or just come back each day. Whether it's Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Judaic or other, there's always something new to talk about in today's interfaith world of religious arts. Do you need even more? Join A&O each month for an up close and personal Art & Religion Journey in a city near you, and let's Meetup!

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Christian vs. Muslim Chess Sets: A New Method of Conflict Resolution

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

OREGON - This theme chess set is based on Christian Europe's military battles to take the Holy Land from Islamic rule. There were nine major crusades spanning from the 11th through the 13th centuries in which the Christian and Muslim armies fought for control of the Holy Land. This chess set, is available through The Chess Store, Inc. in Oregon, and each chess piece is made of Polystone (stone-like material, very hard and durable but will break if dropped on a hard surface). The King Height is 3.25" with a base of 1.125" (priced $70 - $260). The company is located in Hillsboro, Oregon, just a few miles outside of Portland, or visit their website at thechessstore.com.

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Artist Quote: "God is really another artist...."

God is really another artist.
He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat.
He has no real style.
He just goes on trying other things.

~ Pablo Picasso

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Holy-day Art (Lent, Day #4) - "Ecce Homo" by Hieronymus Bosch

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"Ecce Homo" (1510) by Heironymus Bosch
Courtesy of Indianapolis Museum of Art

Detail of "Ecce Homo" (1510) by Heironymus Bosch 

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Holy-day Art (Lent, Day #3) - "Ecce Homo" by Caravaggio

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"Ecce Homo (Behold the Man)" (1605) by Caravaggio |
Courtesy of Columbus Museum of Art

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When is the Christian Holy Day of "Lent"? And is it 40, 46 or 47 days long?

ABOUT.COM | CATHOLICISM
By Scott P. Richert

Lent, the period of prayer and fasting in preparation for Easter, is 40 days long, but there are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Since all Sundays—and not simply Easter Sunday—were days to celebrate Christ's Resurrection, Christians were forbidden to fast and do other forms of penance on those days. Therefore, when the Church expanded the period of fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter from a few days to 40 days (to mirror Christ's fasting in the desert, before He began His public ministry), Sundays could not be included in the count. Thus, in order for Lent to include 40 days on which fasting could occur, it had to be expanded to six full weeks (with six days of fasting in each week) plus four extra days—Ash Wednesday and the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday that follow it. Six times six is thirty-six, plus four equals forty. And that's how we arrive at the 40 days of Lent! [link]

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Holy-day Art (Lent, Day #2) - "Head of Christ" by Fernando Botero

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"Head of Christ" (2010) by Fernando Botero | Courtesy Malborough Gallery

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In honor of Contemporary Religious Artist, Andy Warhol (Aug. 6, 1928 - Feb. 22, 1987)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

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Video: Ash Wednesday Montage

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

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The story behind the World Press Photo: Today's Michelangelo's Pieta

BBC NEWS
By Phil Coomes

This photograph by Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda was recently awarded first place in the World Press Photo Award and has gone on to generate many column inches of analysis and debate. It is a powerful picture, both in terms of the content and aesthetics. At first glance it is easy to assume that this is a mother or wife cradling a loved one who has been killed. Her name is Fatima al-Qaws and she is pictured with her son, Zayed, who had been injured taking part in an anti-government protest in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. [link]

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Holy-day Art for Ash Wednesday | Art by Jennifer Khoshbin

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

A book carving from the artist Jennifer Khoshbin.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, 40 days of fasting & prayer in preparation for Easter.

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Walt Disney's God Dream for American Believers

DISNEYDREAMER.COM
By Walt Disney

In these days of world tensions, when the faith of men is being tested as never before, I am personally thankful that my parents taught me at a very early age to have a strong personal belief and reliance in the power of prayer for Divine inspiration. My people were members of the Congregational Church in our home town of Marceline, Missouri. It was there where I was first taught the efficacy of religion ... how it helps us immeasurably to meet the trial and stress of life and keeps us attuned to the Divine inspiration. Later in DeMolay, I learned to believe in the basic principle of the right of man to exercise his faith and thoughts as he chooses. In DeMolay, we believe in a supreme being, in the fellowship of man, and the sanctity of the home. DeMolay stands for all that is good for the family and for our country. [link]

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Quran burning angers Afghans; U.S. vows probe

CBS NEWS

Afghan protesters in front of Bagram Air Base
 during an anti-U.S. demonstration, Feb. 21, 2012. (AP)

AFGHANISTAN - More than 2,000 angry Afghans protested outside an American air base on Tuesday after they learned that copies of the Quran (Koran), the Muslim holy book, were burned in a pile of garbage at a sprawling U.S. military base north of Kabul. The burning of the Quran and other religious books was unintentional, said U.S. Gen. John Allen, the top commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Ahmad Zaki Zahed, chief of the provincial council, said U.S. military officials took him to a burn pit on the base where 60 to 70 books, including Qurans, were recovered. The books were used by detainees once incarcerated at the base, he said. "Some were all burned. Some were half-burned," Zahed said, adding that he did not know exactly how many Qurans had been burned. [link]

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Over 200 deities to gather for Mandi Shivratri

HILL POST
By HP Bureau

INDIA - The Festival of Mahashivratri is marked in a unique way in this Himachal Pradesh town, popularly known as Chhoti Kashi, as it sees a congregation of over 200 deities from hundreds of village temples. The celebrations date back to 1526 when this town was founded during the rule of Ajbar Sen. He had ‘invited’ all the local deities to mark the founding of the new town. Since then, the assembly of deities from hundreds of village temples during Mahashivratri has become a tradition. After the rule of princely states came to an end, the district administration took over the task of inviting the gods and goddesses. This year’s celebrations will be held from Feb 21 to 27 (See More: WSJ). In fact the festivities begin in Mandi when they come to an end in the rest of the country where Mahashivratri was celebrated Monday. [link]

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Artistic culture: BYU issues invitation to See Islamic Art up close at 'Beauty and Belief"

DAILY HERALD
By Cody Clark

Griffin, cast bronze with engraved decoration, made in Spain
(possibly Cordoba) in the 11th century. (Copy in exhibition).

UTAH - Sabiha Al Khemir, the author, illustrator and art historian who created “Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture,” doesn’t entirely understand why fate brought her exhibition to the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University. Starting out in a setting where a non-Islamic faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which owns BYU), is predominant, she said, “actually strengthens the message of the exhibition.” The idea, that is, that art can bridge the gap between different cultures. There’s actually a strong scholarly interest in Islam at BYU — MOA director Mark Magleby said that the university has an ongoing project to translate and interpret historic Islamic manuscripts — and that made Al Khemir feel welcomed as well. [link]

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Art Review: The Buddha in the center of the room at MFAH

CULTURE MAP | HOUSTON
By Tyler Rudnik

Unknown sculptor, Standing Zao Gongen,
Kamakura period, 12th-13th century, bronze

TEXAS - The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston opens the doors to its newly-renovated Arts of Japan Gallery Sunday with a rare look at the unique development of Japanese artistic, musical and literary culture. Through more than 25 pieces on loan from the Tokyo National Museum, Elegant Perfection highlights the pivotal role of Buddhism and imperial court life on the island kingdom’s cultural production. These masterworks, many of which have been designated national treasures by the Japanese government, will be on view for only eight weeks — with the exhibition running through April 8. [link]

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Art review: Pop! goes religion in Legaspi's 'Pop Idols' exhibit

GMA NEWS
By Katrina Santiago

"We're More Popular Than Jesus" / 48 x 48 inches / acrylic on canvas

PHILIPPINES -  Raymond Legaspi’s “Pop Idols” seems superfluous and loud, even too playful for comfort. But there is a layer of seriousness to the bright-colored portraits here, a rationale behind the size and scope of each icon as portrayed on Legaspi’s canvases. The story is simple: a set of seven portraits of popular icons, one local, six world renowned. What works for Legaspi’s “Pop Idols” one finds, is precisely this fact: there is a slow steady reveal of the jab it takes at religion, even as its statement on the creation of idols is already important. [link] Pop Idols ran through the end of January at Finale Art Gallery.

Kris / 36 x 45 inches / Acrylic on canvas

Michael Jackson / 36 x 48 inches / Acrylic on canvas

Blessed Pope John Paul / 48 x 72 inches / Acrylic on canvas

Exhibit Invitation

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Video: ‘In Between’ builds mystical world in Oakland gallery

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Art exhibit explores nature themes for Jewish holiday

DAILY CALIFORNIAN
By Anna Carrey

Deborah Lozier and Velvet da Vinci/Courtesy

CALIFORNIA - The launching point for the “Do Not Destroy: Trees, Art and Jewish Thought” exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum is a commandment from the Old Testament: “When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, but thou shalt not cut them down.” Although the ties to Jewish philosophy are powerful throughout, the exhibit’s primary message draws on the universality of trees, their societal importance and aesthetic appeal. All depicting the same loaded subject, the artists each bestow their own significance to the tree. The incredibly diverse artworks collectively convey a conception of a tree that should never be destroyed. [link]

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Purchase the Four Holy Gospels, by Makota Fugimura for Lent 2012

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

Book cover image courtesy of Fugimura website

The Four Holy Gospels by NYC artist Makota Fugimura is an exquisitely designed and produced edition of the four canonical Gospels in the English Standard Version, published in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Version (KJV) Bible in 1611. The Four Holy Gospels features newly commissioned original paintings representing the four Gospel Evangelists, illuminated initial letters, and other embellishments and design elements, printed in full color throughout and on high-quality art paper. The text of the Gospels is reproduced in a highly readable, large font; ideally suited for public reading, liturgical use, and as a family heirloom. For full product information, including measurements, visit Crossway. Signed, cloth-bound copies of The Four Holy Gospels are sold direct from the artist for $200, exclusively through his website, makotofujimura.com. Non-signed copies are available at Amazon for as low as $80.09.

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RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

"LEONARDO LIVE" produced at the National Gallery in London is the Talk of Week.  On Thursday night in 500 movie theaters across the United States, Americans delighted in a novel movie experience about the blockbuster exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan,” which ended on Feb. 5. This fast-paced, celebrity packed, and often hectic movie journey provided an overview of over 60 paintings and drawings by Leonardo, including Giampietrino’s reproduction of “The Last Supper” (above). I look forward to the next such movie experience, and perhaps you will join us there too?

INTERFAITH MIX-UP:

• 5 Upcoming A&O Journeys in Search of Religion Through Art (Alpha Omega Arts)
• The Mob Museum: Blood, Booze, Jews & Catholics in Vegas (New York Times)
• Faith Plays a Role, in Abstract & Ancient Art in Houston (Houston Chronicle)
• Video: Alain de Botton's Atheism 2.0 (Ted Talks)
• Ethiopian Religious Art by Photographer Frank Janssens (Frank Focus)

BUDDHIST ART:

• Today is "Nirvana Day" Video Art for the Passing of Lord Buddha Śākyamuni  (涅磐 - Parinirvana)
• Today's Holy-day Art Preview: Nirvana Day is Feb. 15 | By Verneida Britton (Alpha Omega Arts)
• Today's Holy-day Art Preview: Nirvana Day is Feb. 15 | By Kai Daniels (Alpha Omega Arts)

HINDU ART:

• Hindu Photograph is Subject of Winning Entry for NJ Art Contest (The Record | NJ)

ISLAMIC ART:

• Saudi Writer Drives Muslims to Tears of Anger over his Creative Tweets (Rueters)

JEWISH ART:

• Art Exhibit: "Silent Witnesses: Synagogues Transformed, Rebuilt or Abandoned" (Jewish Art Salon)
• Trees and Judaism in San Francisco (Alpha Omega Arts)

CHRISTIAN ART:

• More Voodoo Photographs from Jordi Cohen, "Saut d'Eau Pilgrimmage (Sochor Photography)
• Nicki Minaj's "Vulgar" Grammys Exorcism Angers Catholic Leaque (E! Online)
• Happy Valentine's Day: Caravaggio's Cupid & the Erotic Festival of Lupercalia (ABC News)
• "Unbee-lievable!’ - Harlem Artist Goes from City Shelter to Chic Gallery (The NY Daily)
• Review: Leonardo’s London Blockbuster: The Movie (The New York Times)
• Final Week for Cincinnati! "Saint John's Bible" Ends Feb. 26th (Alpha Omega Arts)

Get your daily dose of Alpha Omega Arts on Facebook and/or Twitter, or just come back each day. Whether it's Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Judaic or other, there's always something new to talk about in today's interfaith world of religious arts. Do you need even more? Join A&O each month for an up close and personal Art & Religion Journey in a city near you, and let's Meetup!

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5 New A&O Journeys, RSVP Today!

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

Coming up are five more exciting A&O Journeys with Art & Religion. These journeys for the spiritual through art explore how Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, and Jewish religious traditions are manifested through artistic expression. All are welcome, because religious art is for believers, and skeptics too. The next five Journeys are:

• February 22 (23) | Indianapolis, IN - "Creator Spirit Book Club" | Indiana Interchurch Center (Free)
• March 28 | Cincinnati, OH - Hindu Music in the Temple | Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati ($20)
• April 7 | Indianapolis, IN - Artist Reception for Three Journeys that Redefined Lives: Pastor Charles Tripp | Indiana Interchurch Center (Free)
• May 18 | New York City - "Illuminated Buddhist Words" | Rubin Museum of Art ($10)
• May 31 | Las Vegas, NV - "Sacred Art of Sisters Edith & Isabel Picsek" | Guardian Angel Cathedral (Free) 

The A&O Journeys are monthly (occasionally more than that) religious art presentations and tours at art museums and religious locations across America. Join one in a city near you. Call (317) 755-8400 to RSVP Today!

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God, Dreams and Me: An Indianapolis Workshop on God Talking

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

"The Dream of St. Joseph" (1650-55) by Rembrandt

INDIANA - Dreams have been described as God's forgotten language. The bible is rich with stories of dreams where God talked to people such as Pharaoh, Job, Joseph, and others. If we are still dreaming, does that mean God is still talking, but we are not listening? On Saturday March 10, the workshop "God, Dreams and Me" presented by Dr. Mary Frohs asks the question, "Does God speak to us in our dreams today?" Dr. Frohs has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Christian Theological Seminary and is certified as a dream worker by the Main Institute of Projective Dream Work of Fairfield, California. To register, contact Dr. Frohs at (317) 446-2152 or email her at shaloncounselingindy@yahoo.com. "God, Dreams and Me", Saturday, March 10, 9am-12noon, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 6118 Crawfordsville, Road, Indianapolis. Registration: $25.00.

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Final Week for Cincinnati! "Saint John's Bible" Ends Feb. 26th

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

OHIO - This is the final week to experience the "Saint John's Bible" at Cincinnati's Mount Saint Joseph College Art Gallery: The traveling exhibition, a 15 year project to illuminate the holy bible closes next Sunday on February 26. The inspirational exhibit (including "Creation" above) features select pages from the monumental work which in its entirety contains more than 1,100 pages with nearly 200 illuminations in seven volumes, each measuring two feet by three feet. The project, begun in 1998 by Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. was completed in 2011. Dorothy Meyer Ziv Art Gallery | College of Mount St. Joseph, 5701 Delhi Road, Cincinnati, (513) 244-4314, http://tinyurl.com/saintjohns-msj.

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Faith Plays a Role, in Abstract & Ancient Art in Houston

HOUSTON BELIEF
By Menachem Wecker

With Love and Disregard: Rapture (2002) by Jules Olitski
Photo: Michael Cullen / Estate of Jules Olitski/Licensed

TEXAS - What do early-17th-century drawings and prints of Christian saints, spray-paintings from the 1960s and 1970s by a Russian-born Jewish painter and medieval Buddhist and courtly works from the Tokyo National Museum have in common? [Museum of Fine Arts, Houston] MFAH visitors, if they time their visit strategically, will have the chance to view three exhibits with religious content and themes. Visions of Saints, which features Guido Reni's 1609 drawing Head of a Young Woman Looking Upward, a recent MFAH acquisition, hangs until March 18. Viewers also can see more than 30 paintings by the renowned Color Field painter Jules Olitski in Revelation: Major Paintings by Jules Olitski. And Elegant Perfection: Masterpieces of Courtly and Religious Art from the Tokyo National Museum, which will open Feb. 19, will contain an 11th-century edition of the oldest Japanese poetry collection Man'yoshu. [link]

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Hindu Photograph is Subject of Winning Entry for NJ Art Contest

THE RECORD

A Hindu Gentleman from Rajathan by Theo Solomon

 NEW JERSEY - The Art Center of Northern New Jersey to hold its first art show of the year: The Works of Juried and Accepted Competitors. This year's first prize in photography is awarded to Theo Solomon, of Teaneck. This show's winning photograph is an un-manipulated portrait of a Hindu gentleman from Rajasthan State of India. Solomon says the vibrant colors are evocative of the entire sub-continent. Solmon is an associate professor of Sociology, anthropology and criminal justice at Bergen Community College. [link]

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Alain de Botton's Atheism 2.0

TED TALKS


What aspects of religion should atheists (respectfully) adopt? Alain de Botton suggests a "religion for atheists" -- call it Atheism 2.0 -- that incorporates religious forms and traditions to satisfy our human need for connection, ritual and transcendence. [link]

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Ethiopian Religious Art by Photographer Frank Janssens

FRANK FOCUS.COM
By Frank Janssens

ETHIOPIA - The Debre Berhan Selassie Church in Gondar is famed for its beautiful examples of Ethiopian church art. Built by an emperor and preserved by an archangel, it is also among the most important churches of Ethiopia. The inside walls of the church depict biblical scenes and saints and the ceiling is covered with the faces of hundreds of angels. Icons of the Holy Trinity and the Crucifixion have pride of place above the entrance to the Holy of Holies. Although most paintings within the church are historically and happily attributed to the 17th-century artist Haile Meskel, this can’t be the case because the remarkable rectangular church of today only dates back to the late 18th century. [link]

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Review: Leonardo’s London Blockbuster: The Movie

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Roberta Smith

"Virgin of the Rocks," Leonardo show at the National Gallery in London

WORLD-WIDE- “Leonardo Live” is an 85-minute mixture of once-live coverage of the exhibition’s opening reception on Nov. 8 — punctuated by short interviews with a range of specialists and invited guests, from the curator of the show to an Anglican bishop — and segments about Leonardo’s life and the preparation for the exhibition.  “Leonardo Live,” which after Thursday will receive additional showings at theaters in the United States and other countries over the next two weeks, is without a doubt the next best thing to being there. Thankful as I am to have an inkling of what the Leonardo show was like, I can’t say that it is entirely a promising debut. [link]

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"Unbee-lievable!’ - Harlem Artist Goes from City Shelter to Chic Gallery

THE NEW YORK DAILY
By Joseph Tepper

"Woven in Faith." by LeRone Wilson

NEW YORK - A Harlem artist who worked his family's way out of a homeless shelter with just some beeswax and a skillet is creating quite the 'buzz' in the modern art world. LeRone Wilson, 43, spent nearly a year with his three children and wife in a city homeless shelter, but managed to continue to refine his beeswax painting technique. Today, Wilson’s work hangs in chic galleries throughout the country and can sell upwards of $15,000. In December, Wilson beat out 4,000 other contestants to win the national Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series in Miami. Wilson draws inspiration from his religion, as in the case of one of his latest works, "Woven in Faith" (above). [link]

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(VIDEO) Michael Cunningham's "Crown" of Black women in Church

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS



FLORIDA - Lexi Lewis conducts several interview with Michael Cunningham at the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, themed "Living History" held with Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. This years featured exhibit is "Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats" which has birthed a books, a play and lots of inspiration.

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Today's Holy-day Art (NIRVANA DAY) | Video Art for the Passing of Lord Buddha Śākyamuni

涅磐 - Parinirvana
By Keto1979




Lord Buddha entered Nirvana on February 15. Since then, the Nehan-e (Nirvāna Day Service is held each year to commemorate the Mahāparinirvāna (Great Passing) of Lord Buddha Śākyamuni.

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The Mob Museum: Blood, Booze, Jews & Catholics in Vegas

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Ed Rothstein

The Purple Gang members trying to avoid the
camera in an exhibition at the new museum in Las Vegas.

NEVADA- The Mob Museum opens on Tuesday  in Las Vegas; themobmuseum.org, [Marking Al Capone's Valentines Day Massacre] a $42 million survey of the American gangster, unfolding in 17,000 square feet of exhibition space, on three floors of a 41,000-square-foot landmark building on Stewart Avenue. With artifacts, clever interactive displays, atmospheric exhibits and photographs and videos, we learn too of these Jewish and Italian immigrants who treated the “land of opportunity” as “the opportunity to grab what they could,” and by trafficking in blood and booze built up national empires, until they were brought down with wiretaps, informants and more blood. [link]

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Today's Holy-day Art Preview: Nirvana Day is Feb. 15

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Vernedia Britton

"Paranivan" (1999) by Lewis deSoto
Mixed media with nylon, painted cloth, 71 x 285 x 101 in.

While the Buddha sought a world of "good thoughts" as noted by Kai Daniels yesterday, over the following centuries there emerged a new form of Buddhism, including fierce deities who were introduced as protectors of Buddhism and its believers. These dieties do not reflect the concept of Nirvana: release from earthly existence. When he died, he did not return, and that is why he is remembered on "Nirvana Day." I selected the artwork "Paranivan" (See video) by Lewis deSoto for this post because when I first saw it (in reverse: deflation) at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art in St. Louis, I felt at peace.

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