Disney-Britton

KSL NEWS By Nicole Warburton One of 23 Carl Bloch paintings inside Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerod, Denmark. DENMARK - About a mile’s walk through the streets of this picturesque and quaint little town is Frederiksborg Castle. It’s perched in the middle of a lake, and tourists aptly describe it as the Versailles of Denmark, with its meandering gardens and majestic inside rooms. But members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider this castle special for a different reason. It’s home to a series of paintings by 19th-century Danish artist Carl Bloch on the life of Christ. Since 1955, when few images were actually used by the LDS Church in publications, these paintings have been used to illustrate more than 300 issues of the Improvement Era or the Ensign. They can also be seen in LDS meetinghouses, temples and other buildings. And now, perhaps as result of the extensive use of these Frederiksborg paintings, a special exhibit of other artworks and altarpieces ...

LOS ANGELES TIMES By Leah Ollman "Zulu love letter" by Liza Lou CALIFORNIA - Liza Lou’s first Los Angeles show since 1998, at L&M, features more than 30 works, all but one made since 2008: sculptures on pedestals and on the floor, mounted on the wall and hanging from it in the manner of paintings, a small selection of drawings, and one large installation. Over the years, Lou has made both oblique and direct reference to her upbringing in an evangelical Christian family. Religious symbols and objects appear regularly in her work. But beneath its brilliant, ever-changing public sheen, the work also tracks the difficult, nuanced evolution of a spiritual self, a political self, a socially conscious self. That rich interiority makes the exterior gleam all the brighter. [ link ]

HUFFINGTON POST By G. Roger Denson NEW YORK - The myth of the modern medical cure both inspires and deludes us. It's within this overlapping zone of hope and uncertainty that arose with AIDS that I see the art of Hunter Reynolds fulfilling a unique need. His art has been conceived entirely in response to the shocking mortality, disillusionment and prejudice that came flooding in on the AIDS generation. New York city residents and visitors can see the exhibition "Hunter Reynolds: Survival AIDS," a new series of works that incorporates elements spanning 25 years of image making, and constructed around Reynolds' experience as a gay man living in the age of AIDS. Survival AIDS will combine three modalities that he has used in various ways in his work over the years: the Blood Spot series (above), Mummification Performance Skins (below), and Photo Weavings. At Participant Inc., 253 East Houston, NYC, May 1 - June 5, 2011.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

ARAB NEWS "Message/Messenger" By Abdulnasir Gharim SAUDIA ARABIA - Last week was special for the Saudi artists in Christie's Fine Art Auctions – Middle East, which was held in Dubai, UAE. In the auction, artworks of artists from all over the world were displayed, including outstanding artworks for Saudi artists within the framework of "Edge of Arabia" exhibition, which is supported by ALJ Community Initiatives. The auction witnessed a new record through an artwork made by the contemporary Saudi artists Abdulnaser Gharim titled "Message/Messenger". The artwork is a 3 meter-height dome of wood and copper representing the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem. The price of the work reached USD 842,500, which equals ten times its starting price. In an interview, the Saudi artists Abdulnaser Gharim said about his achievement. [ link ]

GMA NEWS By Kimberly Jane Tan "Brotherhood of Men" by Niccolo Cosme KOREA - Niccolo Cosme , a 30-year-old Filipino fashion and commercial photographer, beat more than 500 entries from Japan, Korea, Philippines, China, USA and Canada to win the 2011 Asia Pacific District Photographic Competition of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). "I use this imagery to easily catch attention, because of its iconic stature... most especially in our country, which is predominantly Christian. It's safe to say that it may look very Christian but I am trying to show you a totally different story," he said. Cosme said his award-winning work, "The Brotherhood of Men," which showed seven men dashing in the same direction, is a call "to all humanity to come together so we can reach our goals together as one." [ link ]

DESSERT NEWS By Sara Israelson-Hartley "One Nation Under God" by Jon McNaughton UTAH - As thousands of women flock to the BYU Bookstore during Women's Conference this week, one artist's work will be noticeably absent. Utah painter Jon McNaughton decided to remove all of his artwork from the bookstore after school officials decided they would no longer sell one of his most famous, and politically charged paintings, "One Nation Under God," which features Jesus Christ holding the U.S. Constitution, flanked by public figures and representative individuals. [ link ]

KABC-TV 10-foot stained glass mosaic called the 'Surfing Madonna' CALIFORNIA - A stained glass mosaic is stirring up some controversy. The 10-foot by 10-foot mosaic called the " Surfing Madonna " appeared a few days before Easter on the bridge east of Highway 101 in Encinitas. The Madonna, wearing wetsuit booties, is surfing the face of a wave and appears with the slogan, "Save the Ocean." The mosaic was put up in the middle of the day by mystery men in hardhats near a busy intersection. The installers haven't identified themselves, and it's unclear whether the bridge is owned by the city or North County Transit District. [ link ]

SAN JOSE MUSEUM Press Release CALIFORNIA - The San Jose Museum of Art will showcase the work of legendary underground comic artist R. Crumb this summer. The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb's Book of Genesis will be on view from June 23 through September 25, 2011. The exhibition will feature 207 individual, black-and-white drawings from Crumb's critically acclaimed 2009 adaptation of the first book of the Bible, which incorporates every word from all fifty chapters. The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb was published by W.W. Norton in October 2009.  In his review of the book for the New York Times David Hajdu wrote, "Crumb luxuriates in the carnality of Genesis without playing it for gratuitous shock or comic effect." 110 South Market Street in downtown San Jose, CA, ( 408) 271-6840, SanJoseMuseumofArt.org.[ link ]

DECCAN CHRONICLE INDIA - Sai Baba, whose message of universal love and brotherhood attracted millions of followers across the globe, was today [on Wednesday] interred at the very spot from where he used to meet and address his disciples for years. The mortal remains of the 85-year-old spiritual leader, whose clout spread far and wide among both the commoners and the high mighty, were buried after the last rites were performed by his nephew R.J. Ratnakar in accordance with vedic customs following full police honours. Sai Baba's body was buried amidst chanting of 'sai' mantras. Body laid in a pit created at the spot in Sai Kulwant where the spiritual leader preached The spot is now now expected to become an eternal memorial for Sai Baba The body was laid to rest in line with the practice adopted for Hindu spirital leaders. Normally, Hindus cremate their bodies. bu Naidu and other leaders went to the samadhi sprinkled sacred ash at the spot. Sai Baba's body lay in ...

METRO UNITED KINGDOM - Next month the King James Bible celebrates its 400th birthday. The tome, which first went on sale on May 2, 1611, took previous English language versions and created a definitive Bible that became the most influential book ever written, a cornerstone of British society, permeating everything from art and literature to politics and morality, here and around the world. "All societies need a common fund of stories and sayings," says the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. "Not just to help them get along but to help them agree about their goals and ideals. For several hundred years, the King James Bible was probably the most important bit of that common fund for most English-speaking people." However, 400 years on it’s arguably less of a cultural force than it once was. Britain is becoming increasingly multi-faith and, at the same time, the numbers of atheists and agnostics have risen. [ link ]

THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES By Galina Stolyarova RUSSIA - Vladimir Mikhailov occupies the unique position of a jeweler crafting collections inspired by Orthodox symbols, saints and values in a centuries-old technique developed in the 12th and 13th centuries in northern Russia — and all with the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church. Carved in silver or gold in an ascetic style using a highly intricate technique, Mikhailov’s rings, pendants and crosses have proved equally appealing to both the clergy — originally the artist’s main clientele — and secular, even non-religious customers. His clients include Queen Sophia of Spain and Hollywood stars such as Mickey Rourke, both of whom bought items of jewelry spontaneously while shopping in St. Petersburg. [ link ]

BANGKOK POST By Pattara Danutra Chitti Kasemkitvatana at the Jim Thompson Library in Bangkok CHINA -Chitti Kasemkitvatana is truly one of the local conceptual artists. With a paradoxical title, "Tomorrow Was Yesterday", his current exhibition showcases six pieces which look back on his past experiences, both as a professional artist in Thailand since 1992 and as a Buddhist monk in the North between 2002-2009. "During my monkhood, most of my old works and their relevant objects disappeared. Only my remembrance of them remains. So, I retained their concept and implemented some new contexts for them, particularly for the installation of this show," said the conceptual artist. [ link ]

STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE By Ben Johnson "The Truth" A Portrait of Rev. Phelps KANSAS - Staten Island artist Scott LoBaido brought some of his work to church yesterday, though the people at Westboro Baptist Church weren't keen to let him in. The intrepid Staten Islander, who is on a trip across the country with his paintbrushes this month, went to the Topeka, Kansas church yesterday -- an independent Baptist church infamous for its hate speech protests at U.S. Marine funerals -- to unveil a painting and have a little protest of his own. The artist finished a composition titled "The Truth (Welcome Home)," a portrait of the church's leader Fred W. Phelps Sr. wearing high heels and ladies underwear, sitting on the lap of Satan. Phelps' daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper was also in the painting.  [ link ]

CREATIVE LOAFING By Madison Lee GEORGIA - A sign over the door beckons, "Come On In Precious!" Owner Grant Henry was once a student of the bible pursuing a master's in divinity with a major in pastoral care. Henry decided to put the words in his mind onto the devout paintings. He signed each one "Sister Louisa." The paintings were a hit (selling more than 60 at his first show) and the idea of a bar called Church was born. Every inch of wall space at this bar in the heart of Old Fourth Ward is devoted to Sister Louisa's art — tacky religious paintings emblazoned with tackier controversial phrases in bold colors and print. Sister Louisa's is, in the words of its leader Henry, "an art project that sells alcohol." [ link ]

EARNED MEDIA "The Bible Timeline" has proven to be extremely successful in helping people read and appreciate Scripture. Using a unique color-coded system, 'The new Bible Timeline' study follows this same proven format, but is now re-filmed in high definition and revised to include new theological insights and illustrations," says Jeff Cavins, co-author and presenter of the study. "We provide animated maps of ancient biblical journeys, definitions and spellings of unfamiliar words, classic art and contemporary images of well-known ancient biblical sites, as well as on-screen citations from Scripture, the Catechism, and more. Version 2.0 is available from Ascension Press at http://www.biblestudyforcatholics.com/ , or by calling (800)376-0520. [ link ]

IMAGE JOURNAL By Theodore Prescott "The Foot Washing (Christ and His Disciples)" By Ed Knippers ONE of the enduring myths of the twentieth century is the idea that art is really about the artist. I met Ed Knippers's work before I met Ed Knippers. Outside of the Festival Center is a sculpture of Christ washing someone's feet, an image that speaks of the center's dedication to service. A friend in the Church of the Savior knew that one of Ed's paintings (see above), The Foot Washing (Christ and His Disciples ). [ link ]

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Jeremy Boren Oil-on-canvas mural of Christ's ascent by Fredeic Stymetz Lamb PENNSYLVANIA - Inside the Church of the Ascension in Shadyside, a giant oil-on-canvas mural by Frederick Stymetz Lamb (b. California) reminds members of the end of the Easter story, with Christ's ascent into Heaven, 40 days later. The window and the mural are part of the unique, early 20th-century religious artistry found in Pittsburgh-area churches that can take on special significance during Easter, said Albert Tannler, historical collections director at the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Lamb's is the second-largest mural devoted to the ascension in the United States. The largest, upon which it is based, is in a New York City church of the same name and was created by muralist John La Farge , who patented a process to make opalescent glass in 1879. [ link ]

A Portrait of Christ from Jeremy Cowart on Vimeo [Twitter:  CIVA ]

THE HINDU By Kausala Santhanam INDIA - Unlike in the West, the genre of spiritual art is still vibrant in India, says Martin Gurvich, Director, Museum of Sacred Art, in his introduction. Published by the museum, " Living Traditions in Indian Art " celebrates the presence of the divine even amidst the mundane and the material in our country. It showcases popular, devotional art in India and also metal icons, masks, sculptures, puppets, and ritual objects of divinities from this country as well as from Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, and Indonesia, as displayed in the Museum of Sacred Art, Radhadesh, Belgium. [ link ]

DAILY RECORD Artist painting for exhibition NEW JERSEY - Celestial light and poetry are all Michelle Lukasiewicz Romanelli needs to start painting a new image for her ongoing impressionist "Light Source" series. Romanelli, who trained at the duCret School of Art in Plainfield said, "Everything in the paintings is growing toward the light. Call it God, nature, light, sun, source, unconditional love. Call it what you will. Without it, there is no growth." Romanelli has original "Light Source" paintings showing through Thursday at the Center for Spiritual Living in Morristown and prints at The Art of the Heart in Chester. The mystical message of each painting is expanded with the addition of a sentence. For instance, a painting entitled "Moon Delight" is accompanied by: " "And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.' — Lennon, McCartney." She gathers the sentences from her studies in Science of Mind, Buddhi...

INDIANAPOLIS STAR By Robert King and Dan McFeely INDIANA - Easter Sunday marks the culmination of Holy Week, a time when millions of Christians ponder and pray about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago. For many, this time of reflection is heightened by a vivid experience -- a dramatic re-creation of events that seeks to bring to life the Gospel's description of Christ's final week. Such live events, often known as a Passion play or the Way of the Cross, evoke tears, forgiveness, even anger from those who watch. But what about those who don the "bloody" robes, who wear the crowns of thorns and who carry a heavy cross on their shoulders? What does it mean to be cast as Christ, to play the central role in "The Greatest Story Ever Told"? The Rev. Michael O'Mara, pastor at St. Mary Catholic Church in Downtown Indianapolis, which has put on a Passion play for the past 11 years, explains it this way: "Without fai...

USC US-CHINA INSTITUTE MASSACHUSETTS - Harvard University welcomes James Robson in a Special Lecture on Chinese Religious Art & culture on April 27, 2011 at 4:00pm at the CGIS South, Tsai Auditorium (S010), 1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA. The occassion is cosponsored by the Harvard China Fund.Professor Robson specializes in the history of Medieval Chinese Buddhism and Daoism and is particularly interested in issues of sacred geography, local religious history, talismans, religious art, and the historical development of Chan/Zen Buddhism. He is presently engaged in a long-term collaborative research project with the École Française d’Extrême-Orient studying a large collection of local religious statuary from Hunan province. [ link ]

AOA WEEKLY "Desposition and Resurrection" (2011) by Tom de Feston English artist Tom de Freston's new altar reredo was unveiled on Easter Sunday at Christ’s College Chapel in Cambridge University. He said: “The two paintings are intended to offer a binary narrative, one of rise and fall. They are made with the very particular demands of the Chapel in mind, and will hopefully provide a visual and spiritual fulcrum to the space”.  (More on Tom de Freston )

REPORTAGE AUSTRALIA - An anonymous artist has protested the destruction of Andres Serrano’s infamous photograph Immersion "Piss Christ" (1987) by distributing their own interpretation called The Resurrection of Piss Christ online. Launched on Easter Sunday, the artist has offered the image for download at resurrectionofpisschrist.com and encourages the public to republish, reuse and re-purpose the image as they wish. Unlike Serrano, who used his piece to make a profit and gain notoriety, the artist wishes for the work to rise above petty incentives and to spread as a protest against those who threaten free speech. [ link ]

NPR By Associated Press Sand sculpture of Sathya Sai Baba by Sudarshan Pattnaik INDIA - An unidentified Indian woman (above) prepares to lay a flower before a sand sculpture of Hindu holy man Sathya Sai Baba, created by artist Sudarshan Pattnaik at Golden Sea beach at Puri, Orissa, India, Sunday, April 24, 2011. Baba, considered a living god by millions of followers worldwide, died Sunday in a hospital near his southern Indian ashram, a doctor said. He was 86. The news brought an outpouring of grief from his followers, including high Indian officials, who remembered him as a pious person who worked selflessly to help others with the billions of dollars donated to his charitable trust. "Sri Satya Sai Baba was a spiritual leader who inspired millions to lead a moral and meaningful life, even as they followed the religion of their choice," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement. "The nation deeply mourns his passing away." [ link ]

BIG THINK By Bob Duggan NEW ZEALAND - "Ars Sacra: Christian Art and Architecture of the Western World from the Very Beginning Up Until Today" should instantly assume the role of the definitive guide in words and pictures of Christian art. With 800 oversized pages of high quality photography and insightful text adding up to a mammoth weight of 23 pounds, Ars Sacra wins the heavyweight title of the world of religious art books. All the familiar masterpieces appear with fresh perspectives along with new wonders to behold, making Ars Sacra truly a Book of Revelation for both believers and art-loving nonbelievers.“ Ars Sacra assumes church architecture to be the shell or shrine of Christian art, as Christian art proved independent for the first time in its monumental buildings,” writes publisher and editor Rolf Toman in his introduction. Working from that architectural foundation, Ars Sacra branches out to all genres of Christian art. [ link ]

CHRONICALLY CHRISTIAN By Kevin Swartzendruber USA - Although all true Christians believe the Bible to be God’s Word, the God’s Spirit inspired men to write at His leading. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that the Bible was “breathed forth” by God. That does not mean that He directly dictated to each of these authors exactly what to write, but instead breathed upon their hearts in such a way that their writings are true, yet influenced by their own perspectives and personalities. The Bible was written by approximately 40 men of diverse backgrounds over the course of 1500 years. Few of the books of the Bible specifically name their author. Here are the books of the Bible along with the name of the person most assumed by biblical scholars to be the author and approximate date of authorship: [ read list ]

BIG RAPIDS PRESS MICHIGAN - Cultural artifacts from Jewish, Christian and Zen Buddhist communities are currently being displayed at Artworks in Big Rapids. The “Arts in the Religions of the World” exhibit is viewable on the second floor of the downtown art gallery during normal business hours through April 30. [ link ]

MERCER SPACE Community Calendar NEW JERSEY - St. Paul’s Catholic Church, located at 214 Nassau Street, is holding an evening retreat “Blessed Art Thou: A Celebration of Mary in Art and Story” on Wednesday, May 18, at 7:30 pm in the St. Paul’s Spiritual Center. Renowned artist, Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS, will use paintings and prayers to offer a fresh look at her traditional titles and remind you why she holds such a special place in our hearts and our Church. Admission is free. For more information, please call Ernie Andreoli, St. Paul’s Church, at 609-524-0507. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest  Disney-Britton Episcopalians are enthusiastically Easter People. This Sunday morning, April 24, we worshiped at Saint Mark's Church, an Episcopal church in the quiet and tree-filled neighborhood of St. Louis Hills. Arriving a little late, we filled the last of the 200 seats as we joined the warm and welcoming congregation. We sat next to Oliver, age 14-months, and his mother & father. Oliver's parents were married at St. Mark's and while they live far from this church they come back for Christmas and Easter. Sharing the pew with chubby Oliver, all decked out in plaid, smiles and laughter was one more wonderful Easter gift.

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest Britton Plate 28 : “Celui qui croit en moi, fut-il mort, vivra” John 11:25 by George Roualt MISSOURI - We returned to Saint Louis for Easter Weekend 2011, and this time for the work of George Roualt at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art. Another wonderful visit which I will write about in detail later. The weekend, which included The Stations of the Cross at Saint John the Evangelist in Indianapolis; followed on Saturday with the George Roualt in Saint Louis; and concluded Sunday with the community of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, the city's first contemporary style church (1939), and one of most welcoming church experiences ever.

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS Gregory A. Disney (left) and Verneida I. Britton (right) Easter Meetup 2011 outside the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis , St. Louis, MO.

ON MY GRANDMOTHER'S WALL hung a copy of this painting, "The Head of Christ." According to Newsweek it is the most reproduced image of Jesus Christ ever, but who know's the name of the artist? His name is Warner Sallman (American) and his original work is in the archives of Anderson University in Indiana.

A BUDDHIST MONK IN MAINE,  Geshe Gendun Gyatso led a prayer last Sunday during the "deconstruction ceremony" of an intricately designed sand mandala. The mandala had been created over the course of a week by monks at the Maine College of Art in Portland. It's one of the many lessons of Buddhist theology through art. Through this deconstruction, they teach that everything in life is temporary. [ link ]

WITHOUT CONTROVERSY how would we know it was Holy Week? This year offered a feast of religious art controversies. A group of Christians in France attacked Andres Serrano's controversial work, "Piss Christ." Michigan Pastor Rob Bell's artist-inspired book, " Love Wins " continued to infuriate Christian Fundamentalists; and there was even a new mural in Utah of the  Mormon Temple in flames  stirring up debate. It all makes the 2007 advice on PBS Bill Moyers  by Nun & Art Historian Sister Wendy Beckett even more prescient when she advised, (I'm paraphrasing) Art is what you make of it. What you bring to it is how you will experience it. Thank you Sister Wendy for providing some perspective for Holy Week art controversy.

BY ERNEST BRITTON We are in Saint Louis today for Easter weekend (follow on Twitter ), and it's been a sensational trip! The drive home will be packed with talk of the " George Rouault " exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art and the breathtaking Saint Louis Cathedral Basilica, as well as the other local sights including the great storm of 2011 . This morning we are heading to 10:00 a.m. Easter service at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church with its stunning art deco design and stained glass windows which will be followed by a soul food dinner at Yummies , a local African American tradition. On the way home, we will also stop at the world's largest cross  (198-ft tall) in Effingham, Illinois before calling it an end to another fantastic AOA weekend! I hope your Easter is just as joyous and perhaps next year, we can spend it together?

THE ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By TAHLIB We are in Saint Louis today for Easter weekend, and it's been a sensational trip! The drive home will be packed with talk of the " George Rouault " exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art and the breathtaking Saint Louis Cathedral Basilica, as well as the other local sights including the great storm of 2011 . This morning we are heading to 10:00 a.m. Easter service at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church with its stunning art deco design and stained glass windows which will be followed by a soul food dinner at Yummies , a local African American tradition. On the way home, we will also stop at the world's largest cross (198-ft tall) in Effingham, Illinois!

KANSAS CITY STAR By Helen Gray This painting from the Latin Holy Family Church in city of Ramallah depicts Christ’s resurrection MISSOURI - Many interpretations, explanations, questions and viewpoints surround various aspects of the resurrection story. And even the four Gospels give differing details, leading to scholarly debates. Here is a quiz based on the accounts of the Easter story as told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Give yourself a point for each correct answer. [ link ]

CNN By William Walker NEW MEXICO - El Santuario de Chimayo, the Roman Catholic adobe mission church set in these hills of northern New Mexico, dates from 1816. Here, on Good Friday night around 1810, a Chimayo friar reportedly found a miraculous crucifix glowing on the ground near the Santa Cruz River. The church is built on the site of the reported discovery. During Holy Week - culminating on Good Friday - thousands of pilgrims converge on Chimayo. Some pilgrims walk a few yards, others a hundred miles or more. Many pilgrims believe that sacred earth from the shrine possesses miraculous healing powers. Testimonies of healing powers at Chimayo date to 1813, when Father Sebastian Alvarez wrote of cures for ailments. Visitors to Chimayo often take "holy dirt" from a pit in the shrine where the crucifix was reportedly found. Some rub it on their skin, others eat it; many claim to have been cured of disease, illness and infirmity. [ link ]

ABS-CBN By Arlene Burgos HEAVEN - This is not the Jesus all those weekend catechism classes prepared you for. For one, he drinks Hennessy. He's also into body-building: his Twitter wall picture depicts him with muscles bulging, ripping himself off from the cross. This is ‘Jesus_M_Christ,’ possibly among the fastest rising celebrities in the social media site Twitter these days. He advertises a hash tag (Twitter tags) for a particular topic and people use it. He has, to date, 69,223 followers, 902 updates, and has been listed 2,290 times since he started tweeting April 15, 2009. The account bio says, “You know who I am. If not, google me (@#!).” He follows 22 people, among them two US presidents – the verified account of the incumbent, Barack Obama, and an unverified Bill Clinton account. “Dad flooded the Earth on accident. He got carried away making it rain in the club,” ‘Jesus_M_Christ’ said Thursday. This is possibly the only Jesus Christ Twitter account that made it this far....

NEWS TRIBUNE By Rosemary Ponnekanti "The Cross-Way" by Sanne Beavin WASHINGTON - Gig Harbor, Washington artist Sanne Beavin has created eight painting-tableaux for Lent and Holy Week at her church, Harbor Covenant, as a spiritual meditation for parishioners and visitors. Asked by pastor Michael White, Beavin painted one work of “The Cross-Way” for each week of Lent, with two more for this week (Holy Week). The paintings, highly-colored expressionist works detailing each of eight Stations of the Cross (scriptural points on Jesus’ journey to crucifixion) are surrounded by a tableau of symbolic props and a second panel, some wrapped in barbed wire, some pounded with nails, and accompanied by a scriptural verse and meditative words. All will be on view this week through Good Friday at the church, including an Evening with the Artist on Thursday. The paintings have been highly popular at Harbor Covenant, where Beavin has been asked to reproduce them for sale. [ link ]

ABS-CBN NEWS By Caroline Howard Kristo Manila Exhibition PHILIPPINES - "Kristo Manila," a Lenten art show featuring reflections of visual artists, has been drawing artists and art aficionados since 2005. Until April 30, followers can again indulge in viewing inspiring artworks, and for the Lenten season also, for purposes of reflection. The Kristo Exhibit started in Malolos, Bulacan in 2001 under the auspices of artist Salvador Ching who took it up as part of his it up as part of his panata or vow. In 2005, Delan Robillos began mounting the Kristo Exhibit in Manila. "Every year, we're surprised by the number of participants, the messages we receive from the artworks," said Robillos on mailto:Mornings@ANC.%22  As Salvador Ching would always tell the people, it's a way for visual artists to pay tribute to the true Master," he added. Now on its sixth year, "Kristo Manila 2011" focuses on the theme of selflessness with an exhibit titled ...

THE NEWS JOURNAL By Marina Koren "Adam and Eve" PENNSYLVANIA - These are not the kind of depictions you'd find in your grandmother's Bible. The 15 images, on exhibit in "Barry Moser: Bookwright" at the Brandywine River Museum, offer an earthier view of the world during biblical times, not the exquisitely painted holier-than-thou religious works favored by many publishers. "He just goes out of his way to show the humanity of the Bible more than the kind of idealized vision we have," says Lee Wierenga, assistant curator at the Brandywine River Museum. "He embraces the grittiness, the humanness of life. He doesn't pull a punch -- he calls it how he sees it." Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Moser studied at Auburn University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and did post-graduate work at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. [ link ]

LONDON EVENING STANDARD By Staff Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah (1852) by John Martin ENGLAND - The apocalyptic visions of an artist more popular than Constable and JMW Turner in his day are to be brought together in the biggest exhibition of his work for nearly two centuries. Tate curators hope that the blockbuster show uniting famous scenes of biblical catastrophe by the Romantic John Martin will restore him to his proper place at the heart of 19th-century cultural life. In his lifetime, Martin (1789-1854) was scorned by poets and by the art establishment. Yet curator Martin Myrone said Martin was adored by everyone from Charles Dickens to the Brontës and painted scenes from literature, including the Bible, works by John Milton and by 18th-century poets now largely forgotten. "He represents the art a mass public was consuming. He was the most popular artist of his day." It will include many works only discovered or restored in recent years including an early disaste...

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Kurt Shaw "Walking into the Dessert No. 27" by Doug Kinsey PENNSYLVANIA - Doug Kinsey's "Waking Into the Desert Dream," is one of three solo exhibits currently on display at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts which command attention above and beyond the four other massive group exhibits that are, for the most part, a sea of generality. Kinsey is a native of Californian whose latest creations -- massive-yet-minimalist charcoal drawings -- were inspired by the view from his hillside home in Coraopolis of the Ohio River Valley. In a broad manner, they might be explained as contemporary icons, or, more specifically, as configurations of a spiritual geography. "My work is not about religion so much, but they are concerned with spiritual issues and reflection," Kinsey says. [ link ]

DAILY TIMES Staff Report PAKISTAN - Abdul Jabbar Gull’s artwork exhibition kicked off at the Drawing Room Art Gallery on Thursday. In addition to a variety of art mediums used by Gull, an obsession with sculpture marked Gull’s work that explores and represents complex notions of time, movement and thought, past and future, the real and imagined. Gull’s main source of inspirations are humanity, spiritual belief, politics and human beings, especially ordinary people. He said, “ I call them ordinary souls and I am one of them so I endeavour to express their common sufferings, grief and relationships on individual and collective levels.” [ link ]

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AUSTRALIA - Easter is the most important festival of the Christian calendar, and for more than 2000 years the narrative behind it has also provided the inspiration for much of the greatest and some of the most controversial Western art. Religious images abound in Christian art, despite what some have argued is the literal meaning of the commandment in the Old Testament forbidding the making of graven images. By contrast, the injunction in the Koran against idol-worship means there is no comparable tradition of figurative religious art in the Islamic tradition, so much of whose characteristic genius is expressed in geometric patterns and calligraphy. [ link ]

DETROIT FREE PRESS By Nira Warikoo MICHIGAN - With some of metro Detroit's biggest political and religious leaders united behind Muslims in Dearborn, Florida Pastor Terry Jones is expected to appear in court this morning for a jury trial that could determine whether he can hold a rally at the largest mosque in the city. This "bigot does not represent" us, Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini, head of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, declared to a crowd of about 700 on Thursday at a rally that drew U.S. Rep. John Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat, and the local heads of the Catholic and Episcopal churches. [ link ]

GUARDIAN By Mark Vernon UNITED KINGDOM - Blasphemy is in the news again, and this time it has nothing to do with the Qu'ran or the prophet Muhammad. The novelist James Frey has written a new life of Jesus, The Final Testament of the Holy Bible. It is set in contemporary New York in which a Jesus-figure, Ben, comes back among New York lowlife, as lowlife. His message is the old hippy one – love, love, love – which he pursues in very practical ways. He makes love to almost everyone he meets – women, men, drug addicts, priests. Hence the blasphemy. Or at least, that is what the publishers are hoping. Written on the cover, in bold, we are told that this is Frey's most revolutionary and controversial work. "Be moved, be enraged, be enthralled by this extraordinary masterpiece," it screams in uppercase letters. I hope people don't rise to the bait. The book is more ludicrous than scandalous. The rabbit-like lovemaking is accompanied by dialogue of the "we-screwe...

"Broken Last Supper" (2010) By Kevin Rolly CALIFORNIA - "Created with the participation of the residents of the Peppermint Ridge Facility for the Developmentally Disabled. It took a year to get all of the permissions from the families and when the time came to shoot my main camera died. I only had fifteen minutes to shoot so I shot with my semi-functional Holga. The final work was created with hand printed images, printed to varying scale from over forty different frames. The final work was painted in front of a live audience over the course of three hours on Good Friday, 2010 at SMASHLABS in Los Angeles." ~ KEVIN ROLLY [ link ]

ABS-CBN NEWS Last Supper by Joey Velasco PHILIPPINES - Paintings of the late Joey Velasco, known for depicting Jesus in everyday Filipino life, are on display to serve as points of reflection for the Holy Week. The Joey Velasco Foundation (JVF) recently opened the "Beyond Life" exhibit, which features some of the "heartist" painter's best works. It will run until Monday, April 25 at the Sto. Domingo Museum in Quezon City. Part of the exhibit is "Hapag ng Pag-asa," where Jesus Christ is depicted breaking bread with street children (See below). Since it was shown to the public in 2005, Velasco's version of the Last Supper has awakened in some a sense of social responsibility, JVF said. [ link ] Jesus Christ by Joey Velasco

KENNEBEC JOURNAL By Glenn Jordan MAINE -  Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Gendun Gyatso led a prayer Sunday during the deconstruction ceremony of a sand mandala that was created over the week by monks at the Maine College of Art in Portland. That's one lesson, and a rather simplistic one at that, to be drawn from Sunday's ceremony culminating the weeklong creation of an elaborate sand mandala by a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a trained mandala master. Geshe Gendun Gyatso and Sonam Dhargye worked 11-hour days Monday through Friday at the Maine College of Art on Congress Street, painstakingly arranging grains of colored sand into a circular design that included spiritual motifs. [ link ]

FIRE DOG LAKE By Karin "5 Benevolent Cans" (2007) by Cal Lane CANADA - "In my most recent exhibition entitled “Crude”, pulled together the relationship of God and Oil. Though the images are dealing with overt political topics the images do not point to anything specific – they merely coexist – and what it says really depends on the viewer’s history. This work consists of a series of oil cans that have been flayed open in the form of a cross shape or a gothic cathedral floor plan. The cans are then cut into Christian or Medieval like Icons. Fine, like tattered paper, the jagged edge of the thin metal becomes both an ancient and contemporary image, thereby appealing to both those who cling to history, and those who ignore it.Along side of the cans are three 45 gallon oil drums. The drums are skinned and unrolled to create a surface. The surface is then pulled up the wall and cut into a multiple of images from tattoo patterns to fabric patterns to religious and hazard...

DENVER POST By Kyle MacMillan Alvise Vivarini's portraits of St. John the Baptist and St. Jerome from about 1480 COLORADO - Old-master paintings traditionally have been the centerpiece of many art institutions. But at the Denver Art Museum, they share a floor with their American counterparts and objects from two other departments. They tend to be overshadowed by the museum's world-class holdings in such areas as American Indian and Spanish colonial art — and its considerably larger, crowd-pleasing display of Western American works. To help right this seeming imbalance in attention and give visitors an opportunity to see the old-master collection in a new way, the museum is presenting "Cities of Splendor: A Journey Through Renaissance Italy." The show, which runs through July 31, is by no means a blockbuster — but it is a striking, well-considered look at one of the most creative and prolific periods in art history. [ link ]

THE TELEGRAPH UNITED KINGDOM - Maundy Thursday is the common name for Holy Thursday and marks the beginning of the three day celebrating of Easter. The name Maundy Thursday is today more common among Protestants than among Catholics, who tend to use Holy Thursday , while Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox refer to Maundy Thursday as Great and Holy Thursday . It commemorates the day of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles and gets its name from the Latin word mandatum, which means "commandment." Near the end of the Last Supper, after Judas had departed, Christ said to His disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." During the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples' feet. This act has sometimes been followed literally in history as a good way of reminding rulers that they are here to serve their subjects. [ link ]

MERCER SPACE Community Calendar NEW JERSEY - St. Paul’s Catholic Church, located at 214 Nassau Street, is holding an evening retreat “Blessed Art Thou: A Celebration of Mary in Art and Story” on Wednesday, May 18, at 7:30 pm in the St. Paul’s Spiritual Center. Renowned artist, Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS, will use paintings and prayers to offer a fresh look at her traditional titles and remind you why she holds such a special place in our hearts and our Church. Admission is free. For more information, please call Ernie Andreoli, St. Paul’s Church, at 609-524-0507. [ link ]

A hlul B ayt N ews A gency IRAQ - The annual mourning ceremonies marking Hazrat Fatima's (SA) martyrdom anniversary started on April 18 at Imam Hussein’s (AS) holy shrine in Karbala . According to Noon website, the first of such ceremonies was attended by a great number of Ahl-ul-Bayt’s (AS) followers as well as mourning groups who were in deep sorrow over this great lady’s martyrdom anniversary. The custodians of Imam Hussein’s (AS) shrine have provided the mourners with needed facilities and services to hold the ceremonies in the best possible way. [ link ]

BAPTIST PRESS By Jeffrey Aaron East African Women Gather for Henna Bible Storytelling EAST AFRICA - Believers throughout Africa, South Asia and the Middle East are combining oral Bible storytelling and henna to share the Gospel. Henna is a significant part of these cultures, in which women draw beautiful designs on their hands and feet for special occasions such as weddings. Henna is a plant used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather or wool. It is commercially cultivated in various countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Yemen. To be used as a dye, the leaves are ground and sifted to make a fine powder which is added to lemon juice or strong tea to make a paste. The paste is then used for application on the skin. [ link ]

PRESS REGISTER By Roy Hoffman 12 Stations of the Cross by Suzzane Damrich ALABAMA - Suzzane Damrich is creating a series of panels depicting the Stations of the Cross, an homage to the final hours of Jesus commonly found either as painting or statues in Catholic churches, and some Protestant ones. Among the scenes are, “Jesus is Condemned to Death,” “Jesus Meets his Mother,” “Jesus is Nailed to the Cross,” and “Jesus Is Taken from the Cross and Laid in Mary’s Bosom.” Damrich’s Stations will become public at Dauphin Way United Methodist in Mobile on Sunday with a musical concert to commemorate the occasion. Damrich was surprised by their request for her to paint the Stations of the Cross. “It’s unusual that a Methodist church would choose these,” notes John Ricketts, director of music and worship and Dauphin Way. But his church, he says, has a commitment to further “the sacred arts.” And, he says, the Stations of the Cross is “not necessarily completely Catholic” either, with the ...

DEPAULIA By Angelika Labona ILLINOIS - Until recently, I lived in a Catholic bubble. On Ash Wednesday, when I asked a Christian friend if he was getting his ashes, he informed me Lent was a Catholic thing; I was floored. Since Catholics are fundamentally Christians, I imagined there couldn't be much of a difference between them, but after further discussions with Christians, I realized how mistaken I was. The list of differences is a long one, from praying to Mary and the saints to religious iconography in the worship space. Catholics, recognize statues and religious art as just that—artwork. They are not there to be worshipped; rather, they are symbolic reminders. For example, looking at a crucifix elicits the message of salvation—the actual object is in no way taking precedence over Jesus. We need to understand that while some concepts are clear-cut, others are multi-faceted and sometimes unexplainable. What's important is to accept our differences and keep an open mind,...

FORWARD By Michael Satlow VATICAN CITY - The Vatican Museums receive 20,000 visitors a day and offer an unparalleled opportunity for the church to educate and extend its mission. Yet to visit the Vatican Museums is to enter a vision of Christianity that not only fails to acknowledge the complicated and tortuous history between the church and the Jews, but also seems to deny the very theological connection to the Jews upon which the official Vatican statements insist. In room after room of magnificent art, art that portrays important scenes from the New Testament, there is a strange absence of Jews.  The problem extends to the few Jewish objects that the museums do display. A series of ancient Jewish catacombs around Rome has been excavated and has yielded a large number of beautifully inscribed epitaphs. A collection of these inscriptions is housed within the museum complex in what is known as the Gregorian Profane Museum. This adjoins the Pio-Christian Museum, where Christ...