Disney-Britton

EAGLE TRIBUNE By Paul Tennant NEW HAMPSHIRE - You're likely to do a double take when you first cast your eyes on the image. When you look at the 3 1/2-by-2-foot painting, you see a tall nun, dressed in a traditional black and white habit. Then you look a bit closer and — yikes! — it's President Obama! This eye-catching work was created by Luke Lombardo , a North Andover High School senior. Lombardo's intent was not to ridicule the president or people who have dedicated themselves to religious life. Rather, he wanted to express a message. "We need greater separation of church and state," he explained. The government tends to favor some religions over others, he said. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest O. Britton "Matthew" (2012) by Leivur Reinert Djurhuus Beginning tonight in Wisconsin the reverential photographs by Leivur Reinert Djurhuus , a fine arts senior at St. Norbert College are part of the college's Senior Art Exhibit that runs April 30 to May 11. Djurhuus, from Denmark — translated famed paintings by Caravaggio, and others, to photographs with fellow art students as his models. Hopefully, we will all soon be able to collect from his series on 500pix , and if not maybe you can get to Wisconsin yourself!

THE IRISH TIMES By Aidan Dunne  "Park" (1924).  Images courtesy of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation of Connecticut. Yes, there's something going on in those squares, but is it something of a religious as well as an optical nature? IRELAND - Josef Albers , the German- American abstractionist artist, is being recast as a religious painter and the meaning that lies between his famous squares takes centre stage in a terrific exhibition. The Glucksman Gallery’s " The Sacred Modernist: Josef Albers " as a Catholic Artist is by far the biggest and best exhibition of the German-American artist’s work ever seen in Ireland. More than that, though, the title spells out an ambition to reposition Albers, surely the archetypal austere abstractionist, as a religious painter.  The Sacred Modernist: Josef Albers as a Catholic Artist is presented in co-operation with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. Lewis Glucksman Gallery, UCC. Until July 8. [ link ]

THE HUFFINGTON POST | ARTS THAILAND - Near the city of Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand, shines Wat Rong Khun , a Buddhist temple poised to become one of the most stunningly beautiful in the world. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib & Ernest Britton " SPEECHLESS " (above), by  Shirin Neshat is the NEWS OF WEEK . This 1996 photograph is from her series “Women of Allah,” and this week, it was one of several religious-themed works aquired by the Collectors Committee at the L.A. County Museum of Art. In other religious art news:

THE GUARDIAN By William Dalrymple Bhupal Singh Muhammad Shah celebrating Holi, c1737. Photograph: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford INDIA - Eighteenth-century Delhi saw a cultural renaissance, as painters, poets and jewellers were entertained at the declining Mughal court. But today their exquisite art is under-appreciated. The result, " Princes and Painters in Mughal Delhi 1707-1857 ," through May 6, 2012, Asia Society in New York: 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), (212)288-6400, asiasociety.org [ link ]

THE HINDU By J. S. Ifthekhar Anil Kumar Chowhan INDIA - Some like to desecrate, while some consecrate.  Anil Kumar Chowhan a Hindu by faith, has been painting verses from the holy Koran on the walls of various mosques in and around the twin cities. In the last decade-and-a-half, Mr. Chowhan has done calligraphic work in almost 100 mosques in Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and nearby districts. While people fight for religion and even die for it, Mr. Chowhan lives for it, in the true sense of the word. [ link ]

CHINA DAILY The Buddha statue 1500 years ago CHINA - Approximately 3,000 Buddha statues were unearthed during an archaeological excavation in Handan, located southwest in Hebei province of China. The archaeologists from CASS said the statues are believed to be over 1,500 years old and date back to the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties (AD 534-AD 577). The discovery is believed to be the largest of its kind since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, an archaeologist with CASS told reporters in late March. [ link ]

NORTH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | NEWSLETTER INDIANA - Doris Douglas has spent more than 40 years making devotional banners and tapestries and will be recognized for her artistry through an exhibition at the Indianapolis Art Center from May 5 - June 3, during the popular Broad Ripple Art Fair. There is no admission charge for the exhibit. Exhibition Opening reception will be held on Friday, June 15, 2012 6-8 p.m. [ link ]

JEWISH ART SALON Bible with Bezalel Binding, by Ze'ev Raban and Meir Gur-Arie Silver and ivory, Jerusalem, ca. 1923 | Collection of Congregation Emanu-El NEW YORK - The current exhibition at New York's Bernard Museum of Judaica, " Bezalel: Art, Craft and Jewish National Identity ," will bring to life the early years of the iconic art school and network. In 1906, the visionary artist/sculptor Boris Schatz founded Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts, and so began the modern period of artistic activities in Jerusalem. The Bezalel School created the first modern and uniquely Jewish artistic expressions by blending the sacred and secular worlds of the early 20th century. Herbert & Eileen Bernard Museum of Judaica, Temple Emanu-El: "Bezalel: Art, Craft and Jewish National Identity," March 23-August 31, 2012, One East 65th Street (between Fifth and Madison) (212) 744-1400, emanuelnyc.org/museum.php.

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib This week's A&O 5 Faiths Fridays artists are Daniel Mitsui (GA), Shirin Neshat (NY), Kelly Spencer (New Zealand), and more.

" Ganesha " by Kelly Spencer   

Bardo Mandala of the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities' (2006) by Dorje Tamang | At the October Gallery , London

"Speechless," from the series Women of Allah, (1996) by Shirin Neshat , Image courtesy of Mid East Journal

 "Christ the High Priest" (2011) by Daniel Mitsui Colored ink on Bristol board | Courtesy artist's website   

SACRED DESTINATIONS Modern sculpture of Moses' staff in Jordan at Mt. Nebo. Photo Jef Maion. (Thanks to Charles Wiley, Center for Interfaith Cooperation (IN)

WILLIAM POWHIDA NEW YORK---As part of the W.A.G.E. / Artists Space Research Partnership , Working Artists and the Greater Economy will release the 2010 W.A.G.E. Survey results and present their analysis. This survey gathered information from nearly 1000 visual and performing artists about their economic experiences working with non-profit arts organizations and museums in New York City between 2005-2010, and included specific questions about the receipt of artist fees as well as the coverage of expenses for exhibitions, screenings, lectures and performances at over 67 institutions throughout the 5 boroughs. The survey results present a vital and precise portrait of the predominant economic relationships between artists and institutions. [ link ]

UT SAN DIEGO By Michael Gardner CALIFORNIA - The Surfing Madonna apparently won’t be catching a wave at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas. Citing the artwork’s religious nature and hesitant to overturn an earlier denial by the Department of Parks and Recreation, an Assembly committee on Tuesday rejected legislation that would have permitted the stained-glass mosaic to be installed at the oceanfront park. Artist Mark Patterson and the city will now look for another location, most likely on city property or private land, said supporters of the measure. [ link ]

WND | WORLD NET DAILY By Marisa Martin St. Michael fighting the devil by Daniel Mitsui  | Ink drawing ILLINOIS - Mitsui is artist of the contradictory: Creative orthodoxy, fiery, artistic conservatism and guarded zeal flood his work. In the tradition of ancient illuminated manuscripts, some of his pieces depict such unhappy events as beheading and martyrdom. This is highly unusual for modern Christian art, which often steers toward subjects more suitable for polite dinner conversation. Mitsui is creating a buzz with his neo-traditional icons and illustrations. His name stirs up admiring comments by artists, writers and apologists who catch hints of a resurgence in religious art. The secular world and mainstream art critics aren’t getting too worked up, but what else is new? [Daniel] Mitsui is clearly more concerned with his reception in the “The City of God” than the “Big Apple” at this point. [ link ]

THE KANSAS CITY STAR By Alice Thorson Decorated Pakistani cargo truck which inspired artist Asheer Akram MISSOURI - Since a 2010 trip to Pakistan, artist Asheer Akram has wanted to create an American version of the decorated trucks he saw there. He experienced the good and the bad of Pakistani attitudes to Americans during a 2010 trip there, paid for by the Lighton International Artists Exchange Program, which is based here. If you’ve been to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art , you’ve probably seen Akram’s work — he did the metalwork for “ Sweet Chariot ,” one of two artistically enhanced golf carts designed by Peregrine Honig to ferry visitors around the museum. “Funding’s been the biggest issue,” he said. He expects it will cost about $30,000 to complete — and now it’s crunch time. [ link ]

SALON By Scott Timberg They’re pampered, privileged, indulged – part of the “cultural elite.” They spend all their time smoking pot and sipping absinthe. But the daily reality for the vast majority of the working artists in this country has little to do with Angelina Jolie or her perfectly toned right leg. “ Artists in the Workforce ,” a National Endowment for the Arts report released in 2008, before the Great Recession sliced and diced this class, showed the reality of the creative life. To most Americans, this middle class of the creative class might as well be invisible. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest Disney-Britton Thomas Kinkade Gallery in Memphis, Tennessee, Courtesy of Gallery You can say many things about Thomas Kinkade, and people certainly are, but he made collecting fun, and that's the future challenge for those who love religious art. For a long list of reasons, many being theological, we tend to forget the fun ingredient but Kinkade did it by concentrating on what I consider to be the top two challenges -- Community & Marketing. He understood that first of all, collecting is a shared experience , no matter how much money you spend; and secondly, he understood that we live in a browsing culture for the visual arts unless we can make it practical for our homes. That is what I admired about Thomas Kinkade . He identified the two obstacles, and he tackled them both.

LOS ANGELES TIMES By Jori Finkel "Speechless," from the series Women of Allah, (1996) by Shirin Neshat, Image courtesy of Mid East Journal CALIFORNIA - Sometimes bigger is better when buying art by committee. At this year’s Collectors Committee weekend, the L.A. County Museum of Art bought $2.5-million worth of artwork to add to its permanent collection, including... a tiny Durer print of "Saint Jerome in his Study" from 1514, a pair of oil-on-copper paintings from the 1740s by Mexican artist Nicolas Enriquez depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, a 12th-century Buddhist sculpture carved from Zelkova wood, a 1996 photograph by Shirin Neshat from her series “Women of Allah,”.... [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest  Disney-Britton Friends don't let Friends "live" without sharing their passion for Religious Art !  Throughout human history, religion and art have been joined as part of our personal quests for spiritual meaning. That is why we need both. If you feel isolated about your passion for Religious Art, start your own group and find new friends who share your passion. That's what we've done in Indianapolis , and you can do the same in your community. For more information, call 317-755-8400; email me at ernest(@)alphaomegaarts.org; or just check-out our " Meetup " page for Indiana, and begin from there!

INDIANA DAILY STUDENT By Nona Tepper INDIANA - “Nothing toxic, nothing decaying and no live animals”: These are the rules for displaying in the Grunwald Gallery of Art. The third round of IU Master of Fine Arts semester thesis shows premieres today at the Grunwald Gallery. Sculptor Terrence Heldreth’s work is also featured.  Heldreth described the structures as looking like church furniture. His ancestry beckons to Baptist Christianity, although Heldreth is not personally religious. Seven artists have work displayed for the gallery’s thesis show. Their mixed medium works will be shown until May 5. [ link ]

THE HUFFINGTON POST | TEEN FLORIDA - A flag football team took a stand against discrimination by donning hijabs in support of their Muslim teammate. Members of the West Broward High School team wore the traditional Muslim headdress during the final game of their regular season in order to support their 17-year-old captain, Irum Kham, who has often been the victim of name-calling and racial slurs because of her faith, the Sun Sentinel reports. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib 3.0 First off, as the new TAHLIB (3.0) around here, I'm a big fan of Urban Outfitters . You can ask my wife to verify the credit card balance. Secondly, I'm also a conservative who was looking forward to voting for Rick Santorum in the Kentucky Presidential primary for the Republican nomination (Yes, I am still registered back home...where my vote counts), so you can imagine my dismay when I came across this rant about both in The GLOSS :

ICONOSTASIS | MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS This icon measures only 2.75 x 2.5 inches MASSACHUSETTS - April 23 is the feast day of St. George, the patron saint of Russia and one of the most frequently depicted saints on icons. St. George was born to a Cappadocian father and a Palestinian mother in Lydda, Palestine (now Lod, Israel). According to legend, a terrible dragon terrorized the citizens of a nearby town. For Orthodox believers, the symbolism of this icon represents the triumph of Christianity over paganism. [ link ]

THE HUFFINGTON POST Urban Outfitters T-shirt PENNSYLVANIA - The $100 " Wood Wood Kellog Tee ," currently available on the store's website, has the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Philadelphia up in arms over the shirt's design which they say mimics some of the horrors of the Holocaust. The chief offender? The star patch is placed on the T-shirt pocket right above the yellow shirt's left breast: [ link ] Jewish star used to identify Holocaust targets by Nazi Germany

ARIZONA CAPITAL TIMES By Luige del Puerto   ARIZONA - Already steeped in the battle over abortion and contraception in health plans, social conservatives have also ramped up their efforts to advance religious expression in the public square, taking advantage of the dominance of policymakers at the state Capitol with similar impulses. Their immediate goal is to paint a protective coat on religious expression. [ link ]

THE GUARDIAN By Emily Payne Holyland Gift Shop ARGENTINA - Between Buenos Aires' city airport and a gaudy water park, Tierra Santa or Holy Land: The World's Original Religious Theme Park , is half way through its first hourly Resurrection. Tierra Santa opened its holy gates in 2000, on a 17-acre estate that was once a football pitch, and now sees around 20,000 visitors each summer. It's the only one of its kind in Latin America, but has a glossier rival in the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, which opened in 2001. Currently, they're the world's only two Christian theme parks, but 2014 will see the opening of Ark Encounter , a massive $150m creation-themed park in Kentucky with a full-scale Noah's Ark. [ link ]

INDIANAPOLIS STAR By TJ Barnes INDIANA - On Sunday, [April 15th, Maria Thornton] McClain, 71, a former East Coast resident, aunt to several nieces and nephews, and wife of 31 years to Ed McClain, became Indiana's first woman to be ordained into the priesthood. Though the Catholic church doesn't recognize them, McClain becomes one of more than 100 women around the world ordained as a priest. In a growing movement, known as "Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP)," women who are theologically qualified and called to the ministry are ordained into the priesthood. [ link ]

THE WASHINGTON POST By Melinda Henneberger WASHINGTON, DC - On Wednesday, the Vatican announced a crackdown on American nuns, charging the Leadership Conference of Women Religious , which represents most of the country’s 57,000 women religious, with falling prey to “radical feminism’’ and falling out of step with church teaching on women’s ordination and homosexuality.

JEWISH ART SALON By Angela Levine - Midnight East "Untitled (Cain and Abel)" by Adi Nes | 2004 ISRAEL - Distressing, controversial, politicized, these are just some of the adjectives that might be applied to the works in Portraits of Cain , the new exhibition mounted at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Featured there are some 100 works, photos, paintings, prints and sculpture by 28 Israeli artists, past and present. This exhibition is warmly recommended both for the variety of topics it deals with and the questions they raise, and for its immaculate presentation, a model of its kind. The Senate Gallery, Ben Gurion University, Beersheba. Till June 10th. [ link ]

MSNBC By Gil Aegerter CALIFORNIA - There's a new twist in the aftermath of the death of Thomas Kinkade , the artist called the "Painter of Light." Attorneys representing his wife, Nanette, and estate have filed for a temporary restraining order against Kinkade's girlfriend, Amy Pinto-Walsh, to prevent her from disclosing information about him, Los Gatos Patch reported. Apparently, there are worries about trade secrets, Los Gatos Patch reported. The documents also state that Kinkade died April 5, not April 6 as previously reported, Los Gatos Patch said. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib REDEMPTION , an exhibition of works, including "Hades I" (above) by figurative painter Peter Howson (b. 1958) is the NEWS OF WEEK ( Watch video ) . The Scottish born artist has been compared to Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch for his fantastic imagery illustrating moral and religious narratives. His darkly disturbing works are in the private collections of many celebrities including American pop icon Madonna. In other religious art news:

PHILDELPHIA INQUIRER By Bill Reed "The Miracle of the Manna" by Fabrizio Boschi (Firenze 1572-1642) PENNSYLVANIA - A rare exhibit of Renaissance and Baroque art from the renowned Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, will open in Doylestown on Saturday - thanks to a chance encounter. "I was attending a museum conference in Los Angeles two years ago when I sat next to a woman on a crowded bus to the Getty Museum," recalled Bruce Katsiff, longtime director and CEO of the James A. Michener Art Museum. The woman's agency checked out the Michener, liked its proximity to Philadelphia and New York, and now Doylestown is the second stop on the four-city U.S. tour. And the woman, Linda Tompkins Carioni, is helping to launch the exhibit, " Offering of the Angels - Treasures from the Uffizi ," which will run through Aug. 10 and is expected to draw 125,000 to 250,000 viewers. [ link ]

CALIFORNIA LITERARY REVIEW By Ed Voves Attarouthi, Syria, late 6th–early 7th century NEW YORK - Byzantium and Islam, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, addresses two of history’s most amazing developments. This landmark exhibition, organized by Helen C. Evans, the Metropolitan curator responsible for two previous presentations of Byzantine art, brilliantly surveys historical themes of vital interest to the contemporary world. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest O. Britton PENNSYLVANIA - This June 4-7, Dell's Travel presents another unforgettable travel excursion to the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country featuring the spectacular, "Jonah" show at the Sight & Sound Millennium Theater . Enjoy a guided tour of Amish Country including shopping and visiting the Kitchen Kettle Village, while exploring the fascinating details of 19th Century Mennonite religious life. The highlight however is musical "Jonah" on one of the world's largest live performance stages, as these award winning dramatists take you on an extraordinary journey with one of the Bible's most colorful prophets. It's an experience for the whole family. 4-days and 2-nights stay are included in the $390 package including Motorcoach fare from Cincinnati's Kenwood Town Center. To get signed up, or for more information, call Verdell Britton at (513)793-9731.

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS Image courtesy of press release COLORADO - Siona Benjamin , a Jewish painter originally from India now living in New Jersey, comes to Denver’s Mizel Museum for a three-day residency from May 17-19, each day highlighting a particular facet of this multi-dimensional artist. Benjamin begins the residency as the guest speaker at one of the museum’s popular Salon Nights on Thursday, May 17, 5:30 p.m. Siona Benjamin’s work reflects her background being raised Jewish in Hindu and Muslim cultures in India. Her paintings combine the imagery of her past with the role she plays in America today, creating mosaics inspired by both Indian miniature paintings and Sephardic icons. For more information, visit http://www.mizelmuseum.org or call 303-394-9993.

THE TELEGRAPH "Christ Carrying the Cross Dragged by a Rogue" is believed to date from 1538   Photo: REUTERS/Philip Sears FLORIDA - A grandson of Federico Gentili di Giuseppe listened in via teleconference from London as American authorities signed the documents transferring over the Baroque painting titled " Christ Carrying the Cross Dragged by a Rogue ." Federico Gentili di Giuseppe, an Italian of Jewish descent, purchased the painting by Girolamo Romano , an artist also known as Romanino, at a 1914 auction in Paris. [ link ]

CATHOLICS ONLINE

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest O. Britton " Saint Mary, Saint Benedict, Saint Bernard and Saint Catherine " by Agnolo Gaddi (Italian, 1340-1396) 

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib

ARTNET By Donald Kuspit "Jesus Falls for the First Time" (2003) by Peter Howson UNITED KINGDOM - For Hieronymus Bosch , “only individual abnormalities, excessive individuality, caricature have any meaning,” writes Max Friedländer. The very idea of the Passion of Christ evokes in his mind an orgy of mockery and devilish spite and he cannot invent enough hideous monstrosities to pour down hatred and contempt on the adversaries of Our Lord, whereas the divine suffering seems vague or even ambiguous.” It is the same for Peter Howson , also a religious painter of suffering, but he does not have to invent his hideous human monstrosities: he finds them on the streets of Glasgow. Bosch was also a “moralist,” ....as it is with Howson. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS " Tower of Babel " (1954) by William Kurelek CANADA - The Art Gallery of Greater Victora (AGGV) will present a retrospective entitled, " William Kurelek: The Messenger " from May 25th through September 3rd 2012. Throughout a career that spanned from mid-1950s until his death, William Kurelek (1927-1977) and his art was a chronicler of the cultural experiences of various cultural groups including Jewish, Irish, Inuit, and in later years was deeply influenced by his conversion to Roman Catholicism. (Read More: Art Knowledge News )

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib " Saint Volmar " (2012) by Tony Melendez INDIANA - Respected for its multicultural diversity, and provocative advertising including the attention getting, " Who Stole Jesus? " campaign of 32 billboards, and hundreds of yard signs, magnetic bumper stickers, and t-shirts, an Indianapolis pentecostal-leaning church will soon add another very colorful feather to its cap. LifeJourney Church , a gay & non-gay mixed congregation will host an inaugural silent auction & artist program on Sunday, May 6th at 6pm, with an exhibition preview beginning April 22. All proceeds benefit LifeJourney Church, and features popular local artists such as A&O INSPIRE ME! artist Tony Melendez  (above). For more information, please email "Michelle Dartis" at mdartis(@)att.net.

BUFFALO RISING NEW YORK - Preservation Buffalo Niagara is recognizing outstanding preservation projects and those contributing to preservation efforts at its annual awards ceremony May 30. Mary Holland is being recognized in the 'Stewardship' category. With the announced closing of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in 2007, Mary saw an opportunity for a means of preserving and displaying the art and artifacts from closed houses of worship which had enriched so many neighborhoods. Upon completion of the sale, a committee was formed and the Buffalo Religious Arts Center (BRAC) came into being. [ link ]

“I hate death. I don’t like to die. A Taiwanese feng shui master said, touching my hand, ‘you will die at 79.’ I screamed: ‘Please don’t tell me about that!’” ~ TAKASHI MURAKAMI

PROPERTY CASUALTY By Heather Struck, Reuters NEW YORK - Art collecting and visiting is becoming increasingly popular, as evidenced by more and better-attended shows and robust auctions. In the first quarter of 2012, prices of postwar and contemporary art sold at auction were up 29.6 percent from the same period the year before, for example. At the same time, art buying is becoming more democratic. Buyers no longer need a dealer to purchase a work, according to Dena Crosson, an private appraiser with Crosson Fine Art in Bethesda, Maryland. But their work and expense does not end when the check is written. Collectors have to figure out how to protect their investments and avoid common pitfalls. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN! [ link ].

CULTURE 24 By Ben Miller Bardo Mandala of the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities' (2006) by Dorje Tamang UNITED KINGDOM - Experts on the Buddhist and Hindu art the October Gallery devotes a spring show to are rarely as oracular as Robert Beer. The author and illustrator of The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs has spent a lifetime studying art from the sky-shadowed plateau. Since 1997, he’s worked with artists in the Kathmandu Valley, nurturing their skills to craft the most extensive collection of contemporary art from the region. Exhibition: Robert Beer: Visions of the Divine, October Gallery , London, April 19 – May 26 2012 [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib "Duvor - Communal Cloth" (2007) by El Anatsui | Ghanaian, materials aluminum, copper wire dimensions 13 x 17 ft.  INDIANA---As one of Africa's most influential contemporary artists, El Anatsui makes metal wall sculptures resembling draped and bunched cloths that are similar in pattern to traditional West African strip woven textiles. Anatsui's work is constructed of discarded and flattened liquor bottle caps, stitched together using copper wires. By transforming discarded objects into works of art, Anatsui comments on spirituality, consumerism, disposability, and the colonial legacy. From the artist via (October Gallery, London) in February 2007; purchased by Indianapolis Museum of Art (2007). [ Video ]

NTD TELEVISION NETHERLANDS - For years, the diocese [Watch Video] of s'Hertogensbosch and Eindhovenegan were trying to find a new religious home for everything from fine gold and silver vessels used at Mass to heavy wooden pews no longer in use. Now a cathedral in the Dominican Republic boasts a marble altar from a church in Eindhoven, whilst its former home is being turned into a health center. The steep drop in Dutch religious practice over the past half century has forced many Catholic churches to close, leaving a growing surplus of their religious artwork. Now, with the decline of the faith in Europe and its growth elsewhere, two-thirds of them are found in Latin America, Africa and Asia. [ link ]

ALGEMEINER By Maxine Dovere Associate Curator of the Jewish Museum Karen Levitov is dwarfed by the monumental work of Kehinde Wiley. Titled "Abed Al Ahse and Chalked El Aweari," this painting shows two young men in Israel. Photo: Maxine Dovere. NEW YORK - Spiritual concepts, emotions or experiences may spark an artist’s creative imagination. Kehinde Wiley is inspired by all three. The Jewish Museum in New York City is currently exhibiting The World Stage: Israel, a series of paintings by Wiley, in its Bloomberg Gallery. Wiley found the muse for his monumental works in traditional European Jewish paper cuttings and ancient Hebraic embroidery, integrating realistic representations of Israeli youths of Ethiopian heritage—painted with almost photographic reality. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib "Outcast" (2011) by Peter Howson NEW YORK - Scottish painter Peter Howson is currently exhibiting, recent paintings, and older drawings at the Flowers Gallery through May 5th, 2012. The exhibition entitled, "Redemption" is as deeply disturbing as it is masterfully executed. Howson deals passionately with spiritual themes, and deserves his international reputation as one of his generation’s leading figurative painters. In the four-foot tall painting "Outcast" (above) Howson has used impastos to render a tranquil, but suffering Christ, surrounded by a group of pariahs still clawing at him for undeserved blessings. 529 West 20th St and phone number: 212 439 1700.

CHURCH AND ART NETWORK By Luann Jennings "Hades II" (2011) by Peter Howson | Courtesy Artnet in “Peter Howson: Redemption” at Flowers Gallery New York I met John Kohan at the opening of an exhibition by Scottish artist Peter Howson , “ Redemption ,” at Flowers Gallery in New York City. As John and I chatted about mutual friends and Howson’s work, I was struck by the realization that the collector and patron is the great unrecognized hero of the arts. The fact that John is passionate about art containing overtly religious themes was deeply refreshing to me after years of hearing artists lament that they can’t express their faith in their work because it would be professionally marginalizing. John Kohan is on a one-man campaign to prove that wrong.  [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES By Guy Trebay The sort of buyers one sees at the Maastricht art fair are not only gratified by their own monograms or cyphers, but also have titles and crests. “Collecting is about connecting to people and sharing,” said Mr. Gabr, whose dark sunglasses were perhaps worn as protection against the blinding gloss of pictures varnished and restored to the high finish modern collectors seem to prefer [Shafik Gabr, a billionaire Egyptian financier].

AHROM ONLINE Sham_el-Nessim egg | Courtsey of Noblese EGYPT - Monday 16 April marks Sham El-Nasim , which Copts celebrate each year as part of Easter. It is also one of the few days that Egyptians of all religions celebrate together, since ancient times. Egyptians mark the day spending time with their families and friends. Salted fish is the main dish of the day and eggs are painted — a ritual linked to ancient Egyptian feasts since 2700BC. However, in the wake of January 25 Revolution, with Islamists dominating the political and social scene, claims have been made by some Islamists that the feast is unIslamic and ought to be prohibited. [ link ]

BANGKOK POST "Upside down" (2010) Courtsey of 100 Tonson Gallery THAILAND - 100 Tonson Gallery presents Uncover, the first solo exhibition by Manut Lao-on _ a Thai painter from Silpakorn University whose acrylic on canvas paintings reveal the experiences and casualties of life. Inspired by Buddhist principles, the budding artist uses a picture of himself to represent a human being who is trying to understand Buddhist philosophy in order to apply it to solving daily problems. [ link ] "So eagerly crave"  (2009)

JOURNAL SENTINEL | MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN - Bernard Gruenke's passion for the arts developed early and had as many facets as the religious mosaic-like stained-glass works for which he became famous. He began his art explorations at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, spent time at the Corcoran Art School in Washington, D.C., and drew portraits in South Carolina before he sought out Conrad Schmitt's architectural arts studio in New Berlin. Gruenke, a renowned stained-glass artist whose work decorates churches around the country, died March 31. He was 99. [ link ]

NYDAILY NEWS By Madhusree Chatterjee Image courtesy of Scientific Gallery INDIA - Food in conceptual art seeks to connect the visual with the cerebral and the visceral, says Indonesian contemporary Julian Abraham , who is working on the concept of fermentation, wine, prohibition and faith with installations. His new work, 'Karma Wine: Kapitan Biopunk', a multimedia installation on display in the national capital recently, relates to the art and science of wine-making. The wine is tamarind water fermented over two weeks by the artist. 'I have used the concept of a religious rite wherein the worshipper prays to the guru expecting a good life and probably a good afterlife. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Tahlib The  RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK is a Hinduism inspired watercolor show by New Zealand illustrator Kelly Spencer, but somehow that didn't end up in the mailbox of all A&O subscribers! We apologize, and invite you to view the week's A&O religious art news right now (summarized this week by Ernest Britton) by clicking through to " Religious Art | News of Week ." Lastly, while I have zero explanation of what went wrong (and why you were instead sent Thomas Kinkade news reports), I will figure out the problem to prevent it from happening again! [ View ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By TAHLIB "Seasons" (2011) by Daniel Cooper, acrylic on canvas " The Stages of Life " (1834) by Caspar David Friedrich