RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Britton

Today, the Christian church celebrates Pentecost or the gift of the Holy Spirit, while Jews celebrate their harvest of First Fruits as well as receipt of the Torah (Shavuot). Because of these two holydays we have the sermon-laden work of self-taught artist Rev. Howard Finster. Finster was filled with the Holy Spirit, and when he passed away in 2001 there were 46,000 works of Folksy Religious Art as evidence for it, including many with the brilliant Pentecost red shown above. His artwork is witness to the power to renew and transform, and that is why the Akron Art Museum's current exhibition of work by Rev. Finster is the NEWS OF WEEK.

In other Religious Art news from across the USA, and the world:

• The renowned Arnold Friberg's Book of Mormon paintings at the LDS Center in Salt Lake City are offered as evidence that Mormon Art is not the same as Christian Art. [More: News]
• George Washington’s historic letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Rhode Island is the centerpiece of a new exhibition, To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington and Religious Freedom. [More: News]
• In a new solo exhibition, David Ford who is known for exploring colonialism and capitalism in relation to the Islamic “other,” responds to a “synchronism” he observed of Islam and voodoo in Africa. [More: News]
• Japanese artist Tetta re-creates 1,000 ancient Bodhisattvas statues using everyday people, and many report finding the spiritual enlightenment of Buddhism in the process. [More: News]
• Hindu Art advocates are trumpeting how Chinese collectors have toppled the US in art collecting, and are already looking ahead to their moment at the top. [More: News]
• 5 Faith's Friday: Artworks of the Week. [More: News]

WANT MORE interfaith religious art news? Get your daily dose of Alpha Omega Arts on Facebook and/or Twitter, or just come back each day. We also invite you to join the Religious Arts Salon online at Meetup.com, and invite a friend to join too! It's "free" and it's another great way to keep up with gatherings of like-minded people who share your interest in interfaith Religious Art news. After all, who is Religious Art for? Yes, it's for Believers, and Skeptics too!