RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

My preparation of this Sunday post is a week-long process as God slowly unveils his Word through the Artwork engaged each day on A&O. This past week has been no exception. This week someone wrestled with despair over the death of a cousin; news of a brain-dead baby growing in a mother's womb; a great-grandmother's feelings of abandonment; a father in ICU; the loss of major funding for a project; financial risks at their congregation; and a secret shared of a coming divorce but A&O's art offered hope. Despair is strongest when we try to hold on to things that God wants us to let go. Despair grows when we flail around grasping to fix things ourselves. But hope comes when we trust, when we wait, quietly, calmly and securely, for God to grasp hold of the situation we're holding on to. Religious Art is a path to hope vs. despair, and that's why "Thy Will Be Done" (above) by Ni Ketut Sri Wardani is NEWS OF WEEK.

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

• Judaism in Art: Jewish-American history came to life at the Skirball Museum. [More News]
• Christianity in Art: Louis Comfort Tiffany's at the Museum of Biblical Art. [More News]
• Islam in Art: Interfaith art show to celebrate the Prophet Muhammad. [More News]
• Buddhism in Art: Pakistan's losing the battle to prevent smuggling of relics. [More News]
• Mixed-Faith in Art: Christian Arab Artist, Dor Guez explores life in Israel. [More News]

A&O PRIZE 2012 voting begins November 1, 2012, so "Register Today". It's an annual opportunity to engage with creators, believers, and skeptics too about the impact of the Religious-in-Art within the United States. Who is this Religious Art prize for? It's for you.