Disney-Britton

THE INDEPENDENT By Kate Bassett UNITED KINGDOM---A raw, Pulitzer-winning view of American multicultural tensions crosses the Atlantic in style. Amir had a Muslim surname, but has changed it to Kapoor. He has also fudged whether his parents came from Pakistan or India and spurned his mother's virulent anti-Semitism. Now a dapper New York attorney – more than a decade after 9/11 – he scorns Islam as backward and chauvinist. He finds himself incensed, nonetheless, by colleagues' enquiries about his supposed hidden sympathies in Disgraced.

THE CATHOLIC REGISTER By Angela Serednicki, CANADA---Religious artwork is too sentimental for the art world, James Elkins told a Toronto audience May 23. Elkins delivered his lecture, entitled Contemporary Art and Religion: Do they Mix?, at the Art Gallery of Ontario . “Whenever art and religion meet, one wrecks the other,” said the author of " On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art ," who is also a professor of art history at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He said that secular institutions have a phobia against religion and that’s the reason for the absence of religion in art studios and central texts within postmodern art. Studio artists are taught not to talk about the religious context of their work and students can’t get critiques of religious meanings within their art due to what Elkins calls critic’s fear. [ link ]

EUROPEAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS By Patryk Szambelan Ritual slaughter, formally called “particular methods of slaughter prescribed by religious rites”, is permitted by EU law. Ritual slaughter is a technique of killing that is used to obtain kosher and halal meat. Such meat must be properly drained of blood, which is done by cutting the throat of a fully conscious animal, keeping it alive until it dies of exsanguination. Contrary to what Jewish and Muslim leaders claim, during the process animals experience desperate panic accompanied by harrowing pain, all in the name of religious dogmatism. Yet, the .... EU is of no help to the cows, goats and sheep, which are unlucky enough to become victims of the barbaric, doctrinally motivated practices. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES By Holland Carter Lisa Ross, Black Garden (An Offering), archival pigment print on cotton paper, 2009 NEW YORK---Although the show doesn’t say so, applying the term “art” to these structures can be a problem. The Chinese government, eager to control an oil-rich region and reduce any strain of separatist fervor, has designated the Uyghur shrines as “cultural property,” officially undercutting their religious function and promoting their identity as tourist attractions. But in Ms. Ross’s photographs they remain what they were meant to be: spiritually functional, formally arresting, conscientiously fleeting. And a selection of pictures from the book makes up this small exhibition , organized by Beth Citron, at the Rubin Museum of Art. [ link ]

CONNECTICUT POST By Phyllis A.S. Boros Above is an example of a Mizrach, which is placed by Jews on eastern walls so they know the direction of Jerusalem. CONNECTICUT---Overcoming despair and persevering through adversity are issues familiar to Harvey Paris in his role as co-director of Jewish Family Service in Bridgeport. Considered by many as among the finest of modern-day Jewish chip carvers, the Fairfield artist is using his love for this ancient art to raise awareness of "the serious lack of community mental health care" -- spurred by the tragedy in Newtown last December in which 26 children and adults were killed by a gunman who stormed Sandy Hook Elementary School. A selection of 20 contemporary basswood carvings are on display through Sunday, June 30, at Easton Public Library in "Jewish Art in Response to Newtown." [ link ]

BIRMINGHAM MAIL UNITED KINGDOM---Two former Birmingham students have defied death threats to make legal history by becoming the first Muslim lesbian couple to get married in a civil ceremony in the UK. Rehana Kausar, 34, and Sobia Kamar, 29, from Pakistan, tied the knot at a registration office in front of their solicitors and two Pakistani friends earlier this month. The couple then immediately applied for political asylum in the UK claiming that their lives would be in danger if they were to return to their native Pakistan. According to Pakistani law, same-sex sexual acts are illegal and go against Islamic teachings. [ link ]

FANDANGO HOLLYWOOD ---People were forced to leave Earth a millennium ago to establish a new home on Nova Prime. Now, Gen. Cypher Raige (Will Smith) heads Nova Prime's most-prominent family. Cypher's teenage son, Kitai (Jaden Smith), feels enormous pressure to follow in his father's legendary footsteps -- which strains their relationship. Cypher and Kitai set out on a trip to mend their bond, but when their craft crashes on Earth's hostile surface, each must trust the other greatly -- or perish. Opened Friday , May 31, 2013. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES By ELAINE GLUSAC NEVADA---From a tourism perspective, Las Vegas is ever the chameleon. New restaurants, shows, clubs and hotels are constantly reinventing Sin City with the aim of getting repeaters back to the tables. Big construction projects continue, and there are currently two competing Ferris wheels under construction on the Strip. But lately, developments have eschewed kitschy copies of foreign landmarks like an Egyptian pyramid in favor of celebrating Las Vegas’s own swinging style, as indicated by two new downtown museums. Yes, traffic still snarls the Strip, but a new terminal at McCarran International Airport has eased congestion for fliers. [ link ]

BANGKOK POST Image courtesy of THE Central Asia's Alternative Music Festival! TURN IT UP! AFGHANISTAN---The official Taliban website has published an article criticising an art project in which 10,000 pink balloons were given away for free in Kabul, saying the event encouraged un-Islamic behaviour. Under the headline "Was it a balloon show or a mini-skirt show?", the piece said that the conceptual artwork was a trick to promote Western values among the young Afghan volunteers who helped hand out. Called " We Believe In Balloons ", it was paid for by individuals and groups around the world sponsoring each balloon for copy. The event's organiser, Yazmany Arboleda , a 31-year-old artist from New York, said the project was designed to highlight young Afghans' creativity and sense of fun in a city wrecked by decades of war. [ link ]

WIKIPEDIA A flag used by the Taliban from 1997 to 2001 The Taliban (Pashto: طالبان‎ ṭālibān "students"), alternative spelling T aleban , is an Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan. It spread into Afghanistan and formed a government, ruling as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from September 1996 until December 2001, with Kandahar as the capital. However, it gained diplomatic recognition from only three states: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Mohammed Omar has been serving as the spiritual leader of the Taliban since 1994. While in power, it enforced its strict interpretation of Sharia law, and leading Muslims have been highly critical of the Taliban's interpretations of Islamic law. [ link ]

ART MEDIA AGENCY UNITED KINGDOM---From 24 May to 8 September 2013, the World Museum, Liverpool, presents an exhibition entitled “ Telling Tales: the Art of Indian Storytelling ,” centred upon the role of storytelling in Indian art and culture. The exhibition presents pièces by seven Indian artists, exploring the relationship between their creations and the practice of storytelling. Images of Hindu deities are also featured, including Ganesha, the god with an elephant’s head, Krishna, the Hindu god of love, and the goddess Devi. The works have been commissioned and collated by the National Museum in Liverpool and the World Museum over the last five years. [ link ]

THE DONG-A ILBO  “Buddha Yeongsanhoido” (1592) KOREA---The Buddhist scripture Beophwagyeong (the Sutra of the Lotus) said, "The path toward Buddha is open to everyone." To spread this lesson, Buddha must have wandered around the world accompanied by Buddhist saints and his disciples. A Buddhist painting from the Joseon Dynasty that was kept overseas has returned home in about 420 years. “Buddha Yeongsanhoido,” a national treasure-grade Buddhist painting created in 1592 (25th year of King Seonjo) of the Joseon Dynasty, was confirmed to have been repatriated to Korea. [ link ]

FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS  "Long Island Buddha" (2010-11) by Zhang Huan. Copper, 67.68 x 89.37 x 69.68 inches. CANADA---Chinese artist Zhang Huan (b. 1965) is among the most prodigious and insightful artists working today. As a sculptor, painter, photographer, performance and installation artist, his impact in broadening the global dimensions of contemporary art has been immense. Themes of physical endurance and spiritual tranquility, Chinese history and heritage, and an interest in and reverence for Buddhism inform his repertoire. This exhibition explores the world of Zhang Huan both thematically and artistically. While works of sculpture are central to this presentation, including his iconic copper and steel Long Island Buddha, several of the artist’s paintings and photographs will also be featured.  [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Greg Disney-Britton For the first time ever, Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts is planning to honor three poets for their explorations of the "Risks of Religion." This honor is limited to Indiana-based poets only. We will announce the selected poets on or before October 31, 2013. Our "three" featured poets will each receive a $50 honorarium, and have the chance to sell their products on A&O Prize Night: Saturday, November at 2:00 p.m., as part of the  Spirit & Place Festival week. The poest may also choose to be featured on this blog; and their performances posted to our You-Tube channel. Finalists will be notified in September.

NPR MUSIC By Anastasia Tsioulcas NORTH CAROLINA---One of the most brilliant and exciting commemorations of the 100th anniversary of Igor Stravinsky's  " Rite of Spring " is a new work that references the Russian composer's music — but in an entirely new cultural framework. It's a pairing of film and music called Radhe, Radhe: Rites of Holi . Created by two Indian-American artists, pianist and composer Vijay Iyer and filmmaker Prashant Bhargava , and played by Iyer and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Radhe Radhe transports Stravinsky's semi-mythological tale of mysterious primordial Russian rituals with an actual religious festival that takes place each spring: the Hindu festival of Holi .  [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By TAHLIB "Pen of the Creator" by Rezkanoo. Image courtesy of Tumblr Today is the Holyday of the Ascension of Baha'u'llah -- as it is called by Baha'is . It is a Holy Day for six million people in 192 countries and territories which commemorates the anniversary of the death in 1892 of the founder of the Bahá'í faith, Bahá'u'lláh. His burial shrine is in Isreal, surrounded by gardens designed to symbolise the future ordering of the world. This solemn anniversary is a day of rest, and is often observed by reading or chanting from the scriptures. For more on Baha'is art & design, follow on Tumblr

TUOI TRE NEWS A lotus painting titled "Nostalgia" VIETNAM---Young artist Lai Thanh Dung , whose lotus paintings were displayed during last week’s celebrations of the Buddha’s birth in central Hue city, has dedicated all his time to his great passion: depicting the beauty of lotuses. Graduating from the Hue Arts University in 2006, Dung, 31, from northern-central Quang Binh province, works as a freelance artist in Hue, one of the country’s fine arts hubs. Not drawn to contemporary art forms such as installation or video art, he has single-mindedly pursued his sole subject matter - lotuses. He earned his nickname ‘Lotus Dung’ after his first exhibit featuring a whole world of lotuses, which stand for loftiness and purity in Vietnamese culture. [ link ]

TIMES LIVE Inching their cameras along a rail inside the chamber, specialists use powerful flashes to light up paintings. CHINA---One click after another illuminates colourful scenes of hunters, Buddhas, flying deities, Bodhisattvas and caravanserais painted on the walls of the Mogao caves in northwest China, considered the epitome of Buddhist art -- and now in existential danger. From the fourth century onwards the 492 largely hand-dug caves near Dunhuang, a desert oasis and crossroads on the Silk Road, acted as a depository for Buddhist art for around a millennium. Unesco describes the World Heritage Site as "the largest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist art in the world". The digitisation project -- which has been running for decades. It is an immense task. [ link ]

RELIGION NEWS SERVICE By Sally Morrow NEW YORK---The Lubavitcher movement released a “Unite the Beards” video, inviting hipsters and Hasidim alike to come together in Brooklyn, N.Y. [ link ]

THE EUROPEAN  By Nigel Warburton Secular funerals, for all their sincerity, individuality, and mixture of celebration and mourning, lack something. Not spirituality of course, nor hope for the future: in this context realism should prevail over comforting illusion. What is missing is the power of ritual repetition. For whatever reason, this is something that most secularists have shunned. The emphasis on unique events tailored to reflect individual lives comes at a price. For those who believe, hearing the words of Thomas has a cumulative effect over a lifetime. Ritual may or may not involve superstition, but it touches something deep in our psyches and it shouldn’t be the exclusive preserve of the religious. [ link ]

THE GUARDIAN By Jonathon Jones Titian cavorted with his models, Raphael died of sexual excess, Leonardo ran into trouble with the Florentine sex police … We delve into the passionate private lives of art's great masters and see just how raw and radical the Renaissance really was. For more, see Jonathan Jones's book " The Loves of the Artists ". [ link ]

FAITH AND LEADERSHIP Commentary by Bruce Herman "Second Adam" by Bruce Herman MASSACHUSETTS---There’s no such thing as Christian art per se. It’s normal for Christians to produce art. I don’t even accept the category “Christian art.” There’s just art. Art by Christians, art by non-Christians. In one sense, I’ve thrown my lot with people like William Blake , who once said, “Everything is holy.” There is no sacred and secular divide. Everything is sacred, everything from a wildflower to the cosmic level of looking at the Crab or the Eagle Nebula -- and everything in between. Artists who have a deep Christian faith actually have an advantage, I think, over people who don’t believe in God. Because -- theoretically anyway -- if they love God, they’ll be paying closer attention to what God has made. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES By William Grimes Cicely Tyson’s rousing “Blessed Assurance” in the Broadway revival of "The Trip to Bountiful" has Condola Rashad, left, and others joining in. BROADWAY ---Not long after the curtain rises on the second act of “ The Trip to Bountiful ,” the Broadway revival of the Horton Foote play at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, something unusual happens. Cicely Tyson, as Mrs. Carrie Watts, sits on a bus station bench in a small Texas town. Overcome with emotion, she begins singing an old Protestant hymn, “Blessed Assurance.” From the first note, there’s a palpable stirring among many of the black patrons in the audience, which the play, with its all-black cast, draws in large numbers. The singalong, too, struck black audience members as unremarkable. Thrilling but unexpected. [ link ]

THE NATIONAL POST By Jen Gerson The first religious Jew to be authorized by the Vatican to act as a docent in Catholic museums, bestselling author Roy Doliner's life seems like it could be taken directly from a Dan Brown novel. A playwright and the author of four books, the most recent of which The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo's Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican , is slated to become a Discovery Channel documentary. His findings caused a stir in the church: he said he found signs in the works of Michelangelo that suggest the famous Renaissance painter had studied Jewish wisdom literature - such as the Kabbalah - and hid symbols in his paintings. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES  By Anne Eisenberg It's tough enough to write an ordinary will, deciding how to pass along worldly goods like your savings, your real estate and that treasured rocking chair from Aunt Martha in the living room. But you may want to provide for your virtual goods, too. Who gets the photographs and the e-mail stored online, the contents of a Facebook account, or that digital sword won in an online game? “Digital assets have value, sometimes sentimental, and sometimes commercial, just like a boxful of jewelry,” said John M. Riccione , a lawyer at Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa in Chicago. [ link ]

THE HINDU | BUSINESS LINE By G Naga Sridhar INDIA---Achanta Sai Kumar, first-year MBA student, is making the best use of his knowledge in traditional rituals . On Sundays and holidays, he works – making a quick buck by performing last rites. Sai Kumar belongs to a breed of priests who conduct religious rituals, especially death ceremonies, for the fast-paced urban world that has no time or the wherewithal for such ceremonies. “There has been a strong demand for these services in urban areas as many cannot conduct these rituals in their houses like before,” said Rajya Lakshmi, who runs Gayatri Seva Sadan here along with her husband, Swamy.  [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS  By TAHLIB Buddha , Moses, Mohammad, Guru Nanak, and Jesus were all religious radicals , and their ideas were blasphemous to the conformists of their day. When was the last time your faith was tested by radical ideas? Naftali Brawer  cites philosopher William James in arguing that there is an unhealthy obsession with conformity ; and not nearly enough attention to developing a heightened sensitivity to God today. Like Doubting Thomas , we fear art & ideas that make us feel uncomfortable . Contemporary artists like Michael Landy challenge that sheep like nature, and that's why his exhibit " Saints Alive " (above), is the A&O NEWS OF WEEK .

THE ARTSDESK.COM By Fisun Güner Michael Landy wearing a mask of Saint Peter, one of Christ's 12 Apostles UNITED KINGDOM---Much of Michael Landy’s work concerns destruction or decay. The British artist, who recently turned 50 and is part of the YBA generation, came to prominence in 2001 with the Artangel commission Break Down, which saw all his worldly possessions destroyed in an industrial shredder. His National Gallery exhibition Saints Alive opens this week, the culmination of a two-year residency in which he responds to the gallery's collection of paintings of saints, from Lucas Cranach the Elder's Saint Apollonia to Botticelli's Saint Francis of Assisi. [ link ]

THE TELEGRAPH By Christy Harvey Michael Landy's 9ft kinetic sculpture of St Apollonia inspired by 1506 painting by Lucas Cranach UNITED KINGDOM---Visitors to the National Gallery are in for a shock. At its entrance, they will be greeted by St Apollonia – nine feet tall and made of fibre glass. Her pleated red dress will identify her as the sculptural incarnation of a figure painted by Lucas Cranach in 1506, in a work held elsewhere in the gallery. In her hands a pair of pliers will grip one of the teeth that were pulled out as she was tortured to death by an anti-Christian mob in the third century. This is the work of Michael Landy , the National Gallery’s current artist in residence. [ link ]

GRANTMAKERS IN THE ARTS "Saint Jerome in his study" (1435) by Jan can Eyck. The collection of DIA From David Itzkoff, writing for The New York Times : "The director of the Detroit Institute of Arts said on Friday that he believed the museum’s collection was “held in the public trust” and could not be sold by the city to help pay down its multibillion-dollar debt, and that he expected the city’s emergency manager and his office to reach the same conclusion. “They’re interested in making a healthy and viable Detroit,” the director, Graham W. J. Beal, said on Friday in a telephone interview. “We believe that that kind of action — diminishing our collection, the cultural value — would not be in the long-term interest.”   Mr. Beal’s remarks came in response to a report in The Detroit Free Press that Kevyn Orr, the emergency manager appointed to oversee operations in Detroit, was exploring whether the museum’s collection of art could be sold to help cover the city’s d...

THE ASBURY COLLEGIAN By Brittany Butler UNITED KINGDOM---It may be tempting to separate photographs, plays, books, movies and other forms of art into “Christian” and “non-Christian” categories regardless of their redeeming messages. It’s also easy to make excuses for aesthetically outstanding art containing nudity, gratuitous violence, bad language or casual sex because of the positive message it portrays. Where do we draw the line? Professors Marcia Hurlow, Keith Barker and Jeff Day teach in different areas of the arts, but they all agree that separating art into “Christian” and “secular” categories isn’t the most efficient method. Hurlow said. She believes the better question to ask is whether or not your art matches your worldview. [ link ]

PARLIMENT OF RELIGIONS The average percentage of global youth trusting religious leaders is now in the single digits. This “mass exodus” is becoming a pervasive challenge for a lion’s share of the world’s major faith traditions while leaders grapple, struggle, and investigate. Even framing the issue is problematic and poses controversy. So how can the claim religious leaders are performing best in South Africa to connecting to youth be considered credible? Viacom International, the media corporation owning MTV networks and numerable communications platform is spearheading an ambitious research endeavor. “The Next Normal” plans to be the largest, sharpest, and most comprehensive survey of Millennials (Gen-Y, predecessors to “Digital Natives) in the world. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES By Stephen Holden Queen Tara (Beyonce) selecting the seedling to continue protecting the forest. HOLLYWOOD ---As you watch its characters zoom through a lush forest on the backs of hummingbirds, the gorgeous 3-D adventure comedy “Epic” suggests a warmer, fuzzier “Avatar,” with a green heart. Directed by Chris Wedge, the movie is a hymn to nature rendered in phantasmagoric detail as refined as anything I’ve seen in a computer-animated family film. [ link ] ( A&O   Rating:  ★★)

THE HUFFINGTON POST By Alexis Kleinman High school senior Sabrina Brady's entry into Google's annual Doodle 4 Google contest really stood out. The contest asks students in grades kindergarten through 12 to submit drawings based on a theme. The theme for 2013 was "My Best Day Ever," and Brady's depiction of her greeting her father after his 18-month deployment in Iraq when she was 10 years old won. Brady's Doodle, perhaps the most heartwarming incarnation of a multinational's corporate logo ever, will appear on the Google homepage all day Thursday, and she will be awarded a $30,000 college scholarship. Google is also giving her school a $50,000 technology grant. Four national finalists will receive college scholarships worth $5,000. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES INDIA---A statue of Lord Buddha in Agartala, Tripura, being cleaned on the eve of Wesak , a Buddhist festival that commemorates the birth of Gautam Buddha. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES By Dave Itzkoff Henry Cavill stars as Superman in the new Warner Brothers movie, which will be released on June 14 HOLLYWOOD---It is strange that Superman , the smiling, soaring Moses-Jesus hybrid who ushered in the era of superhero comics, should be struggling at the multiplexes in an age when every other studio movie seems to feature a man in a cape, a mask with pointy bat-ears or a high-tech suit of iron. The qualities that have made Superman timeless have not necessarily made him relevant to this particular time, with its roster of ironic and loudly violent protagonists, but it was this paradox that made Mr. Snyder eager to take him on in “Man of Steel.” [ link ]

THE GUARDIAN By Adrian Searle Mechanical martyrs ... Michael Landy's Saints Alive exhibition at the National Gallery, London. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian UNITED KINGDOM---From Saint Lucy plucking out her eyes to Saint Apollonia bashing in her teeth, Michael Landy's mechanical martyrs are a destructive delight. The Christian saints had a hard time of it, but they were pretty stoical about their grisly martyrdoms. Saint Peter , the 13th-century friar from Verona, was done to death on the road, stabbed after having his head cleaved open with an axe. The other two panels depict Saint Lucy , who plucked out her own eyes and offered them to an unwanted suitor; and the Archangel Saint Michael , whose task was to weigh the souls of the dead. Slaying demons and summoning the deceased on judgment day were also part of his remit. [ link ]

INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART  INDIANA---As a member of the IMA, we wanted you to be the first to hear that we will be offering a new YOGA IN THE GALLERIES program this summer! This six-week session, taught by certified instructor Erin Morgan, will take place each Saturday from July 13 through August 17 from 10 to 11 am on the IMA galleries and grounds. The entire series is available at a discounted rate of just $60 for members. This class will sell out, so make sure to reserve your space today by calling 317-920-2679. [ link ]

THE SUNDAY TIMES Murals by Solias Mendis depicting the main events of Lord Buddha’s life at the Kelaniya temple SRI LANKA---They say that all your sins will be washed away if you set foot once in Kelaniya , the land Lord Buddha famously visited thousands of years ago on a Vesak Poya day. And the stresses of the harried mind are swept away on stepping into the hallowed halls of the Kelaniya temple’s shrine room, where the incomparable murals of Solias Mendis capture the imagination. Kelaniya, is important to Buddhist devotees for many reasons; the primary one being Lord Buddha’s visit to Kelaniya in order to settle a dispute that had erupted between the Naga Kings – Chulodara and Mahodara - over a gem studded throne. Significantly this visit was on a Vesak full-moon Poya day . [ link ]

AISH.COM By Rabbi Shraga Simmons Wholesale Lot 6 Mezuzah Cases Silver Plate Gold Plate Jewish Israel Judaica Gift On the doorpost of every Jewish home rests a mezuzah. Some may think it's a dainty decoration or a good luck charm. Put one up to keep the evil spirits away! Actually, a mezuzah is a daily reminder ― and a public declaration ― of Jewish identity and faith. Though mezuzah literally means "doorpost," it commonly refers to a scroll of parchment containing biblical verses, placed on the doorpost. The mezuzah recalls the Exodus from Egypt, when the lamb's blood smeared on the doorpost "identified" the Jewish homes that God passed over during the plague of the first born. [ link ]

THE NEW YORK TIMES By Steven Lee Meyers WASHINGTON, DC---Countries around the world, including allies of the United States, have used laws on blasphemy and apostasy to suppress political opponents, the State Department said on Monday in an annual report chronicling a grim decline in religious freedom that has resulted in rising bigotry and sectarian violence. The report singled out eight countries for particularly egregious and systemic repression of religious rights: China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan . In China, the report said, religious freedoms declined in the last year, highlighted by punitive actions against Christians, Muslims and Buddhists in Tibet, where 82 monks, nuns or laypeople killed themselves in acts of self-immolation last year. [ link ]

LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS By Nick Holdstock CHINA---There are mosques in towns all over China, but the most concentrated signs of Islamic belief are found in the western province of Xinjiang. The region is home to most of China’s Uyghurs , a Muslim people linguistically and culturally distinct from the Han Chinese (the ethnic majority in China). This is the setting for Lisa Ross’s  " Living Shrines of Uyghur China ", a book of photographs a decade in the making, whose subject is the shrines to folk saints (in Uyghur, mazar ) found throughout the region. [ link ]

THE TIMES OF ISREAL By Matt Lebovic Meyers Rimonim for Torah scrolls (photo credit: courtesy of Boston Museum of Fine Arts) MASSACHUSETTS---Fewer than 2,500 Jews called the American colonies home in 1776, but today they are more alive than ever in US museums and universities. From North Carolina to Boston, early American Jewish artifacts are “moving out of the ghetto,” according to American Jewish historian Jonathan Sarna. Aspects of the phenomenon include new academic research about colonial Jews and recent high-profile auctions of private Judaica collections. The transition of Judaica from “the ghetto” to mainstream America is well illustrated at Boston’s Museum of Fine of Arts (MFA), where Sarna helped launch a campaign to enlarge the museum’s Judaica collection. [ link ]

JEWISH CHRONICLE By Naftali Brawer Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Whaam!’. A retrospective of his work is at the Tate Modern until May 27 UNITED KINGDOM---The Tate Modern's current retrospective of Roy Lichtenstein's pop art includes a series of 1960s paintings called "brushstrokes". Describing his work, the [Jewish] artist said: "Brushstrokes in painting convey a sense of grand gesture but, in my hands, the brushstroke becomes the depiction of a grand gesture." This distinction between the grand gesture and the depiction of the grand gesture brought to mind the work of the 19th-century philosopher of religion and psychologist, William James . In his 1902 book, " Varieties of Religious Experience ", James makes a clear distinction between the spontaneous religious experience of the founders of a religion - whom he calls religious geniuses - and that of the "ordinary religious believer" who comes later and "follow[s] the conventional obse...

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By TAHLIB The Saint John’s Bible. Apostles Edition, Collegeville, Minn: Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, 2007–2011. 5 vols. NEW YORK---Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota donated a copy of their newly finished 1,100 page illuminated bible to The Morgan Library & Museum , where it will be on display through August 25, 2013. There are only twelve Apostle Edition copies of this bible, and the Morgan will display the Prophets volume from the seven-volume  edition. The Prophets volume contains 232 pages and twenty illuminations. In 1998 Saint John’s University commissioned calligrapher Donald Jackson to produce a fully illuminated luxury manuscript called The Saint John's Bible , and the project was completed in May 2011. The Morgan Library & Museum began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan, and today serves as a museum, independent research library, musical venue, architectural landmark, and historic site.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE These artists have international recognition, but they should be shown at home as well, says Exhibit curator. PAKISTAN---“The artists here have invented a new language,” says Quddus Mirza, curator of the ‘Here and Now’ art exhibit. Their focus on the ideas and concerns of modern times was one of his reasons for putting together the exhibit, he says. The exhibition by artists Mohammad Ali Talpur, Hasnat Mehmood, Nausheen Saeed, Adeela Suleman, and Mohammad Zeeshan , opened at the Lahore Art Gallery on Monday and will continue till June 22.  [ link ]

THE BBC | RELIGION By William Kremer UNITED KINGDOM---Once upon a time, animal sacrifice was an important part of Hindu life, Catholic priests weren't celibate and visual depictions of the Prophet Muhammad were part of Islamic art. And soon some churches in the UK may be marrying gay couples. How do religions manage to change their mind? If that sounds like a problem easily solved, it wasn't - according to Kathleen Flake, a professor in American religious history at Vanderbilt University, and a Mormon herself.History shows that any religion that refuses to change dies out, Flake adds. But what about those religions that don't have living prophets - how do they change? [ link ]

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN Reporters check out the 10 Buddhist statues from the eighth century at Todaiji temple's Hokkedo Hall JAPAN---After intermittent closures since 2010 for restoration work, Hokkedo Hall at the eighth-century Todaiji temple is set to reopen to the public on May 18 to show off its 1,000-year-old national treasures. On a restored raised platform, visitors will be able to check out 10 Buddhist statues from the Nara Period (710-784) at the temple in Nara, Nara Prefecture . Called " Shumidan ," the restored platform is less crowded than before and offers modern LED lighting, the better to view the Buddhas, which have also been restored. Shumidan used to house 16 statues, including the principal image of Fukukensaku Kannon , as well as Bonten. Hokkedo Hall is a national treasure and the oldest structure in the temple. [ link ]

THE MIAMI HERALD By John Coppola St. Joseph and the Christ Child Cuzco, Peru, 18th century Oil on canvas Frost Art Museum, MMAC Collection Alex Garcia FLORIDA---In art as in religion, the colonial period of Latin America took its greatest influence from Spain. But it wasn’t simply a thin imitation of the motherland, but a complex confluence tinged with politics, racial issues and religions both indigenous and European. That point lies at the heart of a new exhibition at the Frost Art Museum , "Spanish Colonial Art: The Beauty of Two Traditions," curated by museum director Carol Damian. “The idea,’’ says Damian, “is to show that the colonial art of Latin America is not derivative and a poor copy of Spanish art, but so much more.” [ link ]

ARTDAILY Giuseppe Imperatore artist and sculptor (L) Barbato De Stefano (C) and Antonio De Stefano adjust the vestments of a statue depicting Pope Francis in a small field of potatoes ITALY---The first-ever statue of Pope Francis has been unveiled in a potato field near Naples -- an unorthodox homage to the fact that the Argentine pope's ancestors were farmers in northern Italy. The statue will be presented to the pope next month by Italian actor Barbato De Stefano, who comes from the village of Cicciano where it was presented and has financed the project. The primitive-style statue was shown on Sunday, with a painted background of the balcony of St Peter's Basilica on which the pope stood after his election at a conclave of cardinals in March. [ link ]

HARTFORD COURANT By SUSAN DUNNE Robin Rice of Enfield created this angel painting. It is part of the "Angels in the Casa" art exhibit at ArtSpace. CONNECTICUT---Ever since mankind began creating art, spirituality oriented themes have been eternally the most popular. Two shows in Connecticut, a contemporary show open for just a few weeks and a show of ancient art open until next April, show different facets, and different eras, of celestial artistic inspiration. In today's secular world, any subject matter is open to artists. Spiritual art is increasingly in the minority. Yet the artists gathering beginning this weekend at ArtSpace in Hartford have one thing on their minds: angels. [ link ]

THE INDEPENDENT By Adrian Hamilton ‘Multi-Saint’ (2013) UNITED KINGDOM---YBA Michael Landy’s show Saints Alive at the National Gallery draws on details of the torture of the martyrs represented in masterpieces of the Renaissance. It was always going to be a marriage made in Heaven or Hell, depending on your theological view or artistic expectation. Certainly the National Gallery took a chance when it invited Michael Landy , a founding face of the YBAs ( Young British Artists ), to become an associate artist and to mount a show of the resulting works at the end of his two-year stint.  Michael Landy: Saints Alive , National Gallery, London WC2 (020 7747 2885) 23 May to 24 November   [ link ]

MING THEIN | PHOTO BLOG  By Ming Thein BURMA---Perhaps the most famous landmark in Burma, Shwedagon Pagoda has been a focal point for life in Yangon for a very long time – it has reputedly existed in some form or other for the last 2,600 years. It reached its current height of approximately 114m in the late 1700s after the most recent rebuilding as a result of multiple earthquakes. It is thought of as the most sacred location for Buddhists in Burma, with the relics of multiple past Buddhas housed within: the staff of Kakusandha , the water filter of Koṇāgamana , a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight strands of hair from Gautama – the one traditionally thought of as Buddha. [ link ]

ISLAMIC ARTS MAGAZINE By Ammar Al Attar, Jeddah, Al Sawareekh Market, 2012, 42x52,4 cm, Lambda C-Print / Courtesy of Athr Gallery and the Artist SAUDI ARABIA---A photo exhibition ' Prayer Rooms ' [is now open] at Athr Gallery in Jeddah. A photographer Ammar Al Attar surveys prayer rooms across Jeddah. Mandated in public buildings by national legislation, these informal worship areas are ubiquitous, providing the faithful a place for their five prayers a day regardless of their location. The exhibition will run until June 13, 2013. The viewer experiences the artist’s perspective of these rooms as they are. [ link ]

TELEGRAPH By Sameer Rahim Pakistani Christian children look at Christmas decorations in Islamabad Photo: Getty Images Given that in some parts of the world you find violent conflict between Christians and Muslims, you might think that skirting around religious difference would be all to the good. The Muslim theologian Mona Siddiqui would disagree. Only by properly engaging with other traditions, she argues, can we avoid a mere “dialogue on the surface”. In this fascinating book she touches on a central doctrinal difference between the two largest monotheisms: the true nature of Jesus of Nazareth.  [ link ]

THE JEWISH DAILY FORWARD By JTA CZECH REPUBLICH---A Hungarian martial arts fighter was disinvited from an event in Prague because of his Nazi tattoos , including one reading “death to the Jews.” Some of the sponsors of the Heroes Gate martial arts tournament told organizers that Attila Petrovszki from Hungary could not attend the May 17 event because he had a tattoo of Adolf Hitler and a swastika on his body and the anti-Semitic words, Radio Prague reported. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS  By TAHLIB The blood of innocents is splattered all over the 8,000-square-foot terrace atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, or at least that is the message Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi wants visitors to understand. His application of white and red brush strokes looks like the dried blood of a disaster, but it's really an intricate Islamic art pattern intended to remind us of the cost of the religious divide. Creating art that will inspire believers, and skeptics to bridge the world's religious divide is what makes " The Roof Garden Commission: Imran Qureshi " (above), the A&O  NEWS OF WEEK .

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Gregory Disney-Britton “Regardless of Explanation,” a lacquer painting by Nhat Tran. Image courtesy of The Buffalo News. NEW YORK---Indianapolis-based artist Nhat Tran will join dozens of artists and scholars from around the world at SUNY Buffalo State on Monday for a four-day symposium dedicated to the ancient art of Asian lacquer. To accompany the conference, the Burchfield Penney Art Center will host “Asian Lacquer International,” an exhibition that explores artists’ diverse uses of lacquer – an expensive resin extracted from trees found only in Asia – in decoration, painting and sculpture. While ancient art is on the schedule, a highlight of the gathering will be contemporary uses of the medium, such as the luminous, other-worldly paintings of Vietnam-born artist Nhat Tran , a two-time Creative Renewal Arts Fellow  of the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

WBEZ91.5 By Lee Bey ILLINOIS---Ownership of Oak Park's Unity Temple could be transferred from its long-time congregation to an organization that would be responsible for maintaining the church, according to a $10 million deal aimed at restoring the internationally-recognized Frank Lloyd Wright structure. According to an email sent to the congregation Tuesday evening by the Unitarian Universalist congregation's board of Trustees, Chicago's Alphawood Foundation would donate $10 million toward the restoration of the 105-year-old building, 875 Lake St. Built in 1908, the blocky reinforced concrete church is National Historic Landmark and is one of Wright's best-known buildings. [ link ]

NEW PITTSBURGH GAZETTE By Fred Logan PENNSYLVANIA---We are all very sad to hear that the August Wilson Center is in deep financial trouble and may close its doors. But don’t let anyone try to tell you that the local Black community is to blame for AWC’s plight. The May 11, 2013 Post-Gazette reported that AWC has a multi-million dollar debt and is laying off its staff. Some fools are bound to argue what they always do: They will also charge that the Black community does this and that with its money but doesn't support black institutions as much as it should. [ link ]

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Greg Disney-Britton Dress rehearsal for Barefoot Renegades of DK dancers Brandon Comer  and Timothy June in David Hochoy's "Les Noces." Photo by Freddie Kelvin. INDIANA---Two major "marriage moments" took place this week in the Midwest; in fact, they were a high point of a long winter season. The first was Minnesota becoming the 12th state in the US to legislatively affirm marriage equality. The second was David Hochoy's world premiere dance rendition of "Les Noces" (The Wedding) , with music by Igor Stravinsky. Both were bracing examples of the power of love. Hochoy's "Les Noces," performed by Dance Kaleidoscope  of Indianapolis is spare, essential, rhythmically virtuosic, and utterly compelling—as the full weight and promise of marriage  descends down upon us. Everything feels just right and in its place. The performance is a celebration of virtuosity, fast paced and energetic, and concludes with a P...