RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB
Each day, I watch from the window of my five-story Brownstone as a small stream of bearded men, covered from head-to-toe in black clothing enter a small Orthodox synagogue across the street. Even in this week's 90-degree heat, these adherents of Hasidic Judaism wear their black (or dark blue), heavy clothing and send a message of holiness --- a message not intended for me, but for the wearer. The color is a mystical affirmation of their inner spirit. What we wear has always been symbolic, and Brooklyn-based artist Michael Levin's exploration of Hasidic dress makes this very point. What we wear is a reminder to ourselves of who we are inside, and that makes "Eidah on Agudas″ (above) from Michael Levin's "Jews of Today" series my NEWS OF WEEK.

In other religious art news from across the USA, and around the world:
Do you Believe in Art? We are believers and skeptics too, united in the search for human understanding through art of the religious imagination. Do you Believe in Artists? We also believe in the artists and craftsman who dare to explore religious themes through their creativity. When you believe, you join other believers. Some of us join the A&O Society as dues-paying members; others support the A&O Youth Scholarships as donors; and still others receive this weekly art news summary as part of their "free" digital-membership. Do you believe? Join us.