RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest & Gregory Disney-Britton
"Lamb of God is the New Black" (2006) by Scott G. Brooks. A&O Collection 2016
This past week's visit to Washington, D.C. inspired today's recap, and what could be better for the 4th of July weekend? We did not expect DC to spark many conversations about the religious imagination, but we were wrong! Of course, we were moved by the city's monuments to freedom, but now Washington, DC is also a favorite destination for the art of the religious imagination. We even met one of our favorite new artists, Scott G. Brooks, whose distorted style of portraiture helps free him to tell stories informed by his Roman Catholic roots.
"The Last Judgment" by Aaron Douglas at National Gallery of Art
It began when we talked with an usher at the Washington National Cathedral, who was angry about plans to remove the Confederate flag from their stained glass windows, and to a patron at the National Gallery of Art who stood before "The Last Judgment" by Aaron Douglas with tears in her eyes. Other spaces sparked insightful conversations too including the National Museum of African American History & Culture, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, and even Uber rides were special as we talked with the drivers about Ramadan requirements and the largest Ethiopian church in America.

For other NEWS OF WEEK from across the USA, and around the world, see below:
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Shirin Neshat, Sara Khaki (Patriots) at National Museum of Women in the Arts
"Laocoön" (1610/1614) by El Greco at the National Gallery of Art
DJ Mandrill – Print by Todd Franson