RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

December 04, 2016

RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest & Gregory Disney-Britton

18th-century Neapolitan crèche staged inside a Baroque cabinet at the Art Institute of Chicago.

This week, Greg set-up our Nativity scene, a 400-year old tradition we share with many of you in the Alpha Omega Arts’ circle. In 1975, Greg's dad created this 18-piece scene of ceramic figures celebrating the birth of Christ as told in the Gospel of Luke and Matthew. Ten-year-old Greg Disney helped his dad cut the wood for that stable and placed the baby Jesus at its center with his parents watching over him. Today that crèche is a centerpiece of our birthday celebration of Christmas. In the past, only churches and the wealthy collected this popular art form, and one of the remaining 18th-century examples is now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. Email a photo of your Nativity scene, and we'll add it to today's blog post.

The Neapolitan Creche (above) at the Chicago Art Institute – As few as ten exist in the world and three are in the US – New York, Chicago, & Pittsburgh.

For other NEWS OF WEEK from across the USA, and around the world, see below:

Buddhist Art of Week: "Himilayan Wind" at Rubin Museum [More News]
Christian Art of Week: "Man of Sorrows" for World AIDS Day [More News]
Islamic Art of Week: Anila Agha’s ‘Moon Beam' in Indiana [More News]
Jewish Art of Week: Jamaica’s Jews hold a rich heritage [More News]
Spiritual Art of Week: Barnaby Barford's "Hope" and "Glory" [More News]

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