RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

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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:
Do you like what you see? Are you a collector too? Please share our weekly e-newsletter; and follow us weekly on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, or Soundcloud. Each November since 2008, we also announce the AOA subscriber choices for the annual Alpha Omega Prize.
CALIFORNIA: Kittridge Cherry's queer Nativity scenes for the Christmas
PENNSYLVANIA: The Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn family built lived (1939-1979) in Glencairn. Thanks for Joralyn Glenn for sharing this story.
AnnaMarie Prono's handcrafted nativity dioramas (annamariep007@gmail.com)
NETHERLANDS: Stephan Brusche's Pssst, Mary, don't flip out, but OMG, do I have some news for you!" thanks to our friends at Hi Fructose Magazine
INDIANA: Gregory Disney-Britton with his nativity scene

OHIO: African Nativity scene courtesy of Vernieda Britton
NEW YORK: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
NEW JERSEY: Sophia's French Nativity scene
OHIO: University of Dayton Crèche Collection. Courtesy of Scott Brooks

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