RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest & Gregory Disney-Britton

"Yves" (2016) by Devan Shimoyama. 38"x28". Oil, latex, color pencil, latex, sequins. Flashe on canvas

Our 10 Christmases together have each been marked by the interpretative works of artists from Giuseppe Sanmartino's "Infant Jesus" in 2007 to Niccolo Cosme's "Madonna" in 2015. This year's marker is "Yves" (2016) winner of the Miami Art Week's Pulse Prize. This sequin-eyed portrait in pink by Devan Shimoyama is a work that says, "I can make room at the inn." The painting inspired us to re-read Matthew 2:11 about the bejeweled wise men who came to worship the Child in a manger surrounded by animals, "And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

Professional model and LGBT advocate, Mr. Yves Mathies

We pray that your Christmas inspires more wise men like Devan Shimoyama's "Yves."Both the artist Devan Shimoyama and his professional model Yves Mathieu, whose forehead is tattooed with the work "Hallelujah," have personal missions to make room at the inn for marginalized people. Twenty-seven-year-old Shimoyama says, "My body, inhabited by my spirit, serves as my home in which I maintain and utilize his functionality to navigate the world." Ernest and I pray that this Christmas season inspires us all to make more room at the inn like Devan and Yves.

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

• Buddhist Art of Week: Rare Schist Figure of Fasting Buddha [More News]
• Christian Art of Week: Muskegon's "St. Jerome's Penitence" [More News]
• Hindu Art of Week: "Barbie, the Plastic Religion" in LA [More News]
• Islamic Art of Week: Senegal's Ousmane Sow dies at 81 [More News]
• Jewish Art of Week: Laurie Wohl's "Birds of Longing" at IIC [More News]

Christmas scenes, including Nativity scenes are a 400-year old tradition we share with many of you in the Alpha Omega Arts’ circle. Last week, many of you sent images of your favorites which we posted onto last week's News of Week including Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn's collection at the Glencairn Museum in Pennsylvania which was sent by Joralyn Glenn. Thank you Joralyn!

Collector Spotlight: Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn's collection of Nativity scenes are now on public display inside their former home, the Glencairn Museum.

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.