RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Gregory & Ernest Disney-Britton

Lorenzo de Caro's "The Israelites Worshiping The Golden Calf" (c. 1758) in the permanent collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts

This week, we are attending the annual conference of Grantmakers in the Arts in Detroit, a city with a rich culture of creativity, and religious diversity. Once one of the wealthiest cities in the nation, today it remains a city that its cultural community boasts on the nation's top art museums, and admission is free to residents. Baroque painter Lorenzo de Caro (1719 – 1777) is one of the artists in the collection of the Detroit Institute of the Arts. In his era, palaces filled with lively Baroque art reflected the desire of his countrymen for opulence. Inspired by Exodus 32, his "Israelites Worshipping The Golden Calf" shows figures dancing in the opulent fashions of Caro's day, and it reminds us that where we focus our resources is what we worship. Visit Detroit, and see Lorenzo de Caro's "Israelites Worshiping The Golden Calf."

Instead of the usual NEWS OF WEEK from around the world, see below for the Top 12 Artist finalist for the 2017 Alpha Omega Prize for Contemporary Religious Art:

1. November Artist: David Hayward for "Let Them Eat Cake" [More]
2. December Artist: Devan Shimoyama for "Yves" (2016) [More]
3. January Artist: Adi Nes for "Last Supper" (1999) [More]
4. February Artist: Raymond Pettibon for "Alpine Fountain" [More]
5. March Artist: Bernard Maisner for "The Hourglass" [More]
6. April Artist: Mark Wallinger for "Ecce Homo" in UK [More]
7. May Artist: Abdulnasser Gharem for "Pause" in LA [More]
8. June Artist: Joel Silverstein for "Ten Commandments" [More]
9. July Artist: Shirin Neshat for "From the Last World Series" [More]
10. August Artist: Kelvin Burzon's "Noli Me Tangere" [More]
11. September Artist: Tom Kiefer’s “El Sueño Americano" [More]
12. October Artist: Troy Schooneman for "Jesus" series [More]

Are you an artist? Are you a collector? If you like what you see each week, please invite a friend to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter. You can also follow us weekly on Twitter, Facebook, or Soundcloud but only subscribers can vote for the Alpha Omega Prize. It is our annual recognition each November 1st of one artist's impact on religious dialogue in America.

Voting begins on Wed., Oct. 25 for the 2017 Alpha Omega Prize. Make sure you are registered to vote.