America's 10 Most Inspirational Religious Artworks of 2011

AOA NEWS
By Tahlib

The following are the 10 finalists for this the 4th Annual Alpha & Omega Prize for Contemporary Religious Art. Please cast your vote by sending an email to member@alphaomegaarts.org by midnight on Monday, October 24, 2011. Key items to remember in making your selection are: (a) this is an interfaith visual art competition; (2) all works are recent works; (3) it's an American prize for America artwork; and (4) the works must add to the American dialogue about faith in America. The winning work will be announced on November 1, 2011.

• "Sita Sings the Blues" by Nina Paley, an 82-minute animated video exploring Hindu traditions.
• "Mandela Ornament I" by Stephen Fairey is a Buddhist inspired print.
• "Alios Itzhuk" by Kehinde Wiley, an oil painting exploring the African experience as Jews.
• "St. John's Bible" is a group project by visual artists who illuminated the Holy Bible over a 15-yr period.
• "Bene Isreal" by New Jersey resident and artist, Sonja Benjamin. This photo project explores the experience of Indians who are also Jews.
• "Resurrection" by Enrique Chagoya, an oil painting of Christ in response to the previous year's controversial painting, "The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals."
• "Sister Louisa" by Grant Henry, an art installation & performance art piece in the form of a commercial bar in Atlanta, GA.
• "Ganesha Statue" by Rick Davis, a metal sculpture of Hindu god on display in Idaho's public art program.
• "Stained Window" by a group of 50+ students from City of Angels independent school in Los Angeles working with graffiti artist Banksy.
• "Book of Revelation" by Chris Koelle, an illustrated telling of the entire book of Revelations with 600 drawings set to music. It's designed for use on iPhone.

Since 2008, the A&O Prize for Contemporary Religious Art has been the leading art prize focused on prompting dialogue about religious art. The prize celebrates the creation of American artwork that sparks an American dialogue about faith in America. Follow this [link] for a detailed description of the award and criteria from the project's inception in 2008.