"To Heal the World": An Open Online Exhibition Coming From CARAVAN

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

Let the Children Come Unto Me by Daniel Bonnell

In today’s world we are all intricately connected and interdependent; an inescapable reality highlighted by the current spread and impact of the Coronavirus around the globe. What happens in one part of the world affects others far away. ​Humanity has become besieged by many ailments that continue to drag us down; injustices, hatred, exploitation, inequality, conflict and abuse. The deadline for submissions was 16 May 2020. A panel of judges will select 25 artworks for exhibition, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prizes awarded, plus an Honorable Mention. The exhibition will be showcased here on the CARAVAN website 15 June - 18 August, 2020. CARAVAN is recognized as a global leader in using the arts to build sustainable peace around the world.[More]

A Fresh Look at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art

MOCRA NEWS

An installation view of Surface to Source at MOCRA in 2020.

For his first show curated as Director of the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art in Saint Louis,   David Brinker delves into the collection, bringing out works that haven’t been shown in a number of years and juxtaposing them with perennial favorites. The works from the collection are joined by several works on loan. Meanwhile, the removal of a number of temporary walls opens up new vistas in the gallery. Works in the exhibition reflect and refract the dual themes of surface and source. Of special note in Surface to Source is the work of Susan Schwalb. One of the world’s foremost practitioners of the art of silverpoint, Schwalb has created a number of series of work based on Jewish themes. [More]

RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Gregory & Ernest Disney-Britton

Artist Liu Xiaodong in 2017 in front of his painting “Refugees 4” (2015)

As A&O readers know, we have a special affection for artists of color, and Chinese contemporary artist Liu Xiaodong is our newest discovery. Born in 1963, he is best known for social realism focused on the daily realities of ordinary people: friends, family, migrants, workers, farmers, and transgender/gay. In 2015, Lui used his virtuosic brush to paint "Refugees 4" which conveys his sympathy for downtrodden lives filled with physical struggle but also spiritual pleasure. "Refugees 4" at the Phillips Collection, makes Liu Xiaodong, our artist of the week.

Museum at SLU honors 25 years of displaying contemporary religious art

SAINT LOUIS REVIEW
By Joseph Kenny

Undergraduate theology students viewed the exhibit MOCRA: 25 at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art at Saint Louis University on Nov. 27. Photo Credit: Sid Hastings

There’s a reason there are chairs placed in front of James Rosen’s “Homage to the Pietà d’Avignon” (1989-91) at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art at Saint Louis University. Jesuit Father Terrence Dempsey, the museum’s founding director, earlier explained the interfaith dimension of the artwork by Rosen honoring a renowned 15th-century painting. “I once asked him, ‘Jim, you are a devout Jew. Why do you paint Madonnas, crucifixions and saints associated with the Catholic tradition?’ The current exhibition of 25 artists honors the 25th anniversary of MOCRA, which opened in a renovated seminary chapel on the campus of Saint Louis University in 1993. [More]

Caravan promotes collecting your own peace building artwork by a premier Arab, Persian or Jewish artist

CARAVAN

"Bridging Pardes" by Siona Benjamin. 60 cm x 80 cm Gouache, mixed media and 22 K gold leaf on wood panel

Caravan's "Beyond Bridges" international touring exhibition has been showcased in Paris, Cairo, London, Metz, New York, Chicago, Spokane, Portland, Wyoming, Florida and throughout the US. Now that the tour has come to a close, the public can now become an “ambassador of peace” by purchasing one of these profound artworks. In Caravan's exhibition, 21 Arab, Persian and Jewish artists of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith backgrounds are focusing on what they hold in common through their cultures and creeds. New Jersey-based Siona Benjamin is one of the 21 artists. The painter is originally from Bombay, though now living in the US. Her work reflects her background of being brought up Jewish in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim India. [Purchase]

Review: ‘Sacred,’ a global group portrait of faith in action

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Andy Webster

A celebrant in the Hindu half-sari ceremony, in Thomas Lennon’s documentary “Sacred.” Credit Thomas Lennon/Argot Pictures

The TV journalist Bill Moyers once said of the mythologist Joseph Campbell that he “was one of the most spiritual men I ever met, but he didn’t have an ideology or a theology.” The same might be said of Thomas Lennon, who directed “Sacred,” a kaleidoscopic travelogue depicting demonstrations of faith worldwide. Mr. Lennon (no relation to the “Reno 911!” comedian) enlisted 40 filmmakers in 25 countries to record scenes large and small, and the results are surprisingly cohesive. You won’t find greedy televangelists or much about militant theocracies here. “Sacred,” comprising three segments, celebrates perhaps the most worthy of religion’s functions: providing ceremonies for rites of passage (Initiation, Practice, Passage). [More]

Toronto art exhibit is window into experiences of Jewish and Muslim women

TIMES OF ISRAEL 
By Renee Ghert-Zand

Blood, Milk & Tears' installation at Fentster in Toronto, Canada, April 2017. (Justine Apple Photography)

TORONTO---Currently on display in the Fentster until May 24 is an exhibition titled, “Blood, Milk & Tears,” a collaboration among local Jewish and Muslim women. Inspired by classical Jewish and Islamic religious texts on menstruation, breast feeding and mourning, the women studied and discussed the texts together before recently creating their artworks. Coming in the wake of the deadly attack on a Quebec mosque by a white nationalist in late January, participants said that the timing of the interfaith collaboration was fortuitously healing. This is Fentster (Yiddish for window), a new exhibition space in Jewish organization Makom‘s building, used for rotating site-specific art installations connected to the Jewish experience. [link]

Collector Ramesh Malhotra opens spirituality museum in Cincinnati

WCPO - CHANNEL 9

Ramesh Malhotra is a Cincinnat-based entrepreneur, a philanthropist and interfaith art collector

OHIO---Ramesh Malhotra is an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and an author who lives and works in Mason. And he is deeply spiritual and knowledgeable about all religions. Malhotra has written a book, "Spiritual Wisdom: An Evolutionary Insight," which arose from his travels to India, Israel and other countries to visit spiritual centers in an effort to unlock the mysteries of religion. That's why he opened the "Museum of Spiritual Art -- The Malhotra Collection (MOSA)," located in Franklin. It celebrated its grand opening in September. [WCPO]

Laurie Wohl's "Birds of Longing: Exile and Memory" coming to Indianapolis

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

The fiber art works, known as Unweavings®, intertwine Muslim, Jewish and Christian poetry and spiritual texts from the period of the Convivencia in Spain and from contemporary Middle Eastern poets.

INDIANA---“Birds of Longing: Exile and Memory” interweaves Christian, Jewish, and Muslim poetry and spiritual texts from the period of the Convivencia in Spain and from contemporary Middle Eastern poets in the context of Laurie Wohl's fiber art work. New York-based Wohl emphasizes the striking parallels between Arabic and Hebrew texts, both rich in the poetry of spiritual love. During this time of increased hate crimes, Indiana Interchurch Center and the Arthur M. Glick JCC felt an urgent necessity to welcome at artist to Indiana to promote better understanding. The exhibit opens at Indiana Interchurch Center on January 6, 2017.

CBS to air Interfaith Special "Religion, Art & Cultural Heritage on Sun., Dec. 4

BROADWAY WORLD

Among the ways to understand any religion is through its art and cultural heritage. Religion, Art & Cultural Heritage, a CBS Interfaith Special, looks at its importance in understanding faith, identity and history. This special broadcast will air Sunday, Dec. 4 (check local listings) on the CBS Television Network. Following the Dec. 4 air date, this program may be viewed again at www.cbsnews.com/religion-and-culture. "Like" us on Facebook.com/CBSReligion and follow us on Twitter @CBSReligion. [link]

Women artists channeling the magic of the feminine occult

THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Priscilla Frank

Chitra Ganesh, “Girl, Water, Globe,” 2016, light jet print

KENTUCKY---Although universal belief in feminine spirituality is no longer the norm, the spirit of the goddess creator lives on ― particularly through the vision and practice of feminist artists. An exhibition titled “Sisters of the Moon: Art & the Feminine Dimension,” now on view at the Louisville KMAC Museum in Kentucky, features the work of women artists who, in some way, have incorporated the eternal ideas of nature, spirituality, femininity and the occult into their work. Chitra Ganesh’s artworks are a vibrant tangle of comic books and Bollywood, science fiction and Buddhist mythology, 1960s psychedelia and Grimm’s fairy tales. [link]

INSPIRE ME! Philip Campbell, Artist of 2016

"No God, No Peace; Know God, Know Peace"

~ PHILIP CAMPBELL

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Disney-Britton

"Rising From The Fire" by Philip Campbell, 20x16x2 inches

Philip Campbell carves deeply to create timeless wooden sculptures packed with allegory and storytelling. The artist cites Hispanic icon carvers as early influences in his work but is "open to the lessons we can learn from all belief systems." I first met him when he was awarded a 2013-2014 Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis. His renewal project was a ritualistic tattooing of his entire body to detail “the story of who I am.” Journeys, death, and renewal are recurring themes, so it was no surprise when AOA readers voted him as 2016 Artist of the Year. Philip Campbell is, perhaps a precursor to a new way of seeing the evolving relationship between religion and the visual arts. There is more inspiration below:

An Interfaith Exhibition Featuring the Egyptian Ankh (Key of Life)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

Artist: Peter W. Gray

NEW YORK---The 2016 CARAVAN exhibition of Art, "The Key" uses the world’s most ancient symbol of harmony and pluralism, the Egyptian Ankh (known as the “Key of Life”) as the canvas for a contemporary message of hope for a harmonious, peaceful and tolerant world. It showcases the work of 40 premier and emerging Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Western contemporary artists using a modern 3D fiberglass portrayal of the Ankh (an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph that read “life”) as a means of engendering harmony and peace among people of different cultural heritages and faith backgrounds. The Riverside Church in New York: "The Key" (September 22 - November 6, 2016); 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY; (212) 870-6700; trcnyc.org

Caravan Art Comes to Wyoming to Overcome Religious Misunderstanding

CASPER STAR TRIBUNE
By Rt. Rev. John Smylie, Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming

"The Greatest Love" by Asmaa Takieddine. 60 cm x 80 cm, Mixed Media on canvas

WYOMING---It is certainly no secret that a good deal of religious misunderstanding takes place these days in both America and the state of Wyoming. Most of this misunderstanding comes from the lack of knowledge about each other’s history and traditions. To help overcome this divide, the Episcopal Foundation of the Diocese of Wyoming, in conjunction with an international art group called CARAVAN, is sponsoring a statewide art exhibit titled The Bridge. The Bridge features the contemporary art of 47 Christian, Muslim and Jewish artists from 15 different nations. [link]

The Best Spiritual Festivals And Retreats Of 2016

THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Antonia Blumberg

Burning Man Festival

As the new year stretches out before us, it's the perfect time to start setting intentions. Among them should be a renewed commitment to self-expression and healing -- and there's no better way to do that than in a community of like-minded souls. 2016 will be full of festivals, retreats and gatherings to suit a wide variety of spiritual paths. From California desert yoga festivals to virtual meditation retreats, take a look at the list of this year's spiritual festivals below to see which one calls to you: [link]

Faith Festival brings diverse groups and cultures together in Indy

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR

Mike Berg Raunick and his wife Cara Berg Raunick, both of Indianapolis, jumped into the middle of the group that broke out in dance as the 65th Street Klezmorim Ensemble after performing a mock Jewish wedding.

INDIANA---The crowd fills the Veteran's Memorial Plaza during the Festival of Faiths in downtown Indianapolis on Sunday, August 30, 2015. Demonstrations and vendors representing all types of faith were on display for people to see, hear and experience. [Pictures]

National Geographic's 'Sacred Journeys' at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR

By Cara Anthony

Tashi Kylil monks from Tibet perform an opening prayer/chanting ceremony on Friday, August 28, 2015 at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis in preparation for their creation of a Peace Sand Mandala at the museum, from Saturday through Tuesday. Visitors can watch as the mandala is in progress.

INDIANA---[It opened on] Saturday, “National Geographic Sacred Journeys” — a display four years in the making — tackles the topic of religion through the eyes of five children who are Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist. Christian Carron, director of collections at the museum, describes the exhibit as a “safe place for families and children to talk about religion.” Artifacts include a replica of the Shroud of Turin, a piece of linen some believe covered Jesus’ body after he was crucified, and a throne used by the Dalai Lama in Bloomington. Visitors can touch a stone from the Western Wall where Jews pray in Jerusalem, and view fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. [link]

JCC Indianapolis Presents "Dreams and Sacrifice/Stories of Genesis Reimagined"

THE ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

Detail of "Jacob's Child" by John Domont

INDIANA---John Domont, and other artist participants in the annual Religion, Spirituality & the Arts program at Butler University are presenting this summer at the JCC Art Gallery in Indianapolis. The exhibition/program, "Dreams and Sacrifice/Stories of Genesis Reimagined" features the collaborative works of prominent visual and performance artists whose explorations uncover the personal significance of the biblical story of Genesis. The opening reception is Thursday, May 14 with performances, and the exhibit runs through June 26. [more]

Texas Museum to Build Ellsworth Kelly's Spiritual Chapel

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Renderings for a chapel-like stone building, first conceived by the artist Ellsworth Kelly in 1986, to be built at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas, Austin. Credit 2015 Ellsworth Kelly, Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin

TEXAS---In 1986, the painter and sculptor Ellsworth Kelly conceived his first free-standing building for a private collector, but it was never realized. Now, as Mr. Kelly prepares to turn 92 in May, the Blanton Museum of Art will acquire and construct his design for a 2,715-square-foot stone building, which will rise on the museum’s grounds at the University of Texas, Austin. And Mr. Kelly said the building’s 14 black-and-white marble panels were inspired in part by religious themes. The structure also features colored glass windows and a totemic rosewood sculpture as a symbolic altar. [link]

RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Gregory Disney-Britton

Do your ancestors watch over you? Atsu Kpotufe's "Art & Soul" poster (above) was commissioned by the Arts Council of Indianapolis for a celebration honoring the African ancestors of the "African Diaspora". Such veneration of the dead is common to Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus, but Africans also believe the dead possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. This month, we celebrate the African Diaspora and that makes "Art & Soul" my NEWS OF WEEK.