BELIEVER FOR ARTISTS: Pastor Jonathon Wiggins | CO

AOA NEWS
By Tahlib

Last October, in the tense days following the destruction of the controversial religious-themed artwork, "The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals" at a Colorado museum, Pastor Jonathon Wiggins reached out to the affected artist and offered a hand of friendship (Watch video). Wiggins is the young evangelical pastor of Resurrection Fellowship Church in Loveland, Colorado, and he didn't have to get involved. The museum's display of the artwork by California art professor Enrique Chagoya had sparked a firestorm in the Loveland community and as it grabbed national media attention, other clergy questioned his absence from the protest. Following a series of private exchanges with Wiggins, the artist offered to paint, for free, a "beautiful" portrait of Jesus for Resurrection Fellowship Church. On Sunday, June 19, 2011 (Father's Day), the massive new portrait was unveiled at the end of Wiggin's sermon to the thunderous applause of his appreciative congregation (Watch full sermon on video below).

Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts salutes Pastor Jonathon Wiggins as its first Believer For Artists (BFA).



***If you know a member of the American clergy who is working to bridge the artist & church divide, please nominate them today!

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Chagoya's Original Painting, Music Surprise Father's Day Worshipers

EXAMINER (Boulder Christianity)
By Steve Rees

"Resurrection" (c. 2011) By Enrique Chagoya

COLORADO - Stanford University professor and artist Enrique Chagoya and lead vocalist Kim Walker-Smith of “Jesus Culture” fame offered their respective gifts this weekend to Resurrection Fellowship: A much anticipated painting of Jesus Christ from the San Francisco-based artist; and a worship song performed for the first time publicly by Walker-Smith, whose home base is also northern California. Both the painting and song were inspired in part by Senior Pastor Jonathan Wiggin's online sermon titled “Jesus: Tougher Than Nails” which describes facets Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection. “If there's any single word that you could add to this picture that would be totally and entirely appropriate - in my opinion - it is the word love,” Wiggins said. “For me, the resurrection is a symbol of love,” Chagoya said. [link]

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Artist Chagoya's 'Uncorrupted Jesus' is Unveiled at Church

THE COLORADAN
By Rebecca Powell

COLORADO - The long-awaited portrait of Jesus by artist Enrique Chagoya was unveiled Saturday night to a cheering congregation at Resurrection Fellowship Church. Church pastor Jonathan Wiggins and Chagoya began communicating and developed a friendship after Chagoya's work "The Misadventures of Romantic Cannibals" was destroyed by Montana trucker Kathleen Folden while on display at the Loveland Museum/Gallery. Chagoya agreed to paint a portrait of Jesus as a gift to the church. “The product of the dialogue is behind the painting, and I really want to thank you, all of you, for such a tremendous reaction of love when the circumstances for love were difficult,” Chagoya said. [link]

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Evangelical Church Unveils Gift Painting from Controversial Artist

THE DENVER POST
By Tom Hacker

Pastor Wiggins unveiling the artwork

COLORADO - Enrique Chagoya, the artist whose work touched off days of protests and an act of vandalism in Loveland last fall, had his moment of redemption Saturday night. It came after his portrait of Jesus Christ, a monumental 5-by-7-foot painting, was unveiled at Resurrection Fellowship, a 3,000-member evangelical congregation on Crossroads Boulevard in east Loveland. The improbable link between Chagoya, whose work "The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals" set off the storm of controversy, and Resurrection senior pastor Jonathan Wiggins was consummated with the rollout of the artist's portrait, a gift to the church. [link]

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Video: Anderson Cooper Spoofs "Evil Art" at the Denver Airport

AOA NEWS
By Greg Disney

"In Peace and Harmony with Nature", by Leo Tanguma

COLORADO - CNN anchor Anderson Cooper explains why William Tapley's YouTube videos have earned him on spot on AC360's RidicuList. This story, broadcast on June 1, 2011 includes evidence that Leo Tanguma's "In Peace and Harmony with Nature" and other works on display at the Denver InternationalAirport are works of evil.

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Controversial Artist's Depiction of Christ, Praised by Pastor

REPORTER HERALD
By Tom Hacker

COLORADO - Enrique Chagoya’s labor of love is nearly complete, and his monumental portrait of Jesus Christ could be in Loveland by the end of this month. The California artist was the center of a storm last fall, when one of his works that some people believed depicted Jesus Christ involved in a sex act was displayed at the Loveland Museum/Gallery.

Resurrection Fellowship senior pastor Jonathan Wiggins reached out to Chagoya with an email asking the artist what he had intended to convey with the image that so many found offensive. Chagoya replied that it was satire intended to depict the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, and a slap at documented cases of child sexual abuse by priests. A lengthy email exchange engendered a friendship between Wiggins and Chagoya — and an offer from the artist to paint a portrait of Christ to hang in the church.

Resurrection pastor Adam Lowry last week traveled to Chagoya’s Palo Alto, Calif., studio near the Stanford University campus, where Chagoya is a professor of art. “It’s a beautiful piece of art,” he said. “My initial reaction? It’s the most peaceful, loving image of Christ. He accomplished what he set out to do.” [link]

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