INSPIRE ME! Artist, Enrique Chagoya

Resurrection by Enrique Chagoya

By Ernest Disney-Britton

Last month, Enrique Chagoya surprised many of his fans by creating an elegantly beautiful painting of Jesus Christ, and then gifting it to an evangelical church in Colorado. It was such as surprise that when we announced it here on Alpha Omega Arts one of our more skeptical readers responded, "It must be a joke!" But no, it was not a joke. Chagoya, who is also an acknowledged Christian was inspired to share this gift in response to an act of love and charity by the pastor of a Colorado church. Today, the life-sized depiction of Christ, draped in a ribbon of Love is on display at its new home, Resurrection Fellowship Church in Loveland, CO. It is for invoking his Creator Spirit to create a work of love, and for taking only a respite from his more traditional works of protest art, we salute Enrique Chagoya as the INSPIRE ME artist for July 2011. The following is a chronology of events:

Chagoya painting in his studio

SEPT 11, 2010: Enrique Chagoya's art print, "Misadventures of the Sacred Cannibals" goes on display at the Loveland Museum Gallery in Loveland, CO. Protests from religious extremists follows shortly after.

OCT. 7, 2010: Following a serious of protests and news media reports of the artwork being "Blasphemous" a Truck driver from Minnesota drove down to the Colorado museum and destroyed the work.

OCT. 20, 2010: Pastor Jonathon Wiggins of Resurrection Fellowship Church reveals to his evangelical congregation why he did not join the protests, and why instead he reached out to the artist. It was part of a sermon entitled, "Tougher Than Nails."



JUNE 19, 2011: Rev. Jonathon Wiggins, Pastor of Resurrection Fellowship Church unviels the gift of the painting to his congregation on Father's Day as part of a sermon, "Tougher Than Nails." The painting brought the evangelical congregation to its feet in thunderous applause of approval and gratitude.

Portrait hangs in Resurrection Church

This inspirational story is a personal favorite of mine. It is the ideal example of how the uniting of the Creator & Believer spirits can come together in a joyous Celebration of One Community of the faithful. To find out how to submit your story as an INSPIRE ME! Artist, visit the page: [Inspire Me!]

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Do U Text @Church?

UNITED METHODIST REPORT
By Joey Butler

MISSOURI - Most pastors would be upset if they looked up from their sermon notes to find most of the congregants texting on their phones. For the Rev. Mike Schreiner of Morning Star Church in O’Fallon, Mo., that’s just part of weekly worship (http://twitter.com/mscwired). Schreiner invites churchgoers to text him questions during his sermons, be it clarification of a point he made or some other topic. [link]

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Red Hot Cain and Abel in Kansas City Show

KANSAS CITY STAR
By Alice Thorson

Cain y Abel al Rojo Vivo” (Red Hot Cain and Abel) (2008), by Victor Cartagena,
is part of his exhibit of monoprints at Cara and Cabezas Contemporary.

MISSOURI - A new show at Cara and Cabezas Contemporary gallery will pair monoprints by San Francisco-based Victor Cartagena with etchings by Kansas City artist Nicholas Naughton. Cartagena, a native of El Salvador, “makes a lot of installations that comment on war, violence and immigration,” says Cara Lewis, the gallery’s curator. “These prints kind of reference that, but they’re more like interior maps exploring the human condition with simple symbols and references.” The monoprints focus on heads and faces, rendered in profile and enhanced by elements of Chine colle. Leading Mexican American artist Enrique Chagoya characterized them as “a spiritual journey in search of identity.” [link]

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A&O Meetup in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, September 24th

MISSOURI - Meetup in Saint Louis with Alpha Omega Arts this Saturday, September 24 for the opening reception of the 2011-2012 exhibition season at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art featuring the works of Adrian Kellard and two special features:

• Opening reception at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art on the campus of St. Louis Catholic University;
• Download an informational sheet on Kellard about the intersections between "Compassion and Art."

If you've yet to join an AOA Meetup, this will be one weekend you will not want to miss. To RSVP or for more information, contact meetup@alphaomegaarts.org.

Former chapel sanctuary is the main gallery of MoCRA (Spring 2011)

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Missouri Monastery Auction Continues on May 21

SAINT LOUIS REVIEW
By Jennifer Brinker

A Sister looks over painting sold on May 14 auction

MISSOURI - The Franciscan Sisters of Mary understand that, now more than ever, as they prepare to say goodbye to St. Mary of the Angels Convent, which has served the community of women religious in Richmond Heights for more than 80 years. This weekend, the sisters will hold the second of a two-part auction to sell convent furnishings that the sisters will no longer need as they transition the community to the Sarah Community in Bridgeton. This weekend’s auction, held Saturday, May 21, primarily will include furniture items. The first auction, held May 14, sold items including a chair once sat in by Cardinal Joseph Ritter, large religious art pieces, crucifixes, religious statues of the Blessed Mother, St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi and others, Bibles and other books, dishes and equipment. Proceeds from the sale will go toward the retirement expenses and the sisters’ ministry. Other items that cannot be sold in the auction, such as relics, vestments and other religious items used for Mass, will be given to the archdiocesan Office of Reclamations. [link]

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