Crucifix with a Penis: Art Exhibit Riles Catholics in Philippines

ABS-CBN NEWS
By David Dizon

PHILIPPINES - A crucifix with a wooden penis and a Christ the King figurine with rabbit ears. These and other art pieces exhibited at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) have earned the ire of various lay Catholic groups who are now considering the filing of charges against those behind the "sacrilegious and blasphemous" art exhibit. A CBCP News report said the groups have demanded CCP and the artists, all from the University of Santo Tomas, to stop the exhibit in 48 hours or face the legal consequences. The CCP exhibit which opened last June 17 and will run until August 21, has received flak from various groups, including the Catholic Church, for the unconventional use of religious figures in the art pieces. [link]

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Catholic Artists Say Art Must Reflect Liturgical Renewal

DFW CATHOLIC
By George Vogt

NEW HAMPSHIRE - At a recent symposium on the campus of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, leading Catholic artists agreed that liturgical piety is at the foundation of a culture of beauty. When art and architecture—and the culture as a whole—is deeply rooted in the liturgy it serves, liturgical piety is reinforced. Father Thomas Kocik, contributor to the New Liturgical Movement web site and former editor of Antiphon, chaired the discussion. He began the evening by emphasizing this link between the liturgy and culture. “The word ‘culture’ derives from the Latin cultus, meaning what we cherish or worship” said Kocik. [link]

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Christians Outraged Over Art with Jesus & Penis Symbols

RUETERS
By Michaela Cabrera

PHILIPPINES - An art installation that mixes Christ with kitschy symbols of pop culture and includes a crucifix with a movable penis has set off an uproar in the Philippines among conservative Catholics, who say the installations are a mockery of their faith. Mideo Cruz, the artist responsible for the installation -- intended to be a commentary on icon worship -- has been branded a "demon" and bombarded with death threats and hate mail since his work featured in an exhibit in Manila that began June 17. Cruz, a 37-year-old visual and performance artist who has exhibited in such international art centres as New York, Paris and Tokyo, said he had wanted to provoke a reaction but was surprised by the violence of the response. "You can't force people. But I just hope that when we look at something, the process doesn't stop at the surface," he said. Cruz said his installation, "Poleteismo" or "Polytheism," is about the worship of relics and how idolatry evolves through history and modern culture. Cruz's work is part of the group exhibition, KULO runs through August 21.  [link]

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Catholics Eye Charges vs Cultural Arts Center Over 'Blasphemous' Exhibit

GMA NEWS

Artist Mideo Cruz speaks about his art installation ''Poleteismo'',
on exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila July 29, 2011.

PHILIPPINES - Lay Catholic groups are considering filing charges against the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City over what they called a “sacrilegious and blasphemous" art exhibit. Pro-Life Philippines sent a letter to the CCP and the artists who claimed to be from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and demanded that the exhibit Kulo be stopped by Thursday. The exhibit “Kulo" will run from July 17 to August 21. [link]

A poster of Jesus Christ with a wooden penis on his face. Courtesy: Huff Post

“Poleteismo” by Mideo Cruz

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Vatican Seeks to Reassert its Dominant Role as Art Patron

VOICE OF AMERICA
By Jean Di Marino

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican - once the world’s premier art patron - is again reaching out to artists, organizing an exhibit of contemporary works. Sixty living artists, including two Americans, were invited to reflect on the theme of truth and charity. U.S. artist Max Cole, 75, was one of them. She found herself shaking hands with Pope Benedict while standing in front of the painting she submitted to the Vatican's exhibit. “I thank you very much for embracing the spirit of art and the artist,” she said to the pontiff. PHOTO: Max Cole's "Saltflat". [link]

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Christian Art Gallery Selected to Assist in Pope's Art Exhibit

AOA NEWS

PENNSYLVANIA - Philadelphia's White Stone Gallery was selected to assist in the multi-denominational exhibit, Art & Faith, for Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Madrid, Spain. Contemporary artists from around the world will be featured in this historic exhibit for World Youth Day. For the first time in Europe, contemporary artists from different countries are gathered together to exhibit art influenced by Christian faith. The exhibit is scheduled for August 9-26, 2011 at the Fundación Pons headquarters. White Stone Gallery, a leading gallery in contemporary Christian art is writing an introduction for the exhibit catalog as well as providing a selection of artwork for the show. Photo: Reaching by Ruth Naomi Floyd. [link]

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Dali Lama Visit to Chicago Inspires Interfaith Art Project

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
By Manya A. BrachearILLINOIS - The Dalai Lama's message of compassion long has transcended Tibetan Buddhism and enchanted people of all faiths — and no faith. The anticipation of his arrival inspired a dozen religious communities to undertake an unusual artistic endeavor that [provided] the backdrop to the Dalai Lama's appearance Sunday on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Framing the Dalai Lama on stage [were] a dozen towering religious icons created by artists of other traditions. "It's an amazing show of support and unity that different people of different faiths actually came together," said Nina Norris, a member of St. Matthias Catholic Church in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. [link]

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RELIGIOUS ART | TALK OF WEEK

AOA NEWS
By Tahlib
ART PICK OF THE WEEK (above) is from the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The traveling art exhibit, "Dynasty and Divinity" organized by NYC's Museum for African Art (opening in 2012) explores the role of religion in ancient Nigeria's system of royalty. You can "comment online" all week (This is a test). Elsewhere, people are also talking about:

1. Who is getting hurt by the Hindu Art in Idaho? (Comment Online)
2. What's so religious/or sacrilegious about "Religious Tattoos"? (Comment Online)
3. Why are so many summer movies exploring spiritual themes this year? (Comment Online)

Below is the rest of week's biggest religious art news. The stories are grouped by the five largest faith traditions, with an additional category for other. As Alpha Omega Arts continues to connect Artists, Faiths, and Communities, we invite you to comment on them too.
BUDDHIST ART:

• Three Pilgrimages : Christian, Buddhist and Muslim at the Rubin Museum of Art (Huffington Post)
• Kanishka Ruled Over the Golden Age of Buddhist Art (Friday Times)

HINDU ART:

• Idaho Man and Church Join Forces to Have Hindu Statue Removed from Street (The Coeur d' Alene Press)
• Creator of Controversial Idaho Sculpture Explains the Hindu Image (Spokesman Review)
• Student Champions Diversity and Sculpture in Idaho (The Coeur d’ Alene Press

ISLAMIC ART:

• Australia to Build First Islamic Art Museum (World News Australia)
• Qatar Becoming Gulfs Cultural Hub (Daily News)
• BBC Presents, Why Islam Forbids Images of its Prophet Muhammad (The Telegraph)

FINE JUDAICA:

• Israeli Artists Challenge Assumptions by Appearance of the Faithful (Israel National News)
• Fire Devastates Synagogue Under Repair in Manhattan’s Upper East Side (NY Times)
• Israeli Government Gives Approval to Build Tolerance Museum On Top of Muslim Cemetery (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

CHRISTIAN ART:

• Makota Fujumora’s Four Gospels on Display at Museum of Biblical Art (AOA News)
• Crystal Cathedral May Be Purchased by the Roman Catholic Church (Christian Post)
• Review: “Passages” (Thumbs up) at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (Examiner)
• Review: “Passages” (Thumbs mixed) at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (AOA News)
• Wisconsin’s Virgin Mary Shrine Increases Staff Because of Demand (ABC News)
• UK Artist Recreates 2,000 Years of Christian Art inside Church (AOA News)
• Florida Students Learn Filmmaking and Morality at Catholic Summer Camp (Florida Times-Union)
• The Saint John's Bible - By Art Director (St. John's)
• Commercial for Creation Museum (Video)
• Nazarene's Heading to Oklahoma City Museum of Art (Nazarene Communications Network)
• Kehinde Wiley's "Saint Francis of Paola" at the Toledo Museum of Art (AOA News)
• 450th Anniversary of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow has been marked by Google Doodle (The Telegraph)
• Vatican Says Church Art Tourists Must Learn Inspiration Behind the Art (Catholic News Service)
• The Hidden Treasures in Local Churches (The Telegraph)
• Can There Be Only One Bible for Christians? (USA Today)

OTHER RELATED ARTS:

• NEA Grant Seeks to Use Art to Bridge Religious Differences (The Portland Daily Sun)
• Discover The Gift (Official Trailer)
• 911 Museum Passes Now Available (AOA News)
• “Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria (Commercial)
• Indianapolis Museum Takes Peek at Life of African Sacred Rulers (Indianapolis Star)
• Thornton Dial Show at Atlanta’s Bill Lowe Gallery (AOA News)
• Comedian Stephen Colbert Evangelizes “Believing Brain” Author (Comedy Channel)
• Film Director Steps Out on Ledge With New Atheist Movie (Christian Century)
• Anti-opera Review: "Jerry Springer: The Opera" (LA Times)
• Jerry Springer, the Opera: It's Just Art, or is it? (Spero News)
• Patrick King's 'Star Wars' Art Gets Imperially Religious (Comic Alliance)

Do you want to get a daily dose of religious art news? Join Alpha Omega Arts on Facebook or Twitter. Google Plus is coming soon too! The "Religious Art Talk of Week” is a weekly project of Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts in connecting artists, faiths and communities through art.




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Students Learn Filmmaking & Morals at Catholic Summer Camp

THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION
By Jeff Brumley

FLORIDA - Brian Shields will tell you straight up he's all about instilling Christian values in young people and encouraging them to keep Christ at the center of their personal and professional lives. But what makes this Catholic evangelist different is the method he uses to spread the gospel and inspire youngsters to follow suit: film-making. This week he and his staff from Lumen Entertainment are hosting an eight-day film camp for high school students. He's been holding the camp since 2008. It's mission statement is "To enlighten and nourish with truth through the arts."[link]

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Crystal Cathedral May Be Bought by Catholic Church

THE CHRISTIAN POST
By Alex Marusko

CALIFORNIA - Concern over keeping Southern California’s Crystal Cathedral as part of the “liturgical landscape” has the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County considering the purchase of the church property. The announcement from the diocese came around the same time that Chapman University, an Orange County, Calif. college, offered $46 million for the landmark church that hosted the Rev. Robert H. Shuller’s “Hour of Power.”[link]

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Art Tourists Must Also Learn the Inspiration Behind Catholic Art

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
By Cindy Wooden

The resurrection of Christ is depicted in a mural in the sanctuary of
Holy Family Church in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (CNS file/Debbie Hill)

VATICAN CITY - Archbishop Antonio Veglio, president of the pontifical council, said the cultures drawn together by tourism have not only a historical and artistic heritage, but also customs, values and beliefs. When accepting tourists at Catholic churches and shrines, church members must "show the true meaning of this cultural heritage born from faith and for the glory of God," the message said. [link]

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Jerry Springer, the Opera: It's Just Art, or is It?

SPERO NEWS
By Kenneth Fisher
CALIFORNIA - On Friday, July 1 at approximately 7:00 PM, I was privileged by God to join my brothers and sisters of “Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP)” in a demonstration of reparation to God and His Mother for the blasphemous play “Jerry Springer, the Opera”. I was there representing “Concerned Roman Catholics of America”. We were doing so because according to TFP, the play “is full of profanity, nudity and blasphemous content.” [link]

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A Review: Devotion By Design at Britain's National Gallery

THE TELEGRAPH
By Richard Dorment

The Birth of the Virgin , about 1440, Master of the Osservanza 

UNITED KINGDOM - Selected entirely from pictures in the permanent collection, the National Gallery’s exhibition of Italian 14th- and 15th-century altarpieces is so beautiful that it would be easy to miss the breathtaking audacity of the installation. An altarpiece is a specific kind of religious image because it was made to hang in a church where it served to create or intensify spiritual experience. To transfer an altarpiece to an art gallery is to change its meaning by shifting the viewer’s attention to questions of authorship, date, school and stylistic development. This installation reminds us that the pictures once hung above a place that for a Catholic could not be more sacred – the altar on which the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is made manifest through the actions of the priest during mass. Devotion by Design reverses this process by asking why these works of art were made, why they took the form they did, how they functioned and what that meant theologically.  Devotion by Design’ until Oct 2; 'Treasures from Heaven’ until Oct 9. [link]

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Art Review | Black Jesus Appearance in Ohio

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
By Amy Davis

"Jesus of the People" by Janet McKenzie

OHIO - A young, berobed black man wears a crown of thorns like a badge of street culture. His face is strong but sweet and sympathetic. His posture is confident. The painting, Jesus of the People, won a 1999 National Catholic Reporter competition to find "Jesus for the New Millennium" - judged by art historian and BBC host Sister Wendy Beckett. A reproduction of the painting, along with other works by artist Janet McKenzie, is on view through Aug. 12 in the Martin de Porres Center. [link]

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Painter of Pieta Turned Away from Vatican for Wearing Skirt

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS
By Gauri Sinh

"Pieta/The Death of Magic" (2008) By Julius Macwan

VATICAN CITY - Mumbai-based artist Julius Macwan has felt strongly about women’s causes for a long time — in solidarity of which he wears skirts. But this very ‘rule breaking’ got him into a bit of a conundrum in Rome last week. Julius, a Roman Catholic by birth, was forbidden from entering the Vatican because he was in a skirt. “I was in a state of shock, my mind was numb,” Macwan, now back in Mumbai, recalled. “My most famous work is inspired by the Pieta, it is also called the Pieta/The Death of Magic. [link]

Julius Macwan in formal skirt

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A "Blasphemous" Exhibit Opens on Ireland Campus

CORK STUDENT NEWS

"Our Lady" (1992) by Alma Lopez

IRELAND - A ‘blasphemous’ exhibit depicting ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ in a floral bikini is to go on show in University College Cork (UCC) tomorrow — and critics have begun attacking the ‘artwork’ before it’s even begun. ‘Our Lady and Other Queer Santas’ is the brainchild of Alma Lopez, a graduate of the University of California at Irvine – a well-known target of criticism from religious Catholic groups, and is being displayed as part of a weekend conference on Hispanic Studies taking place at the university. The exhibit sits very broadly within the context of a larger debate in Irish society about blasphemy itself. A controversial ‘Blasphemy Law’ was passed at the start of this year, and was decried as a retrograde step by many in the Irish media at the time. [link] The display ran June 24 & 25 as part of a conference.

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Pope Opens Vatican Art Exhibit

AOA NEWS
By AP

Pope Benedict XVI (R) visiting the opening of the exhibition,
titled "Splendour of the truth, beauty of the Truth"

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI on Monday reviewed work by 60 artists during the debut of a programme he spearheaded hoping to strengthen links between the cultural world and the Roman Catholic Church. The exhibition, titled "Splendour of the truth, beauty of the Truth", featured mainly European artists, sculptures, architects and musicians who agreed to display their work at the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall. "I would like to renew to all artists a friendly and passionate appeal," the pope, a music lover, said. "Never separate artistic creativity of the truth from charity ... but with the richness of your genius, your creative enthusiasm, always be, with courage, seekers of the truth and witnesses of charity," he added. [link]

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AO-PROJECT REPORT

BY ERNEST BRITTON

June was a month of significant progress for the Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts. As part of our ARTIST LINKS program, the board and I recruited all 40 of the advisers who will judge ths Fall's selection of the 4th Annual A&O Prize for an American artist. Our monthly AOA MEETUP in Evansville, IN included stops at Temple Adath de Isreal, St. Mary's Catholic Church and First Presbyterian Church, as well as a tour of the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science (See report). Lastly, the readership for the daily news blog, AOA NEWS climbed to over 3,000 during the month of June. Thanks to you for helping to spread the word!

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RELIGIOUS ART | TALK OF WEEK

AOA NEWS
By Tahlib

AOA PICK OF WEEK:

"Esther's scroll" is just one of the many artifacts on display at the Oklahoma Museum of Art's current exhibit on the Holy Bible, and Alpha Omega Arts will be there this week to see it with you (Sign-up now). Americans are also talking about (Comments online, Sunday only):

1. Should only Muslims display and create Islamic art? (Comment online)
2. Why did Marc Chagall emphasize the Jewish identity of Lazarus? (Comment online)
3. If Jesus was killed today, would it be in an Electric Chair? (Comment online)

Below is the rest of this week's best in religious & spiritual art news. The stories are grouped by the five largest faith traditions, with "related news" as an additional category.

BUDDHIST ART:

• Valley of the Lost Scrolls of Dunhuang, China (Sydney Morning Herald)
• China's Ulan Bator is an Art-lover's Paradise (China Daily)
• Travel to Japan's Miho Museum (Today Online)

HINDU ART:

• Inking Masterpiece Since the 16th Century in India (The Hindu)
• Sacred Spaces: Inside DC's Hindu Temple (CNN)
• Art Review: Brooklyn Museum’s Blue Vishnu Show (Brooklyn Paper)

ISLAMIC ART:

• Methods of Historiography in Islamic Art (Iran Book News Agency)
• University Exhibit Showcases Pakistani and Muslim Art (Dawn)
• Rana Riaz Ahmed's Solo Exhibition of Paintings on Islamic Art (Pakistani Observer)
• The Painted History of Carpets (Christies)
• Critic's Notebook: LACMA's Magical Ardabil Carpet (Los Angeles Times)
• Bay Area Artists Paint the Legacy of Quran as Peace (Tri-City Voice)
• Egyptian Artist, Shawky on Display at Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival (Middle East Online)
• Stone Roses Rocker John Squire Paints Lady Gaga, Savages Celebrity Culture (Bloomberg)
• The Jameel Prize for Islamic Art, July 21st to September 25th (Red Carnation Hotel)

JEWISH ART:

• Helene Ayon's Rescuing God from Man Installation (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Marc Chagall's Jewish Lazarus (Houston Chronicle)
• R.Crumb's Illuminated Bible Exhibit Opens in San Jose (AOA News)

CHRISTIAN ART:

• Book Review: "Long Gone" (Miami Herald)
• Capturing INNO-Sense at the LYN House (AOA News)
• Catholic "Treasures of Heaven" in England (The Independent)
• Brad Pitt is God in "Tree of Life" (Wall Street Journal)
• 30th Anniversary of the Apparitions of Mary in Bosnia (All Voices)
• Andy Warhol’s Electric Chairs Join the Cross in a Lutheran Church (Art Newspaper)
• Video: Henri Matisse Gallery at the Vatican, Opens After 30 Yrs (Gloria TV)
• Gold, Jewels Adorn Exhibits of Sacred Body Parts in London (Bloomberg)
• Religious Art Stolen from Connecticut Church (News 8 NTNH)
• Masterpieces on Paper at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (ArtDaily)
• INSPIRE ME! Artist, Francisco Goya (AOA News)
• Museum of Biblical Art's July Celebrations of King James Bible (AOA News)
• Book Review: "Rome by Robert Hughes" (The Telegraph)
• 1,400-year-old St Paul Fresco Discovered in Roman Catacombs (The Telegraph)

RELATED NEWS:

• Vatican Launches Portal to Begin Aggregating Church News (NYTimes)
• Willies Mays Is No Surfing Madonna (NBC San Diego)
• Aiming to Spread Judaism One Book at a Time (NYTimes)
• Australian Govt Consider's Rating System for Artworks in Galleries (The Advertiser)
• Germany Refurbishes the Holiest Yazidi Shrine in Iraq (Azzaman in English)

Do you want to get a daily dose of religious art news? Join me on "Facebook.com" and/or "Twitter.com". Tumblr is coming soon too! The "Sabbath Art News" is a weekly project of Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts, "connecting artists, faiths and communities" through art.

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A&O Meetup to Evansville: June 18, 2011

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Disney-Britton

"Spirit of Cain" by Thomas Henderson, collection of Evansville Museum of Arts

On June 18, I led our monthly A&O MEETUP, and this time we headed to Evansville, IN. The Meetup included stops at Temple Adath de Isreal, St. Marys Catholic Church and First Presbyterian Church as well as a tour of the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science. Two highlights of the museum's collection (both below) were, "Spirit of Cain" (above) by Chris Thomas of Henderson, KY (inspired by Genesis 4:9-12) and "David Dances Before the Ark of the Covenant" (below) by Jan De Bray (17c). We capped off the one-day Meetup with an evening of jazz at the W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival with participants coming from as far away as Chicago.

"David Dances Before the Ark of the Covenant" by Jan De Bray (17c).

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