INSPIRE ME! Artist, Linda Witte Henke

"I find it more productive to engage 

people in discussions of universal spiritual themes"

~ LINDA WITTE HENKE

By Ernest Disney-Britton

Last July, when 10,000 Episcopalians descended onto Indianapolis for their national convention, I heard about this amazing Lutheran artist named Linda Witte Henke. Her massive work, "Great O Antiphons" was on display as part of the convention's sacred art display. I soon subscribed to her newsletter, but I didn't get a chance to see her work in person until November's 2013 "Alpha Omega: Religious Risks" at Indiana Interchurch Center. I was wowed, and am happy to introduce INSPIRE ME! Artist, Linda Witte Henke.

Portrait of the artist, Linda Witte Henke

1. What is your faith tradition, and how does it impact your art? I'm engaged in the Lutheran expression of the Christian tradition.  Inspiration for my work often comes from sacred writings, liturgical practices, and theological reflections associated with my faith practice.

"The Great O Antiphons (panel 1 of 7, Sapientia)" by Linda Witte Henke

2. Describe your artwork. What style or genre is it? I'm a contemporary mixed-media artist specializing in liturgically purposed work, such as vestments (garments worn by worship leaders), paraments (adornments for worship appointments, such as ambos and communion tables), and large, site-specific installations.  I create primarily in fiber, but I design for all media.

"Wholly, Holy, Whole" (2012) by Kinda Witte Henke

3. Have you ever had to defend exploring religious ideas? I find it more productive to engage people in discussions of universal spiritual themes than to enter into debates about religious beliefs.

"Passion Pilgrimage (panel 13 of 18, Proximity)" (2004) by Linda Witte Henke

4. Who collects your work, and why? Most of my work is created through a commission process for Christian congregations, denominational headquarters, religious agencies, and, occasionally, individuals.

"All Things New" (2013) by Linda Witte Henke

5. What "risks" have you taken in creating your work? I'm currently creating life-scale, three-dimensional, figurative sculptures depicting unfamiliar or misunderstood female characters from the bible, accompanied by original first-person narratives intended to engender a sense of kinship with the characters.  I develop such a strong sense of connection with the characters, that I feel vulnerable in sharing their stories.

"Familiar Tale" (2012) by Linda Witte Henke

6. What other artists have influenced your work? Sadao Wantanabe, a Japanese artist who translated biblical stories through the use of culturally expressive imagery, had an early and enduring influence on both my faith and my art.  My first experience of contemporary fiber art -- an exhibition of work by Nancy Crow -- awakened me to fiber as a medium of artistic expression.

"Annunciation" by Sadao Wantanabe

7. How can A&O readers collect/experience your work? I encourage people to contact me (linda(at)lindahenke.com) to subscribe to my periodic electronic newsletters, which contain listings of places where my work is being exhibited, as well as news about my work within and beyond the studio.  People may also enjoy visiting my website (www.lindahenke.com).

"Tree of Life" (2008) by Linda Witte Henke

I'm not sure how others find amazing artists, but I clip articles and create files on them. That's how I first came to know the work of NYC-based artist Kehinde Wiley. Way back in 2007, I came across his work in a design magazine in Cincinnati, and I clipped it. The dramatic images stuck but I never expected to see them in person, and soon enough I was living in NYC, and even socializing (twice) with the artist. Last July, I clipped the news story about Linda Witte Henke; and while I've yet to meet her, I hope we all get to do so very soon.

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20X200 Art collecting is back just in time for the holiday season

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK---Beginning in 2017, 20x200 began it's mission of advocating art collecting for everyone, featuring fine art prints for as little as $20. A year ago however, they went out of business, but now founder/art dealer Jen Beckman is leading its return. Currently hiring, and operating in beta mode, they are seeking input on anything amis. Everything on the site right now is in stock and ready to go. You can order it, frame it, and get it on your walls in time for the holidays. The best way to get the first word? Subscribe to our email newsletter, follow us on Twitter, and tune into our blog for regular dispatches from behind the scenes. Questions in the meantime? Browse their FAQ or email them at hello@20x0200.com.

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$32 million university donation a boost for study of ancient Asian art

UNIVERSITY WORLD
By Yojana Sharma

ILLINOIS---A visit to the abandoned and dilapidated Yangon University campus in Myanmar over a year ago was the unlikely setting for a discussion that led to a groundbreaking £20 million (US$32 million) donation to London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS. The grant from the Alphawood Foundation in Chicago will go towards training art and culture experts in ancient Hindu and Buddhist art in South East Asia, and will help revive museums in those countries after decades of neglect. [link]

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Survey shows 'bullying' of Christian employees in Arts

THE WAY
By Amanda Hopkins

UNITED KINGDOM---The Federation of Entertainment Unions recently surveyed over 4,000 workers in the creative arts and media industry, the results of the report revealed that most Christian employees experienced faith-based discrimination. Christian Concern noted 56 per cent of participants had experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination in the work place. The survey was conducted amongst and included some household names and high profile figures in the UK. Workers who were a victim to this discrimination believed it was fuelled by their religious beliefs. [link]

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Gap Praised for Quick Response to Racist Graffiti Against Sikh Model

NEW YORK DAILY
By Carol Kuruvilla

NEW YORK--- Images of Sikh Model Waris Ahluwalia in Gap’s new “Make Love” campaign are still being defaced in New York City. A vandal apparently tried to rip Ahluwalia out of a Gap ad inside the Christopher St. station. Evidence of racist graffiti against the Sikh actor and designer started appearing online on Tuesday. Journalist Arsalan Iftikhar alerted his social media followers to a subway ad that compared the 39-year-old Ahluwalia to a terrorist. The vandal replaced “Make Love” with “Make bombs,” then wrote, “Please stop driving taxis.” [link]

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Tampa Artist, Paula Brett's Candy Mandalas Earn National Recognition

TAMPA BAY DISPATCH
By Robynn Mitchell

"Tree of Life" Candala (2013) by Paula Brett

FLORIDA---Paula Brett placed the ribbon candies in a circle atop a sheet of white paper on the floor of her art studio in Tampa. She was building a mandala, an artistic representation of the universe and the idea of impermanence with roots in the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Brett, former yoga instructor and art teacher, connects with the idea of impermanence and the sacred symmetry of mandalas. Wall-sized 40-foot by 40-foot photos of Brett's mandalas will go on display in New York's Dylan's Candy Bar on Dec. 2. Dylan's Candy Bar will display the limited edition candy mandala prints and sell them for $2,150. [link]

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A World of Colors: Artist Gayatri Shantaram Celebrate the Universe

THE HINDU
By K. JESHI

Mandala exhibition of paintings by artist Gayatri Shantaram at
Contemplate Art Gallery in Coimbatore. Photo: M. Periasamy

INDIA---Artist Gayatri Shantaram’s paintings celebrate the universe. Black is a defining colour in artist Gayatri Shantaram’s work. The other predominant colours are white, red, blue or purple. Her ongoing exhibition Mandala at Contemplate Art Gallery is a celebration of the universe. “Mandala represents a circle or the universe. It showcases a little bit of my universe. All my paintings have a focal point, a circle often represented as the sun or the moon that encompasses a square (the canvas). In our Indian temple structures, a number of squares lead up to the garbagraha. The Tibetan Mandala comprises of a square within the circle. The Mandala collection constitutes what I am,” she says. [link]

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Lilly Endowment Awards $3,000 Grant to Michigan College to Study Christianity in Higher Education

MICHIGAN LIVE 
By Brian Vicar

MICHIGAN---Hope College has received a $3,000 grant to study how “different traditions in Christianity can work together within colleges and universities.” The grant, from the Lilly Fellows Program in the Humanities and Arts, aims to support ongoing discussions surrounding “the promise and challenges of genuine ecumenicity in Christian higher education,” according to Hope. [live]

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SUU s Art Insights to host prominent Utah spiritual artist J Kirk Richards

KCSG-TV

"The Greatest in the Kingdom" by J. Kirk Richards

UTAH---Utah artist J. Kirk Richards is a favorite among admirers of contemporary spiritual artwork. His love of the textural, poetic, and mysterious gives him a unique perspective on traditional Judeo-Christian themes. Richards is best known for his contributions to the BYU Museum of Art and to Helen Whitney’s PBS Frontline Documentary The Mormons: An American Experience. He will be the featured artist in SUU’s Department of Art & Design’s weekly series, Art Insights on December 5, 2013. The presentation will take place in Section JK of SUU’s Centrum Arena on Thursday, December 5, 2013, at 7pm. Admission is free and the general public is encouraged to attend. For more information on the SUU College of Performing and Visual Arts events, please call the Arts Hotline at (435) 865-8800, or visit www.suu.edu/arts. [link]

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Pew Research Examines What it Means to be Muslim in a World of 1.6 Billion Believers

TRUST | The Pew Charitable Trusts
By Deborah Horan

Turkish Pottery with Sufi meditation dance design.

The Pew Research Center interviewed more than 38,000 Muslims around the globe to provide a deeper understanding of the beliefs and political views of members of the world's second-largest religion. What it means to be a Muslim, it turns out, varies greatly depending on the norms of the country. The survey found that many opinions reflected prevailing cultural, legal, and political attitudes. In Iraq, millions of Shia pilgrims trek to the shrine of Hussein, the slain grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. In Turkey, Sufis spin in trancelike meditation as they pray to God in unison. In West Africa, men chant, "There is no God bu God," sometimes for hours, to commune with the Divine. And in Nigeria, Sunnis celebrate major religious holidays with a parade of the Emir on horseback. What unites these groups and Muslims around the glode is their belief in God and the Prophet Muhammad, as well as fasting and almsgiving. [Fall 2013]

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Religious Americans Give More, Say Researchers

THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY
By Alex Daniels

PHILANTHROPY---The more important religion is to a person, the more likely that person is to give to a charity of any kind, according to new research released today. Among Americans who claim a religious affiliation, the study said, 65 percent give to charity. About 75 percent of people who frequently attend religious services gave to congregations, and 60 percent gave to religious charities or nonreligious ones. By comparison, fewer than half of people who said they didn’t attend faith services regularly supported any charity, even a even secular one. “If your goal is to connect with donors, it’s clear that one of the things that matters to them is their religious orientation,” says Shawn Landres, Jumpstart’s chief executive and a co-author of the report. [link]

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It's a Turkey. It's a Menorah. It's Thanksgivukkah!

DAILY MAIL

It's a turkey. It's a menorah. It's Thanksgivukkah! An extremely rare convergence this year of Thanksgiving and the start of Hanukkah has created a frenzy of Talmudic proportions. There's the number crunching: The last time it happened was 1888, or at least the last time since Thanksgiving was declared a federal holiday by President Lincoln, and the next time may have Jews lighting their candles from spaceships 79,043 years from now, by one calculation. [link]

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Tell Your Children to Standup

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Greg Disney-Britton



For Chanukah, I celebrate God's gift of my bestfriend Laurie who stood up for her gay friends as children of God, and did so in the face of Christian bigotry. During Chanukah Jews remember how one tiny sanctified jar of oil was found in the Temple after it had been rampaged and desecrated. From this small amount of pure oil emerged a light that miraculously would not go out. Laurie is like that light, and this video shared by Rabbi Yitzchok Moully, the 2013 A&O Prize Clergy Advocate of Year tells another version of such hatred and desecration. Entitled, "Tell Your Children" it is the story of a Jewish child who escapes Nazi execution only to experience religious bigotry again as a senior. Still she stood up. Chanukah is about standing up, and celebrating lights in the darkness like Laurie.

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Inherit the Wind: The Ongoing Clash Between Art & Religion

LEFT LION
By Ashley Carter

Michigan production of Inherit the Wind in 2010. Courtesy Michigan Live

MINNESOTA---Inherit the Wind is adapted from the play of the same name. It portrays the events of the 1925 Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial in which a teacher stood trial for violating a state law with his introduction of Evolution to his class’s syllabus. Barely two months ago, in St. Paul, Minnesota, The New Ulm Actors Community Theatre cancelled their production of Inherit the Wind following strong lobbying from local evangelicals. Chief amongst this religious objection to the arts is the Catholic Church’s obsession with boycotting anything they find offensive, no matter how tedious the link is to their faith.  The Golden Compass, Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code and The Passion of the Christ have all fallen foul of their organised boycotts, with even Roger Ebert claiming that their efforts impacted box office results. What remains most discouraging, however, is the lack of vocal condemnation of these attacks. [link]

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Francesco Vezzoli’s Italian Church Art Is Halted on Its Way to NYC's PS1

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Ted Loos and Gaia Pianigiani

The church packed for its planned trip to New York.

ITALY---It was a typically elaborate, provocative move by the Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli in a career full of them: He had contracted to buy the ruins of an old deconsecrated church in the southern Italian town of Montegiordano and had planned to ship them to New York, brick by brick, for exhibition in the courtyard of MoMA PS1. But “The Church of Vezzoli,” as the exhibition was to be called, was canceled Monday in the midst of a legal imbroglio in Italy. The MoMA PS1 show was meant to be the third leg of “The Trinity,” a multicity retrospective of Mr. Vezzoli’s work. [link]

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Freedom to Marry Everywhere: Now Comes the Hard Part

USA TODAY
By Evan Wolfson and Mary Ann Bonauto

Gay rights rally(Photo: AP)

For the two of us, November is a month of milestones in the work to win the freedom to marry for all couples across America. Earlier this month, Hawaii's governor signed into law a freedom to marry bill overwhelmingly approved by the legislature – 20 years after the Hawaii Supreme Court ruling in Baehr v. Lewin declaring the exclusion of gay people from marriage presumptively unconstitutional and sending the case back for a trial. And this month marks 10 years since the historic ruling of the Massachusetts high court in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, the case that finally made marriage a reality for same-sex couples in our country and significantly accelerated the progress of the past decade. As we celebrate anniversaries and create new milestones, let's be sure not to take our victory lap too soon. It's time to finish the job. [link]

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A Ketubah Shows the Promise That Turned a Young Printer Into a Renowned Artist

TABLET MAGAZINE
By Annie Abrams

Detail of Marriage Contract, Printer: J. Bien, New York,
New York, United States, 1852 (Courtesy of the Jewish Museum)

NEW YORK---As their ketubah makes clear, Cornelius Roos married Caroline Elsasser at New York’s flagship Reform synagogue Congregation Emanu-El on Jan. 11, 1852. The wedding contract includes many other names: the groom’s father Raphael Roos, the bride’s father Asher Elsasser, the officiant Rabbi Leo Merzbacher, and witnesses E. Lyons and J. Cahn. But the most significant name on the ketubah might ordinarily be overlooked, since it appears in small letters along the bottom border of the page: printer Julius Bien, who would go on to have an illustrious career making maps and lithographs of animals, landscapes, and machinery. Today, artwork bearing Bien’s name can be found at institutions like the Brooklyn Museum, New York Public Library, Butler Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. [link]

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Ohio Exhibition Invites Museum's Visitors to Ponder God

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

Sampling of the works by 30 artists from around the world on display in Canton, Ohio

OHIO---The Canton Museum of Art presents "Sacred Voices" an interfaith exhibition of contemporary works by over 30 artists from Australia, Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Inspired by the Christian, Jewish, or Muslim faith, the imagery and artistry combine to offer fresh perspectives on religious texts, narratives and traditions of all people. "Throughout much of history, art and religion have been closely intertwined," said guest curator Michele Waalkes. "For some artists, the creative process itself becomes an act of faithfulness." The Canton Museum of Art (CMA) is one of Ohio's premier locations for an exceptional visual arts experience.

Canton Museum of Art: "Sacred Voices" (December 5, 2013 - March 2, 2014); 1001 Market Avenue North, Canton, OH; 330-453-7666; cantonart.org

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Biblical Paraody Featuring "Adam & Steve" Turns Into Bible-Belt Land Mine

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE
By Mark Beutler

OKLAHOMA---What started out to be a small, largely unnoticed production by OKC Theater Company has turned into a First Amendment fight, as well as a battle against Oklahoma City’s gay and lesbian community, claim supporters of the production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. Fans of the arts — and of the biblical parody — say a conservative Christian group is targeting the play and threatening to have the producers and actors arrested on opening night. Recently, a number of local pastors sent a letter to Governor Mary Fallin, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, media outlets and members of the state legislature, demanding the play be shuttered. [links]

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5 Features of Islamic Culture

ONISLAM
By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi

Islam is a comprehensive and global religion. It covers every aspect of life. The greatest beauty of Islam is in its culture. Here I would like to talk about the salient features of Islamic culture. Many people think that culture means art, music or some social habits. The word “culture” has many meanings. In Arabic it is called “thaqafah.” The culture is defined as patterns of behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create, and share. Culture distinguishes one human group from others. Islam has a distinct culture. [link]

Some characteristics of Islamic culture:

1. God-centered or theocentric.
2. Egalitarian, tolerant and fraternal.
3. Dignifying and moralistic.
4. Dynamic, progressive, world affirming and not world-denying or ascetic.
5. Non-exclusivist but Da`wah-oriented and optimistic.

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Islam's Shari`ah Approves of and Encourages all Types of Beneficial Art

ONISLAM
By Shari`ah Staff

It is widely alleged that Islam disfavors art and entertainment, which is totally untrue. Shari`ah approves of and encourages all types of beneficial art and entertainment as long as they promote morals and good values. However, Shari`ah generally lays down ethics and rules that secure the non-violation of art and entertainment to the teachings of Islam and values of the Muslim communities. OnIslam Shari`ah launches this folder, one of its 10+ Fatwas Series, so as to shed light on Islam’s rulings on music, poetry, singing, etc., hoping that it would help our readers be more knowledgeable about this important topic. For more questions and inquiries, please feel free to submit your questions to this page. [link]

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The Art Institute of Chicago's 18th-Century Neapolitan Crèche

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

ILLINOIS---The Art Institute of Chicago will unveil a new aquisition this holyday season, " Neapolitan Crèche: The Nativity and Three Wise Men and Their Courts and Treasures." It is a mid-18th-century Neapolitan crèche, and considered one of the very few and finest examples of such a work outside of Naples, the crèche is an intricate Nativity scene that reflects the vitality and artisanship that the city is still known for. The Art Institute’s crèche features over 200 figures—including no less than 50 animals and 41 items of food and drink—all staged in a spectacular Baroque cabinet with a painted backdrop. Sacred imagery reenacting the Nativity has its roots in fourth-century Rome but by the 13th and 14th centuries, in part due to its association with St. Francis of Assisi, such scenes had become a permanent feature of Neapolitan churches.

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A Black Director's Own Christmas Miracle" "Black Nativity" Opens Today

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Felicia R. Lee

Kasi Lemmons, pictured at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Harlem,
wrote some of the lyrics for the movie “Black Nativity.”

HOLLYWOOD---“Black Nativity,” an unapologetically feel-good musical about a family’s Christmas miracle, is a stark stylistic departure from Kasi Lemmons’s signature film as a director, the brooding 1997 indie hit “Eve’s Bayou.” But Ms. Lemmons said that “in a weird way” the two films are not dissimilar: Both examine complicated families and belief in things unseen through a child’s perspective. Black Nativity,” which opens Wednesday. [link]

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Gap's Ad With Sikh Model Waris Ahluwalia Defaced With Racist Graffiti, Drawing Incredible Response From Company

THE HUFFINGTON POST

NEW YORK---This is how the Internet is supposed to work. Arsalan Iftikhar, senior editor at The Islamic Monthly and founder of TheMuslimGuy.com, posted a picture to his Twitter and Facebook wall of a defaced subway advertisement for Gap featuring Sikh actor and jewelry designer Waris Ahluwalia. He told The Huffington Post, "I wanted the world to see how millions of brown people are viewed in America today." The next day, Gap tweeted back at Iftikhar to find out the location of the ad, which is part of its holiday "#MakeLove" campaign featuring a wide variety of diverse models. But that wasn't all. The company proceeded to change its Twitter background to the picture of Ahluwalia, to show solidarity and support.[link]

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Where St. Nicholas Has His Black Pete(s), Charges of Racism Follow

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By John Tagliabue

St. Nicholas in Amsterdam on Sunday with his Black Petes, whom critics denounce as racist caricatures. 

AMSTERDAM---St. Nicholas entered Amsterdam twice this weekend. On Sunday morning, astride a tall white horse and clad in the red-and-gold cloak and miter of a bishop, to the cheers of tens of thousands of children and their parents, he paraded into the center of town accompanied by his faithful servant, Black Peter. Another St. Nicholas arrived on Saturday afternoon. He sat quietly on a makeshift stage in a tiny square near the Stock Exchange, dreadlocks flowing from under his gold-and-red miter, but without Black Pete. For if Black Peter is a white Netherlander in blackface, this St. Nicholas was a member of the country’s small black minority, and he was presiding at a demonstration by several hundred people, black and white, denouncing Black Pete as racist. [link]

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2013 A&O Prize Art of Year: "Golden Sea" Available Online for Holydays

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK---The full version of this moving Plywood Pictures documentary on Makoto Fujimura's career will ONLY be available with the purchase of Golden Sea monograph. The Golden Sea retrospective monograph is a beautiful cloth-bound book, embossed with gold detail reminiscent of Fujimura’s "Golden Sea" painting. Designed by Darilyn Carnes of Abrams Books, it contains images of Fujimura’s paintings throughout his career. For more information on the entire "Golden Sea" project, see the "Golden Sea" website. [Purchase Here]

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Faith and art battle in ‘My Name Is Asher Lev’ in Coral Gables, FL

MIAMI HERALD
By Christian Dolen

Etai BenShlomo plays a young artist, Avi Hoffman his mentor and Laura Turnbull
an art dealer in Aaron Posner's 'My Name Is Asher Lev' at GableStage. George Schiavone

FLORIDA---The best playwrights -- Tennessee Williams, August Wilson, Tony Kushner and Nilo Cruz are just a few from a long list -- create richly specific worlds laced with more broadly resonant themes. One needn’t be of those worlds to be transported by their stories and connect deeply with the issues the playwrights are exploring. In adapting Chaim Potok’s 1972 novel My Name Is Asher Lev for the stage, Aaron Posner tries to conjure that magic mixture of specificity and universality. The play examines the lifelong emotional tug-of-war between Asher and his father, and between religious beliefs and artistic principles that run counter to those beliefs. [link]

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Modern And Ancient Afghan Art And Design In Ferozkoh in UK

LONDONIST
By Tabish Khan

"Ferozkoh: Tradition and Continuaty in Afghan Art" at Leighton House Museum

UNITED KINGDOM---Nestled away in Kensington is Leighton House Museum, the house of noted Victorian artist Frederic Leighton and awash with Asian and Middle Eastern trappings that he acquired on his travels. This makes it the ideal location for a display of both classical and contemporary Islamic art, fresh from being exhibited in Qatar. There are statues and wall hangings scattered throughout the house that blend in with their surroundings plus a room filled with a comparative exhibition where each contemporary artwork sits alongside a classical one. [link]

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What Ethnic Diversity Looks Like: Fort Bend, Texas

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By CORRIE MACLAGGAN

Hindu temple made of more than 33,000 pieces of hand-carved Italian marble and Turkish limestone.

TEXAS---Nikhil Sabharwal of Toronto stood outside a hotel, next to a cart piled with luggage, holding a tall stick decorated with gold garland, a bhangra dance prop from an Indian wedding he had attended here. Steps away, at a coffee shop, a woman wearing a hijab sat near the spot where, minutes earlier, Lynne Gabriel, a fashion blogger of Filipino descent, had posed for photos for her website. All of this played out on Monday at the town square in Sugar Land, the largest city in Fort Bend County, which Stephen Klineberg, a sociology professor at Rice University, calls the most ethnically diverse county in America. By that, he means that this county southwest of Houston comes closer than any other county in the United States to having an equal division among the nation’s four major ethnic communities — Asian, black, Latino and white residents. [link]

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Sunnis Close Baghdad Mosques to Challenge Religious Attacks

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Associated Press

IRAQ---Iraqi Sunni religious leaders said Saturday that they had decided to close down the sect’s mosques in Baghdad indefinitely to protest attacks against clerics and worshipers, highlighting the country’s deepening sectarian rift. Many mosques appeared to comply with the order to close. In Baghdad’s Sunni northern district of Azamiya, a banner at the closed gate of the Abu Hanifa mosque said, “The mosque is closed until further notice because of the targeting of imams, preachers and worshipers.” [link]

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Behind the Veil: The Religious Connotations and the Mystery

DAWN.COM
By Salwat Ali

"Obscure" in Sillouettes exhibition at the Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore

PAKISTAN---Veil and veiling have been a part of both Western and Eastern visual cultures for millennia. In Western art the veil is associated with exotic notions of the East and is viewed increasingly as a symbol of cultural oppression. When it comes to the East, this veil and veiling has a far wider context. Other than its religious connotations, the veil has a traditional history, is considered a symbol of respect and modesty as well as as mystery, and in current art practice its usage is loaded with socio-political implications. In the recent exhibition of paintings, ‘Sillouettes’ by Sadaf Naeem at Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore, it is the finely meshed lace veil that invites speculation. [link]

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Billionaire Collector Gives Boston Museum a Solid Base in Judaica

THE BOSTON GLOBE
By Geoff Edgers

A Hanukkah lamp from the Schusterman collection.

MASSACHUSETTS---The billionaire collector from Oklahoma was in Boston two years ago when a friend invited her to visit the newly built Art of the Americas wing at the Museum of Fine Arts. Lynn Schusterman was impressed. But the Jewish philanthropist noticed an enormous hole in the MFA’s collection. The largest museum in Boston owned barely any relics of Jewish life and customs. Judaica is an increasingly popular field that features objects used for religious occasions. Thanks to Schusterman, that has changed. This week the MFA will announce that Schusterman has given the museum 119 objects, an important infusion into a collection that, until now, numbered just 12 works. [link]

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Art for the Soul: Alter Rebbe by Chaim Leib Zernitsky

CHABAD.ORG

"Portrait of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi"

CANADA---Chaim Leib (Leon) Zernitsky has created fine art and illustrations for international magazines, book publishers and major corporations for over 25 years. He has published over 30 books for children and young adults and won numerous awards. Chaim Leib feels that creating Jewish art is an important part of being a Jewish artist, and his paintings can be found in private collections worldwide. "Portrait of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi" (above), the first Chabad Rebbe, who was released from prison and able to continue spreading Chassidism on this day, the 19th of Kislev. [link]

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Chazen Museum's Mithila Painting Shows How Adaptable a Traditional Hindu Art Form Can Be

THE DAILY PAGE
By Jennifer Smith

The focus is on line, color and filling the entire picture space. Credit:Chazen Museum of Art

WISCONSIN---It's been a strong year of exhibitions for the UW's Chazen Museum of Art, and there is a little time left to catch one of its most intriguing and unexpected offerings. "Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form" (through Dec. 1) features a style of painting that's unfamiliar to many. But even if it's new to you, you'll quickly be drawn in by intricate, stylized works with themes ranging from Hindu deities to contemporary social and political issues. [link]

Chazen Museum of Art: "Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form" (Ends Dec. 1); 750 University Ave; Madison, WI; 608-263-2246; chazen.wisc.edu

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Graduates of Islamic University in Pakistan Show Wealth of Talent

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Photo courtesy of Express Tribune

PAKISTAN---An exhibition of miniature paintings from the thesis of nine recent Fine Arts graduates of the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) is on at gallery6. The show is an attempt to encourage budding artists, who have a wealth of talent but scant opportunities for promotion. Titled ‘Thesis in Miniature,’ the exhibition will be inaugurated by a US-based consultant on Islamic Art, Asad Reza. The participating artists are Ayesha Bilal, Maramla Umair, Rida-e-Fatima, Rubab Zahra, Saima Farooq, Sidra Ashraf, Sofia Younas, Sumaiya Noor and Zahra Bangash. [link]

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Mark Burnett, Roma Downey Take 'The Bible' Music on the Road

BREIBART TV
By Chris Talbott

TENNESSEE---Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's "The Bible" franchise continues to grow in unexpected ways. Up next? A 16-city music tour featuring some of today's most popular Christian acts. The tour begins next March following the nationwide theatrical release of "The Bible" companion film "Son of God," and will feature music inspired by and visual components from the movie and miniseries. "I think that music just has such a wonderful ability to connect and open your heart and the images from our film certainly are going to touch your heart," Downey said. "So I think it's just going to be a really beautiful, heartfelt experience all around for people to attend." Attend they will, if previous reaction to "The Bible" continues to hold true. [link]

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RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

Holydays remind us why we follow our choosen spiritual paths, and deaths are often associated with those holydays. The anniversaries of the deaths of John F. Kennedy, a modern humanist; Aldous Huxley, an Eastern pantheist; and C.S. Lewis, a Christian apologist have all been in the news this week. However today, 23 million Sikh's worldwide commemorate a holyday, and that's why "Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day" (above) is my NEWS OF WEEK. In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadar, the ninth Sikh Guru died in defense of the religious freedom of Hindus against Islamic conversion. In this week's artwork, the artist places the Guru between three groupings: other religious martyrs; powerful persecutors; and the cowering bystanders. The painting, like the holyday, is an invitation. Which path would you choose?

In other religious art news from across the USA, and around the world:

• Buddhist Art of Week: ‘Korea’s Golden Kingdom,’ at Metropolitan Museum. [More News]
• Christian Art of Week: Niccolo Cosme's exhibition in NYC through January. [More News]
• Hindu Art of Week: Suniyata Khanna’s surrealist and spiritual works on display. [More News]
• Islamic Art of Week: Gay Muslim movie 'Naz + Maalik' explodes stereotypes. [More News]
• Judaic Art of Week: Jewish Museum offers free smartphone app for Hanukkah. [More News]

We are all believers (and some skeptics too), united in the search for human meaning through art from the religious imagination. For us, it's more than Art. It's Religion. We follow artists who dare to explore religious ideas with their creative vision. When you are a believer, you join other believers. Some of us join as one of the "Judges" of the A&O Project who make the final decisions; others as "Collectors" when they donate to the A&O Prize Artist Fund; and most of us join as "Subscribers" to this "free" weekly newsletter; (or follow on: Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, or Soundcloud). All are welcome.

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Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche on Display for Holiday Season at Metropolitan Museum

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

NEW YORK---The Christmas tree and Neapolitan Baroque crèche at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a long-standing yuletide tradition in New York, will be on view for the holiday season, from November 26, 2013, through January 6, 2014. The brightly lit, 20-foot blue spruce—with a collection of 18th-century Neapolitan angels and cherubs hovering among its boughs and groups of realistic crèche figures flanking the Nativity scene at its base—will once again delight holiday visitors in the Museum’s Medieval Sculpture Hall. This exhibit of the crèche is made possible by gifts to The Christmas Tree Fund and the Loretta Hines Howard Fund. [2012 Highlights]

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Movie Review: "Philomena," Starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Stephen Holden

HOLLYWOOD---In “Philomena,” Judi Dench’s portrayal of a stubborn, kindhearted Irish Catholic trying to discover what became of the toddler she was forced to give up as a teenager is so quietly moving that it feels lit from within. A major theme of this film from Stephen Frears is forgiveness. Ms. Dench’s Philomena Lee glows with the radiance of someone serene in her faith despite inhumane treatment by the church. That she makes you believe her character has the capacity to forgive provides the movie with a solid moral center. “Philomena” has many facets. It is a comedic road movie, a detective story, an infuriated anticlerical screed, and an inquiry into faith and the limitations of reason, all rolled together. Fairly sophisticated about spiritual matters, it takes pains to distinguish faith from institutionalized piety. [link]

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Artistically Speaking: Works That Stand Out With Spiritual Feeling

THE HINDU
By Ranjani Rajendra

Painting by Suniyata Khanna

INDIA--- The themes each of the artists has dealt with are markedly different. If Sujit Kumar Ghosh has dwelt upon the urban landscape full of chaos, Bhawana Choudhary’s works are full of fantasy, while Archana Sonti depicts herself as a stick figure interacting with various elements of nature in her quest to find God. Suniyata Khanna’s works on the other hand are more spiritual and have a sense of surrealism. Suniyata’s works however, are what stand out the most with a more spiritual feel to the paintings that have various segments. The paintings are on view till November 30 at Alankritha Art Gallery. [link]

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12 Muslim Artists Take Center Stage in Oklahoma City

ILLUME

OKLAHOMA---Muslim artists from Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman, Oklahoma, will be holding a one-night event showcasing their works. This third annual "Art in the Heartland" exhibition at Will Rogers Theater Wednesday night. Twelve artists, most of them women, and most of them in their early twenties, will display artist endeavors covering a wide range of the arts: painting, sketching, fashion photography, poetry and Arabic calligraphy, which has long been a traditional form of Islamic art. The list of the 12 artists and their bios are available here. [link]

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Arts Education May Soon Play a Prominent Role in Federal Preschool Programs

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

Legislation has been introduced into the U.S. Congress to provide State Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) opportunities for low income 4 year olds and additional early care programs for children age 3 and younger. "While the introduction of this bill in the House and Senate is the first step in the legislative process, it signifies important momentum for a key education priority of the President’s agenda," according to Janet Brown, CEO of Grantmakers in the Arts. The bill was introduced on Wednesday, November 13, and is sponsored by U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and U.S. Representatives George Miller (D-CA) and Richard Hanna (R-NY).

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$1.47 Million Grant Launched New Jewish Arts Program at George Washington University

THE JEWISH DAILY FORWARD
By Renee Ghert-Zand

WASHINGTON, DC---Hot on the heels of a new graduate program in Jewish Cultural Arts, George Washington University has announced an additional new MA program in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts. Whereas the first program focuses more on arts administration and museum management, the second is meant to train educators for professional roles in today’s broad and varied Jewish cultural landscape. The program in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts, the first of its kind in the U.S., is set to begin this coming summer thanks to a $1.47 million grant from the Jim Joseph Foundation. [link]

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Jesus is Coming and He is Pissed in Exclusive “PRINCE OF PIECES” Art

FANGORIA
By Michael Gingold

PUBLISHING---“For two thousand years you’ve been eating his flesh and drinking his blood…now it’s His turn!” So goes the tagline for PRINCE OF PIECES, a graphic novel targeting an early-2014 release date. Read on for exclusive art samples and comments from its creator. Creator Sam Miserendino tells us that the comic “is a satirical horror story about the return of Jesus Christ. In PRINCE OF PIECES, the Son of God is mad as hell, and he disposes of sinners great and small with Biblical panache. Those He encounters suffer gruesome fates: Some are afflicted with leprosy and stigmata, while others are turned into pillars of salt. Since it would make the perfect basket stuffer, we want to make sure PRINCE OF PIECES is available in plenty of time for Easter.”[link]

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All About the Benjamin's When Supporting Art

CREATEQUITY

Consider arts crowdfunding thoroughly kickstarted. Crowdfunding raised more than half a billion dollars for the performing and recording arts last year, almost 20% of the total money raised for all purposes through crowdfunding platforms, according to industry research. Lucy Bernholz is interested in investigating the small but increasing role U.S. foundations seem to be playing in driving this trend. Risë Wilson, the new Director of Philanthropy at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, makes the case – and offers a model – for arts grants as risk capital in an interview about the Foundation’s SEED grant program. [link]

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Vatican Unveils Frescoes In Catacombs of Priscilla With Images Some Say Show Early Women Priests

THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Nicole Winfield

A fresco adorns the Catacombs of Priscilla, a labyrinthine cemetery complex that stretches for kilometers underground, in Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013.

VATICAN CITY---The Vatican on Tuesday unveiled newly restored frescoes in the Catacombs of Priscilla, known for housing the earliest known image of the Madonna with Child — and frescoes said by some to show women priests in the early Christian church. More controversially, the catacomb tour features two scenes said by proponents of the women's ordination movement to show women priests: One in the ochre-hued Greek Chapel features a group of women celebrating a banquet, said to be the banquet of the Eucharist. The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, which includes women who have been excommunicated by the Vatican for participating in purported ordination ceremonies, holds the images up as evidence that there were women priests in the early Christian church — and that therefore there should be women priests today. [link]

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Learning from President Lincoln to Build a Team of Rivals: Art + Religion

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By Ernest Disney-Britton

"Birth of Jesus" (2010) by Tom Torluemke

On Monday, I gave a tour to the Regional Board of Directors of the Disciples of Christ of the A&OPrize exhibition, "Religious Risks" at Indiana Interchurch Center. The experience reminded me of the book "Team of Rivals", where Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote about Abraham Lincoln's brilliant ability to bring together rivals as part of his administration. Isn't the conflict between the worlds of art and faith simply a rivalry between two great powers of influence?

In the newest issue of SEEN, Taylor Worley wrote: "Is moving beyond this conflict even possible? Can the rivalry be resolved?" Many artists, and clergy, make the argument that the rivalry is good. "Our job as artists is not to seek the easy way but to challenge society and open up some wounds, so that they can be cleaned rather than allow them to fester," said American Theatre director Peter Sellars. If this rivalry is a good thing, and that was the consensus amongst the Disciples on Monday, what should we be doing about it? I suggest we keep pushing engagement, and rejecting avoidance. We need to be more like Lincoln and bring the rivals together. It will benefit us all.

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A Spiritual Journey on Broadway About Living Life in Full Bloom

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK---Spend an evening with 5-time Tony® winner Susan Stroman, Tony nominees Kate Baldwin and Bobby Steggert, book writer John August, Tony nominee Andrew Lippa and Academy Award®-winning producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen at the 92nd Street Y this Sunday, November 24 at 7:30 p.m. You'll be treated to an intimate performance by the cast and hear fascinating stories from the team in a conversation moderated by Tony winner Debra Monk. [Play]

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Religion And Science Mix In New Southwest School Of Art Exhibit

TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO
By Jack Morgan

TEXAS---Artist Chris Sauter wants you to question the notions of religion and science, and how they interact -- or don't interact. "If you’re a religious person you can’t really believe in science and if you’re a scientific person you can’t really believe in religion," he said. "I think that’s a fallacy." So Sauter creates art to get you to think about how they have a certain overlap. Soon, he will have four themed exhibitions in four separate locations. "The Southwest School exhibition is the first," he said. "It opens on November 21." [link]

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