Art Institute of Chicago Hosts 200-Piece Italian Nativity Scene From 1700s

ABC7 CHICAGO
By Frank Mathie

ILLINOIS--When we think of Nativity scenes or mangers, we usually think of small religious settings under the Christmas tree. But ABC7 Eyewitness Reporter Frank Mathie says the Art Institute of Chicago has gone big time with this ancient sacred story. "It's a crèche. A Neapolitan crèche. The Italians call it a precepio and it comes from the 18th century for the celebration of Christmas," said Sylvain Bellenger, curator, medieval European sculpture. Bellenger is responsible for acquiring the crèche from a collector in Naples, Italy. The familiar cast of Christmas Eve characters is all here but they are here in abundance, and they're dressed in the finest of Italian silks made by the finest designers almost 300 years ago. [Link]

 

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Peyton Wright Gallery in Santa Fe Opens 21st Annual Art of Devotion Exhibition

ARTDAILY

Ave Maria Gratia, oil on canvas, 14.75” x 12”. Peru, ca. 1775

NEW MEXICO---Peyton Wright Gallery announces the 21st Annual Art of Devotion exhibition of historic art of the Americas. Consisting of ecclesiastical, secular, and decorative art and objects from Europe and the Americas, the exhibition continues through March 9, 2014. This exhibition showcases one of the largest and most significant collections of 17th to 19th century devotional artwork in the country, featuring Spanish Colonial Viceregal paintings, sculpture, furniture, silverwork, and objects from the former Spanish and Portuguese colonies – present-day Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Guatemala and the Philippines. [link]

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Jesus the Homeless' Sculpture May Find Home in Rome

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
By Caroline Hroncich

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A year ago, Timothy Schmalz's bronze sculpture "Jesus the Homeless" had been rejected by St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto. But in late November, Pope Francis blessed the sculpture at one of his weekly general audiences in front of thousands of eager pilgrims. The pontiff touched the knee of the sculpture and prayed for a few moments. Afterward, he told Schmalz he thought the sculpture was a "beautiful piece of art." [link]

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54 Days In The Eternal City: A Christian 'Pilgrimage' For Lent

NPR

Each year, millions of people from different faiths make religious journeys. They travel far, to Mecca, Jerusalem, the Ganges River or Lourdes, France, to walk the paths of prophets, saints and martyrs. “Pilgrimage is something built into the human condition,” says George Weigel, author of Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches. “There seems to be something hardwired into us, spiritually, that the idea of a journey from A to B becomes part of the rhythm of the spiritual life.” In Roman Pilgrimage, Weigel, with his photographer son Steven Weigel and art historian Elizabeth Lev, tells the story of a spiritual trek that takes place in the Eternal City each Lent and Easter.[link]

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Objects of beauty from ‘Mother Russia’ in North Carolina

THE HERALD SUN
By Blue Greenberg

The Durnovo Casket, silver gilt, enamel and sheets of lapis lazuli,
Firm of Ovchinnikov, Russia, 1889, now on view at the N.C. Museum of History.

NORTH CAROLINA---“Mother Russia” conjures up images of great writers; vast expanses of unbelievable cold; royal courts with tsars and tsarinas, the peasants or serfs, who were little more than slaves; the psychic Rasputin; the assassinations of the last tsar and his family; and the people’s devotion to the Eastern Orthodox Church. All this is part of the mystique surrounding this exhibition of more than 200 decorative and religious objects, which date from the first Romanov, Peter the Great (1672-1725), to Nicholas II (1868-1918), the last. [link]

North Carolina Museum of History: “The Tsar’s Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts under the Romanovs" and "Windows into Heaven: Russian Icons from the Lilly and Francis Robicsek Collection of Religious Art” (Ends March 5);  5 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, North Carolina; 919-807-7900; ncdcr.gov/ncmoh

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Utah Art Exhibit Stretches the Definition of ‘Spiritual’

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
By Peggy Fletcher Stack


UTAH---You would, of course, expect to see lots of angels at a spiritual art exhibit — as well as Jesus, Madonnas, biblical figures, crosses, steeples, Hindu gods and Islamic prayer rugs. But birds, beggars, books, flying maps and beams of light? "You can find the sacred in nature and ordinary objects," says Rita Wright, curator at Springville Museum of Art’s annual "Spiritual & Religious Art of Utah Exhibition," where these works are on display. "We stretch the definition of ‘spiritual’ to include many images that are not conventional iconography." The show celebrates the experimental nature of younger artists, she says, who are trying to express their intuitive spirituality. [link]

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Crib Guide: in Search of the First Christmas-Card Nativity

THE GUARDIAN
By Jonathon Jones

Geertgen's Nativity at Night. Photograph: The Art Archive

UNITED KINGDOM---Recently, I started wondering: when was the first Noel in art? Botticelli's Mystic Nativity, a popular choice for Christmas cards that hangs in London's National Gallery, was painted half a millennium ago. But what is the world's oldest nativity scene? Where can you find the grandfather of all Christmas cards? So it was in Byzantium that sensitive, warm, human images of the nativity first appeared. So the simplest answer to my question is disappointing: aspects of the nativity have been depicted ever since there were Christians. Like the Magi following that star, this beautiful artistic tradition came from the east and was gratefully received by Europeans who have loved these winter pictures ever since. What a gift. [link]

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Catholic Boy Blues...Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS 
By TAHLIB

INDIANA---A&O Prize honoree for Literary Arts, Norbert Krapf recently shared the cover of his upcoming book of poetry, "Catholic Boy Blues." In the image, there is beauty, but also a haunting quality. "It was taken by the priest who abused me!" he explained. "I found it and remembered it in 1997 after my mother died and I had to go through all her things. There are four poems in the book that reflect on the photo and his possible motivation(s) in giving that photo to my parents." Creating and sharing art is a struggle. Facing painful memories, just as Krapf has struggled is a Genesis opportunity for new birth. More details are available at www.krapfpoetry.com.

Prolog: Angel of Power and Protection
—Sculpture, Bridge to Vatican City, Rome—

What happens when the Angel
falls asleep after the mother
and father who held the baby
have to walk back into their lives

and the boy walks out into
the world and a servant
of God touches him wrong
when the parents aren’t looking?

By the time he is ready to
cross the bridge to Vatican City
his feet will not move forward
but turn in the opposite direction.

It is decades before he
can talk to the old God
by finding his own sacred places
and a new language for praying.

This poem, inspired by a Denis Kelly photograph,

opens Catholic Boy Blues: A Poet’s Journey of Healing,

forthcoming April 2014 from Greystone Publishing,

© 2011 Norbert Krapf

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013

Norbert & Katherine Krapf

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Three Gifts Wrapped in the True Meaning of Christmas

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

"The Adoration of the Three Kings" (1530) by Girolamo da Santacroce

Every Christmas, we've exchanged three gifts inspired by the example of the Three Kings (Wise Men). The “gold” gift, is the big item on the mind of the receiver; the second gift of “frankincense” is for spiritual growth, and is typically a work of religious art; and the third gift of “myrrh” is for the body. This year, I'm extending this framework to other family members, but rather than giving a sermonette each time, I will use colored wrapping paper. The "Mind" gift in gold paper; the "Soul" gift in "white" paper for holiness; and the "Body" gift in "red" for the blood Christ shed. Overly complicated? Maybe, but complex meanings are what helps make a Holyday.

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Op-Ed Column: Gay Catholics Still in Exile Under Pope Francis

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Frank Bruni

The Pope by Ben Wiseman for The New York Times

HONEYMOON isn’t a word usually associated with pontiffs, but Pope Francis is having an extraordinary one. Last week Time magazine named him its person of the year, saying that he had given fresh hope to many Catholics estranged by the church’s censorious ways. The magazine noted the absence of harsh condemnation in his mentions of divorced couples, of women seeking abortions and of gay people, including his statement that “if a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge.” From all of this, Time concluded that he had lifted the church “above the doctrinal police work so important to his recent predecessors.” Well, they didn’t get the memo in the suburbs of Philadelphia,...Little Rock,...[or] Atlanta. The church’s treatment of gays and lesbians is especially rife with mixed messages and hypocrisy. [link]

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Jamaica's National Gallery to Explore Religion and Spirituality

JAMAICA GLEANER

Osmond Watson's 1984 piece 'Jah Lives'

JAMAICA---The National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) will be presenting the Explorations II: Religion and Spirituality exhibition on Sunday, December 22. The exhibition is the second in the NGJ's new Explorations series, which was launched earlier this year with the Natural Histories exhibition. The series explores major themes in Jamaican art, and in the National Art Collection, and aims to allow visitors the opportunity to engage in new, more exploratory ways, the artistic and cultural history of Jamaica. [link]

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Jason Seiler, the Artist Who Painted TIME's Person of the Year 2013

TIME
By D.W. Pine and Skye Gurney

ILLINOIS---To capture the essence of Pope Francis, we turned to Chicago-based artist Jason Seiler, a classically trained oil painter who recently taught himself to paint digitally on a 21-inch LCD display. Seiler spent more than 70 hours creating the Person of the Year artwork, which continues the rich tradition of great portraiture on the cover of TIME. “A lot of times before I start a painting, I see it finished in my head,” he says. “With the Pope, I let it happen organically.” [link]

Photographs courtesy Jason Seiler, Ava Seiler, and Jacqueline Patrice

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Nebraska Museum Features Christmas Paintings by Artist Grant Reynard

THE GRAND ISLAND INDEPENDENT

The Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney is showcasing “Grant Reynard: Divine Images”

NEBRASKA---The Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney is showcasing “Grant Reynard: Divine Images,” through the holiday season. [Grant] Reynard’s religious-inspired Christmas themed artworks showcase Christian images of the holiday season. The artist’s almost Christmas card-style paintings evoke the true meaning of Christmas and the season. Reynard, a noted illustrator, was born in 1887 in Grand Island. Reynard died in Leonia, N.J., in 1968. The Museum of Nebraska Art holds more than 3,000 of Reynard’s works, along with archival material, the largest single collection of his work. [link]

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Opinion: Satanists Raising Hell to an Art Form in Oklahoma City

THE SEATTLE TIMES
By Lance Dickie

OKLAHOMA---If the Oklahoma Legislature can make room for a monument to the Ten Commandments outside the Statehouse in Oklahoma City, then the Satanic Temple of New York wants an artistic expression of its faith in the same place. The state’s lawmakers brought this on themselves with their pinched view of religious privilege. If Oklahoma chooses to make its Statehouse a prop for religious art, then every faith can claim space. That is how ACLU Oklahoma sees it, and I agree. [link]

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Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Bermuda Opens With New Paintings

BERNEWS

BERMUDA---On Friday night, Bermuda’s Ethiopian Orthodox Church opened their doors as locals were invited to learn about their traditions and view their intricately painted church icons created by an Ethiopian Monk Priest. The Debra Ganet Immanuel Cathedral in St George’s features an interior full of painted icons by Abba Gebre Hiwot Wolde Samuel, who was born in a small village in Ethiopia, and ordained as a Monk Priest when he was 18 years old. [link]

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Documentary “Detroit Art City” Highlights Financial Crisis at DIA

THE MORNING SUN

"Annunciatory Angel" (1450/1455) by Fra Angelico, a Dominican monk.

MICHIGAN---While the fate of the art collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts is threatened with sale in the city bankruptcy, a new documentary premiering Wednesday sheds light onto the history of one of the top comprehensive art museums on the country. The Detroit Public Television documentary “Detroit Art City,” premiering at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, on WTVS-Channel 56, will provide behind-the-scenes perspectives on the museum. The documentary also will stream live at www.dptv.org/dia. The 60-minute “Detroit Art City” takes viewers behind the scenes at the DIA to trace the museum’s triumphs and challenges through the years. [link]

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'The Vatican: All The Paintings' Book Opens Up Religious Art Of The Vatican Museum

THE HUFFINGTON POST

Raphael: Raphael Rooms, The School of Athens

VATICAN CITY---A new book by Anja Grebe celebrates the stunning art collection of the Vatican by featuring every Old Master painting on display. "The Vatican: All The Paintings" also includes images of sculptures, maps, and tapestries which span centuries of artistic genius. [link]

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The National Gallery of Art’s "Your Art App" Features Religious Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

"Daniel in the Lions' Den" (1614-1616) by Sir Peter Paul Ruebens

WASHINGTON, DC---The National Gallery of Art has launched the Your Art app for iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android smartphones. Your Art is a free interactive mobile application that features 18 works from the museum's "Biblical" art collection; as well as 14 works from "Myths & Legends" collection, out of 130 total highlights. It's a quick and simple download designed to enrich the experience of visitors on-site, and outreach off-site by bringing its masterpieces to art lovers around the world. Your Art is designed for use on iOS and Android devices.

iTunes App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-art/id600049768
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nga.yourart

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A Season Of Scrooges Nationwide (And One SQuja’ in Cincinnati)

THE NEW YORK TIMES

USA---Like peppermint lattes and mall Santas, the arrival of Ebenezer Scrooge is a sure sign that Christmas is around the corner. For many theaters, mounting a version of “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens’s Victorian morality tale, is more than just a holiday tradition. It can also be a box office gold mine that helps underwrite the rest of the season. Just how ubiquitous is “A Christmas Carol” and its variations? Here is a sampling of many — but by no means all — of this year’s Scrooges, from the comfortably traditional to the brazenly unorthodox. [link]

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Bandits & Saints of Brazil in Detroit Through January 5th

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

Candomble Ceremony by Didito of Maracujipe, Bahia. Courtesy of Convida.org.

MICHIGAN---Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History presents the exhibition "Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints" which tells the story of how African, European, and indigenous cultural traditions interacted in Brazil for 500 years. The exhibition includes nearly 200 works of art by more than 50 artists, but the most critical part of the exhibition is the "Expressions of Faith," segment. It explores the African-Brazilian religion of Candomblé which combines traditional African roots and Roman Catholicism, while also exploring the evangelical faith of the Northeast. In the exhibition, life-size mannequins of orixás (forged iron symbols of African deities) wearing colorful vestments of Candomblé can be viewed along with actual footage of the Candomblé ceremony in Bahia.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History: "Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints," (Ends January 5, 2014); 315 East Warren Avenue at Brush Street; Detroit, MI; (313) 494-5808; thewright.org

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