Alpha & Omega Prize Exhibition 2013, Explores "Religious Risks"

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

INDIANA---In addition, to a week of A&O Prize inductions and honors, the Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts is pleased to present "Religious Risks," opening November 1, as part of the 18th annual Spirit & Place Festival. The full program includes more than thirty artist works (believers and skeptics too), representing the imaginations of a wide range of Indiana artists. The exhibition portion includes thirty emerging artists, as well as professionals such as Anila Agha, Tom Torluemke, Nhat Tran, and Constance Scopelitis. In addition, there is one youth scholarship honoree; and three poet honorees, Norbert Krapf, Tasha Jones, and Bonnie Mauer, who will present and join a group dialogue entitled, "Artist+Faith+Risk" on Saturday afternoon, November 9.

Alpha Omega Prize: "Religious Risks" (Nov. 1-29), at Indiana Interchurch Center's IIC Gallery, 1100 W. 42nd Street, Ground Floor; Indianapolis, IN; 317-919-0570; alphaomegaarts.org

VISUAL ARTISTS Anila Quayyum Agha Doug Arnholter Daniel Axler Sandi Ballard *Bailee Brantley Dan Cooper John Crowe LaShawnda Crowe Storm D. Del Reverda-Jennings Brian Diehl John Essex II Jonathon Frey Glory-June Greiff Linda Witte Henke Jonathon Kane Denis Ryan Kelly, Jr. Elizabeth Kenney Deborah Kolp Brigid Manning-Hamilton Tony Melendez Quincy Owens Ryan Petrow Tim Ryan Gary Schmitt Constance Edwards Scopelitis Bonnie Stahlecker Susan Lynn Tennant Tom Torluemke Nhat Tran Julia Wickes Terry Wilson LITERARY ARTISTS Norbert Krapf Bonnie Maurer Tasha Jones

PRIZE SUPPORTERS Sarah Adams  Sandi Ballard Jennifer Barnes Virginia Bievenour  Verneida Britton Karen Chinetti Todd Cox  Dolly Craft Spencer Crew Susan Disney Gregory Disney-Britton Ernest Disney-Britton Garry Fredericksen Carol Givens Ted Givens Katie Graham Todd & Teresa Hedback Melvin Jolliff Leslie Kreines Pastor Jeff Miner Michele Moriarty Jason Pack Ryan Petrow Tahlib Deborah Thornburgh Anthony Team Realty, LLC Julie Reed Betsy Sato Larry Sears Krista Skidmore  Jean Slaughter David Squire James Strain    Cheryl Strain David Sweet Desmond Wade Vivian Wyatt (*Student Winner)

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You Are Invited: Religious Risks on Saturday, November 9th

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

On view: November 1-29, 2013
Artist dialogue & reception: Saturday, November 9, 2:00 p.m.

The board and members of Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts are pleased to invite all believers, and skeptics too, for its inaugural exhibition, "First & Last: Religious Risks." Thirty-works are being showcased, and seven prize categories are being announced as part of the 2013 Spirit & Place Festival. The festival is a 10-day collaboration of congregations, cultural institutions, universities and colleges, schools, civic groups, museums, designed to build community through dialogue and engagement. The Alpha Omega Prize is an annual recognition of art that influences community-building across the religious divide.

The Alpha Omega Arts exhibition will be held at the Indiana Interchurch Center's IIC Gallery. The exhibition features the works of: Anila Quayyum Agha, Doug Arnholter, Dan Cooper, John Crowe, LaShawnda Crowe Storm, D. Del Reverda-Jennings, Brian Diehl, Jonathon Frey, Glory-June Grieff, Linda Witte Henke, Jonathon Kane, Denis Ryan Kelly, Jr., Elizabeth Kenney, Deborah Kolp, Dan Axler, Brigid Manning-Hamilton, Tony Melendez, Quincy Owens, Ryan Petrow, Tim Ryan, Gary Schmitt, Constance Edwards Scopelitis, Bonnie Stahlecker, Susan Lynn Tennant, Tom Torluemke, Nhat Tran, Julia Wickes, and Terry Wilson.

The program and reception on Saturday, November 9 at 2 p.m. features three Hoosier literary giants: Norbert Krapf, Bonnie Maurer, and Tasha Jones, and all three are members of the exclusive club of Creative Renewal Arts Fellows funded by the Lilly Endowment. In addition to the exhibition, and readings by the three poets on religious risk, one student will be honored as the 3rd annual winner of the Alpha Omega Prize for Youth Art: a college scholarship for a high school senior.

The final features of the Alpha Omega Arts homecoming week are: First, nine days of prize announcements honoring the art, clergy, institutions which have most influenced the American dialogue about religion. This will be the 6th year for the prizes. Secondly, Alpha Omega Arts will hold a seven-day power2give campaign to raise support for honorariums for artists who dare to explore religious ideas at alphaomegprize.org.

For further information or press enquiries please contact Greg Disney-Britton in Indianapolis at Board(at)alphaomegaarts.org or 317-919-0570.

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A&O Prize Exhibition Artist Participants

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

INDIANA---Who are the midwest artists taking the risk to explore religious ideas today, and sparking conversations about faith as a result? The following is a listing of such artists (believers and skeptics too) participating in the 2013 Spirit & Place Festival this November. The exhibition and program is produced by Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts in partnership with the Center for Interfaith Cooperation and Indiana Interchurch Center.

Alpha Omega Prize: "Alpha & Omega: Religious Risks" (Nov. 1-29), at Indiana Interchurch Center's IIC Gallery, 1100 W. 42nd Street, Ground Floor; Indianapolis, IN; 317-919-0570; alphaomegaarts.org

VISUAL ARTISTS Anila Quayyum Agha Doug Arnholter Sandie Ballard Dan Cooper John Crowe LaShawnda Crowe D. Del Reverda-Jennings Brian Diehl Jonathon Frey Glory-June Grieff Linda Witte Henke Jimi Jones Jonathon Kane Denis Ryan Kelly, Jr. Elizabeth Kenney Deborah Kolp Brigid Manning-Hamilton Tony Melendez Quincy Owens Ryan Petrow Tom Phelps Tim Ryan Gary Schmitt Constance Edwards Scopelitis Bonnie Stahlecker Susan Lynn Tennant Tom Torluemke Nhat Tran Julia Wickes

LITERARY ARTISTS Norbert Krapf Bonnie Maurer Tasha Jones

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ArtPrize 2013: Why I Voted for 1,427 Amazing Works of Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Greg Disney-Britton

"Tall Budda" is at a courtyard of amazing outdoor works, and I voted for him.

Okay, I admit to being skeptical about enjoying 3-days at an artfair in the town of Grand Rapids, MI, but I loved this! I voted for 1,427 works of the art (real number later); and I wanted more time to see and vote for more! The Editorial Board for Grand Rapid's Press wrote: "As the voting for this year’s ArtPrize Top 10 heats up, it’s a good time to remember the biggest winner of this unique competition" is the Grand Rapid's community, but I disagree. The biggest winner was me.

Artist painting scene of The Last Supper
at entrance to Gerald Ford Museum (I voted for him)

There are over 1,500 pieces of artwork entered into the Artprize competition, but what makes this so much fun is my ability to vote, it's free but you have to go to Grand Rapids to register (smart!). I feel like I am in the driver seat for awarding over $560,000 in cash prizes, including $200,000 for first prize.

I found this sleeping giant fishing by the river (I voted for him).

There is no jury to say this artist-is-in, and this artist-is-out. Everyone is in, and the venues are everywhere. I voted for artwork in a gay bar, a Baptist church, a shoe store, an ice cream shop, a hospital, and the list goes on and on.

I was scared "not" to vote for her, and she was at a church.

Many of the pieces are large scale but many are also small scale, and the venues are negotiated between the artist and the venue host. For example, Kilwins Ice Cream picks their favorite artists and so does the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Everyone has an equal chance at display and at winning the grand prize of $200,000.

Ernest made me pose, but I voted for him.

I made Ernest pose, and I voted for him.

The interactive experience of this artfair is thrilling. It's like American Idol where there is really nothing to sell or buy, but there are lots of commercials. Traditionally, when I think artfair, I think of a booth with pressure to buy something from the poor artist hawking his ware, but this is not about commerce, it's about democracy and philanthropy engaged as one.

It's a pencil drawing, and at the end people will erase it.  I voted for it.

The art is everywhere you look (169 venues), and everytime you think you've seen it all....We'll you've not even come close. I mean, we stayed at the Holiday Inn and there was art in the lobby and on the front lawn. How I possibily voted for 1,427 I am not sure but that's what I counted up, and I did vote for a lot. This is not an art lover event, this is a "fun" lovers event, and my vote cost me nothing but it helped the artist get one step closer to winning one of the ARTprizes ($5,000 to $200,000).

It's Beeswax, and I voted for it.

I'll have to create a Pinterest and Tumblr account for all my pictures. It's insane the number of pictures I've taken. The ones listed here are just the ones where I'm included.

I love Milk Duds, and I voted for it. 

My favorite venues for artworks included the Calder Plaza where Quincy Owens had his piece "Confessions" which is across the street from the DeVoos Convention Center, which is filled to the maxiimum with artworks.

There were lots of serious themes here, and I voted for this one.

We were there for two nights, and three days (Arrived opening day on Sept. 18), so we could beat the crowds, and the hotel room-rate increases. Over 400,000 people are expected over the 19 days of the ARTprize festival.

Third floor of the contemporary art institute

Upon closer examination on 2nd floor

Yes, I voted for this one too.

There is no reason, that every artist I know shouldn't be part of ARTprize. It's a win for everyone. Congratulations to Grand Rapids, and thanks! I'm looking forward to finding out the winners, but also to returning next year for ARTprize2014. My real vote count? 122, but it seemed like 1,427.

More than 64 ways to vote here.

ArtPrize 2013 from ArtPrize on Vimeo.

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