Posts in Arts & Culture
American Indian Artist Oscar Howe Wrestled With Art, Faith, Modernism And Native Identity

A special retrospective “Dakota Modern” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York City explores the significant of Dakota artist Oscar Howe in American art and religion.

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Faith-Based Fashion Entrepreneurs Aim To Transform The Way We Purchase Online

With the advent of small-batch clothing lines launched easily and cheaply through websites and social media feeds rather than brick-and-mortar retail stores, many fashion entrepreneurs like Floryn C. Ajuzie are creating new clothing brands, products and strategies driven by their personal faith and beliefs. Their success raises questions about branding strategy as well as ethics of retail.

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A Visit To The Latter-day Saints ‘Wizard of Oz’ Temple in Washington, DC

(ANALYSIS) One of the most sacred places in the Latter-day Saints temple in Washington is the Celestial Room on the sixth floor, where people come, sit quietly and pray. The Mormon leaders say this is a place to “feel close to and commune with God.” There are no ceremonies in this space.

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Getty Museum's Christian Manuscripts Exhibit Sees Antisemitism Where There Is None

(REVIEW) Images from 31 unique ancient objects, including Christian manuscripts in Latin, the Getty’s treasured Rothschild Pentateuch in Hebrew and two printed Hebrew books — from between 1040 to 1592 — are on display until May 29 at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. But the Getty’s text descriptions seem intended to push a misinterpretation of the Christian images as works of antisemitism and misogyny, based on little or no evidence.

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Will More Americans Turn Agnostic On The Gospel Of Disney?

(OPINION) Will more Americans — from the right and the left — untangle their bizarre fantasy with a misappropriating, rather cowardly, cult-like entertainment industrial complex? Has Disney going woke finally caused Americans to wake up from their slumber like Rip van Winkle? Mickey Mouse can’t have his cake and eat it too anymore.

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Emotions, Mandalas And Buddhism: A Reflection On The Rubin's Interactive Exhibit

(REVIEW) Museum goers are challenged to “transform” their emotions at the Rubin Museum of Art’s latest exhibit, “Mandala Lab.” It aims for those who complete the interactions to leave with a greater awareness of their emotions and a new understanding of how Buddhism and its art, used as sacred tools, can improve one’s everyday life.

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Q&A With Anne Snyder: How The Pandemic And Christian Humanism Inspired ‘Breaking Ground’

In 2020, Anne Snyder launched a publishing project to explore a redemptive vision forward through the public health, racial and economic crises at hand. The online commons that resulted — Breaking Ground — became a one-of-a-kind space to probe society’s assumptions, interrogate our own hearts and imagine what a better future might require.

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The Spiritual Richness Found In Andrea Büttner’s 'Grids, Vases and Plant Beds'

(REVIEW) Entering the main gallery is a religious experience of sorts — the sequences of tableaux that punctuate all four sides of the space serve as stations for reflection. Büttner leaves us with a restorative vision of the future, encouraging us to earnestly consider the meaning of faith, hope and love.

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How Christianity Fueled Manny Pacquiao's Rise From Poverty To Presidential Candidate

Pacquiao, 42, announced his retirement from boxing on Sept. 28, weeks after announcing he will run for president in the Philippines election scheduled for May 2022. He has often spoken of his born-again evangelical faith in a country that’s nearly 90% Catholic.

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A Photo Exhibit By New York Catholics Honors Heroes Of The COVID-19 Pandemic

(ANALYSIS) The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture’s new series called “Portraits of Grace: Honoring Heroes of the COVID-19 Pandemic” offers a space for New Yorkers and Christians to reflect on the pandemic with an eye toward the hopeful.

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This Humble Amish Novelist Has Quietly Sold More Than 350,000 Books And Just Dropped Another Title

Linda Byler, 63, is an Old Order Amish wordsmith who began writing out of financial desperation. With 39 published novels, she has captivated Amish and non-Amish audiences (called English)—readers from around the nation who sometimes drop by her farm just to meet the writer who captures the simple life of the Amish sect, more than 300,000 strong in the United States alone.

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Churches in Canada Confront Their Past After The Remains of 215 Children Found

After the remains of 215 indigenous children were found in Canada, churches are working to confront their past and serve their communities.

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New Director Emma Seligman Plays With Modern Judaism in ‘Shiva Baby’

(REVIEW) Emma Seligman’s “Shiva Baby,” adapted into a feature film from her senior thesis created in 2017 at NYU, immediately takes hold of your nerves and wrings them, preparing you for the comedy nightmare that will be Danielle’s (Rachel Sennott’s) full day spent at a shiva — a post-burial gathering after a Jewish funeral.

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Sotheby’s to auction Sassoon dynasty’s Jewish artifacts from India, Iran and more

A collection by the Sassoon family, called the Rothschilds of the East, is going on the auction block at Sotheby’s on Dec. 17. The Sassoon family left Ottoman-controlled Baghdad and built their wealth trading opium and textiles from Bombay, Rangoon, Hong Kong, Singapore and London.

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Joy & Color: Revisit Works of Henri Matisse in New York’s MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art was one of the first New York museums to reopen to in-person visitors on Aug. 27. The work of Catholic and Fauve artist Henri Matisse offers a look into his joyful spirituality.

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‘The Ascension’ Transcends Politics And Grief To Worship

(REVIEW) Indie musician Sufjan Stevens released his newest album, “The Ascension,” on Sept. 25. He uses synth pop and tragic lyrics to express a sense of hopelessness with American society and politics. As he addresses God, however, his raw honesty creates an atmosphere of worship.

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Inside The $100 Million Russian Church Meant To Honor Putin, Stalin And War

(REVIEW) The church was planned to open May 9 on the 75th anniversary of Russia’s “Victory Day” celebrating the Nazi surrender and end of WWII but postponed during the coronavirus pandemic. The church’s architecture resembles military missiles, iron steps are forged from melted German weapons, and figures like Stalin, responsible for murders of thousands of faithful and clergy, were originally planned to feature inside the sanctuary alongside saints.

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Why Mister Rogers Is Worth Watching During Coronavirus Quarantines

(OPINION) As our lives are forced to slow down and spend more time with our children working from home and conducting school online this spring, it’s an opportunity to embrace our own children, strengthen our own families and deepen our faith. And perhaps Fred Rogers is a perfect guide in that process for adults and children.

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