A&O Meetup: Transforming Methodist Church into Landmark Offices in Indianapolis

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

INDIANA - After a $10 million rehabilitation, a 1922 Indianapolis United Methodist Church will become home to the state's preservation group. The building, vacant since 2008 but considered a gem because of its Romanesque Revival-style has been using a grant of $150,000 to stabilizd the building's foundation. The church building will be renamed, "Indiana Landmarks Center."

...the building will feature the 500-seat Cook Grand Theater in the former sanctuary, with a domed ceiling and stained glass windows; Cook Hall, a historic wood-paneled hall with a stage and balcony-level breakout rooms; and office space. Indiana Landmarks plans to move its state headquarters to the new location from 340 W. Michigan St. after it has raised the funds to renovate the office wing, built in 1922 and attached to the church.

To read the entire story, see: [link]

PROJECT FACTS:
Total Cost: $10 million
Donors: $7 million by William and Gayle Cook, Bloomington
Church Name: Central Avenue United Methodist Church
Location: 12th Street and Central Avenue, Indianapolis

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A&O Meetup: Old St. Mary's | Cincinnati, OH

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

OHIO---Cincinnati, Ohio may not have another church as architecturally stylistic and eclectic as St. Mary's Church (know known as Old St. Mary's Church) in Over the Rhine. The exterior shows signs of the 19th century's growing interest in Romanesque and Gothic but it is the stunningly beautiful sanctuary that attracts visitor's mixing Greek Revival with Baroque styles. The interior is richly embellished both with works of art and objects of devotion. Especially noteworthy are three oil paintings of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the main altar. Fifteen feet high, the paintings are changed at appropriate seasons of the year, being hoisted into place by a system of pulleys. Visible under the high altar are the bones of a woman martyr discovered in 1844 in the Roman catacombs. On July the 3rd, 1842, the church was dedicated and at the time it was the largest church thus far erected in the Mississippi Valley, being 142 feet long, 66 feet wide, the tower reaching the height of 170 feet.

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RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

GOD'S ART MUSEUMS
By TAHLIB

"Feet First" (1990) by Martin Kippenberger at MoMA

"Robo-priest" delivered the Easter homily in French today at Saint Vincent de Paul Church. I nicknamed him that because of his robot-like efficiency during weekday noon masses, but today he was different. Backed by an all Haitian choir, he was on fire before the packed congregation of pasty Parisian-born New Yorkers dressed in white. It was a beautful yet broken experience for me. Monday - Friday, this is my home church but on this Easter Sunday, I was an alien. Yesterday, at MOMA I saw Martin Kippenberger's retrospective, and his crucified frog is my image for Easter 2009. Everyday in NYC, wonder surrounds me but I remain an alien.

As a Christian, this holyweek is the most special week of my year:

• Good Friday: "Crucified Frog" by Martin Kippenberg [link]
• Easter 2009: St. Vincent de Paul, Chelsea, NYC [link]

To follow my holyweek journey, I'll be updating future Easter posts with links in the years ahead. Whether Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jew or non-denominational, we are all members of a giant spiritual family, united in the search for human meaning through art from the religious imagination. For us, it's more than Art. It's also Religion.

Facade of Church

While the facade is elegantly preserved, it is the opulent interior of the 1869 structure, as refined in 1939 by architect Anthony H. Depace that most takes your breath away. There are grandiose marble columns, intricate mosaics, murals and colorful stained glass which effectively combine to produce a kind of super spiritual atmosphere found in the greatest of Christian churches. St. Vincent de Paul is a masterpiece but one that is in a state of decay, and needs a resurrection for the modern day.

Interior of the church

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"Christ" by Adi Nes at the The Armory | NYC

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK - Adi Nes is an Israeli gay artist whose works, like this one entitled, "Christ" go for $40K+ at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York City.

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Crucified Frog by Martin Kippenberg at MoMA for Good Friday

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

By TAHLIB

"Feet First" (1990) by Martin Kippenberger at MoMA

"Feet First" (1990) by Martin Kippenberger is a four foot high wooden sculpture of a crucified frog in loincloth, brandishing a mug of beer and an egg. The Pope called it "blasphemous." The exhibition, "Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective" at the Museum of Modern Art embraces the full range of his output and while the curators don't make the claim that it is comprehensive, this exhibition introduced me to one of the most inventive and influential bodies of artwork of the late twentieth century. It begins however with this message: "Everything in moderation," counseled Aristotle. Martin Kippenberger never got this message, as a good friend pointed out after the artist's death at age forty-four in 1997. The exhibit ends on May 11, 2009.

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All Souls Unitarian | NYC

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB


NEW YORK---Built in 1932, All Souls - a Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Manhattan has "zero" religious imagery in this elegant space in pastel colors with six large chandeliers and five magnificent clear glass windows. It is located at 1157 Lexington Ave on the Upper East side.

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There's "Reel Religion" in NYC at the Museum of Biblical Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK---Last night, I attended a preview opening of "Reel Religion" (2009) a retrospective exhibition on films inspired by the bible (1898-2006) at the Museum of Biblical Art. AKA MoBIA, the contemporary museum is located on the Upper West Side and is unlike any other that I've ever imagined. It is the ultimate museum exploring the intersections of religious art with religious life. While I am still thrilled to have choosen living on the Upper East Side with its proximity of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoBIA could make me rethink that choice in the future. The exhibition originated at the Saint Louis Museum of Contemporary Religious Art in 2007, another of God's Art Museums that I never heard about but hope to visit one day soon.

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"Reel Religion" at Museum of Biblical Art in Manhattan (Video)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB


 

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A&O Meetup: Metropolitan Community Church of NYC

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK - Founded by Rev. Troy Perry in 1968, the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) is an international Protestant Christian denomination. There are 250 member congregations in 23 countries with a specific outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families and communities. The movement has Official Observer status with the World Council of Churches but has been denied membership in the US National Council of Churches. The church borrows from many Christian traditions, and therefore has a very eclectic approach to the religious arts. I've visited several of the denomination's churches but am most intrigued, and impressed by the murals and rich artistry of this small multi-storied Manhattan church.

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At Home in One of God's Art Museums

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK CITY---Church of St. Vincent de Paul on 23rd Street in Chelsea is across the street from our office, and I don't think that's a coincidence. They have daily noon mass, and while I've never done that before, I think I might give it a try. What's most surprising though is the church buildings major state of deterioration. While it's clean, it's also clearly crumbling away and how is that possible with the riches available in NYC? The ten Romanesque-style stained-glass windows are credited as made by Tiffanys. I can't wait to show them off to my visitors from back home! There is a small chapel to the left of the entrance devoted to St. Thérèse which honors French soldiers who died in foreign wars past. I don't know why it honors French soldiers but I assume that French-Americans started this church. I Googled, and discovered there are over 6,000 houses  of worship here in NYC, nearly one on every corner so I'm glad to have already discovered one that I like.

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