If you haven’t checked out the new design redux over at St. Austin Review, do so! It’s simple, creative and I think perfectly in tune with their goal and mission is–it’s not trying too hard to be what it’s not.

One feature of the new web site is the StAR blog, the Ink Desk, featuring snippets of the faith and culture conversation.

Read my first entry on Grassroots Films search for interns.

I received this via the SAF’s email newsletter:

Greetings!

The Foundation has reached a critical financial moment. We still need an additional $20,000 to cover operational costs through the balance of this year. Without it, the Foundation will be forced to cease activity and close its doors by mid-September. Yet, if each person on this mailing list offers a contribution of just $50, this financial need will be more than satisfied. The Foundation depends entirely on the generosity of its friends for the support of its programs. We urge you to consider helping us continue our vital mission to evangelize the world through art.

“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.” – Pope John Paul II

Contact Us!
1413 K Street NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
202-898-1288
info@thesacredarts.org

Happy Feast of St. Josemaria Escriva!

This painting is done by Sr. AnneMarie Heyne, who is currently a novice with the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Florence, Italy. If you would like to support her vocation and promote the sacred arts, consider purchasing her paintings. Contact me at ruahfellowship@gmail.com if you’re interested.

For more on St. Josemaria:

• Short biography, links and the collect for the day
• St. Josemaria’s works for free online

A man is looking at a painting in an art gallery, and is intrigued with one particular painting. It was a canvas covered with black paint, several large orange splotches, with thin, yellow lines criss-crossed. Tilting his head with furrowed brow, the man was approached by the artist.

“I don’t know if I understand this painting at all. What’s it about?” asked the gallery patron.

Nodding seriously, the artist declared, “Few people understand my work. It comes from inside of me.”

“Maybe you should take an Alka-seltzer,” suggested the man.

I laughed out loud. Yes. Maybe you should take an Alka-seltzer!

Read NY Times Op-Ed Columnist Ross Douthat here. He opens up the cancerous body of work and operates from head to toe, noting that Brown isn’t just your run of the mill anti-Catholic bigot, but an avant garde DIY hater of organized religion in general:

“Piggybacking on the fascination with lost gospels and alternative Christianities, he serves up a Jesus who’s a thoroughly modern sort of messiah — sexy, worldly, and Goddess-worshiping, with a wife and kids, a house in the Galilean suburbs, and no delusions about his own divinity.

But the success of this message — which also shows up in the work of Brown’s many thriller-writing imitators — can’t be separated from its dishonesty.”

That’s right folks. Douthat’s calling him a liar. In the NY Times. Sweet.

As a side note, I went to this Theology on Tap last week that, contrary to its description, was a thorough treatment of the book and movie, “Angels and Demons,” along with a fantastic overview of the Church’s teaching on art and film. Dr. Daniel VanSlyke, Associate Professor of Church History at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, was great, if not an eensy weensy bit long-winded. I’ll post the audio when I get it.

I can’t remember how I came across ArtsJournal, but I read it every so often and love it. It has a great variety of articles, ranging from news to opinion to news opinion. It nicely breaks up the articles by subject: issues, dance, ideas, media, music, people, publishing, theater, visual, etc. It even has a classifieds section where arts-related jobs and educational ops are posted.

As a little appetizer to your arts news consumption, they’ve also got a couple dozen bloggers rockin’ out commentary on, well, rock, among other things. One of my regular web stops is Madison’s own Artful Manager, a blog about the business of arts and culture, by the Director of our local Bolz Center for Arts Administration.

A new favorite, though, is Life’s a Pitch, which has more to offer than punny, pithy and witty titles. She’s got a little insight to arts marketing and promotion, is smart, and best of all, she’s a little critical and, well, bitchy, which isn’t all too different from Mrs. Ruah here. We’re tired of mediocre, folks! Don’t be shrinking flowers in the face of criticism! Face it, own it, and move on and up.

That’s all here for today. I hope you enjoy ArtsJournal and their blogs as much as I do. Perhaps we’ll start a little Sacred Arts Journal???

That’s right. St. Ambrose Academy is working on their Renaissance factor, and last month their wish list ended with “Artwork & Sculptures for the environment.” This is St. Ambrose Academy, which is becoming more well known. If you’re an artist with mad gifts, and are looking to practice philanthropy and get a little press, too, I’d recommending contacting St. Ambrose. You will not lose your reward.

THE FOUNDATION FOR SACRED ARTS presents

A New Way of Seeing: understanding Christian art April 25th, 2009 10:00am – 3:00 pm at Saint John Cantius Parish 825 North Carpenter Street, Chicago, Illinois 60642 ________________________________

“Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder?”

 by H. Reed Armstrong

Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00 pm

Catholic Information Center

 

Hamilton Reed Armstrongstudied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts with internationally recognized sculptors Carl Iluva, Walker Hancock, and Fredrick Shrady.  Mr. Armstrong is a professional sculptor who has done commissioned work in Spain, Italy, Germany, Africa, and the United States.  Much of his work was produced during an extended stay in Spain, where it was extolled by noted critics Raul Chavari and Cecilio Barbaran as a revitalization of the Spanish mystical tradition embodied in El Greco, among others.  Mr. Armstrong is presently the professor of Fine Arts at the International Catholic University, Notre Dame, Indiana; associate professor of Modern Languages at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia; and is the former director of the Magi Center for Sacred Art at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.  Recent commissions include the commemorative medal for the Victims of Communism Committee, Washington, D.C; a portrait bust of Pius X for the papal memorial chapel, Riese, Italy; and a portrait bust for John Paul II for The John Paul II Cultural Center, Washington, D.C.  He is presently working on a series of monumental sculptures for the Ave Maria School of Law, Ann Arbor, Michigan.  He has lectured on Cathoic art and symbolism worldwide and has contributed to such periodicals as Crisis Magazine, Latin Mass, Communio, and Culture Wars.  He has appeared on EWTN and has published numerous monographs on religion and art in both Spanish and English.  Mr. Armstrong lives with his wife, painter Roxalana Luczakowsky Armstrong, in Front Royal, Virginia, where he continues his professional work as a sculptor, lecturer, and writer.

  ~

The Beauty that Saves: Art in the Life of the Church is The Foundation for Sacred Arts’ bi-weekly spring lecture series in five parts. With enlightening talks given by prominent Catholic artists and art historians, this series will demonstrate the manner in which beautiful Christian art is indispensable for catechizing the faithful, facilitating prayer, and inspiring conversion.

 

Lecture schedule:

April 1:  Art and the Liturgy ~ Fr. Giles Dimock, OP

April 15:  Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder? ~ H. Reed Armstrong

April 29:  St. Paulin Art: The Beauty of Holiness ~ Dr. Jem Sullivan

May 13:  Transcendent Beauty: The Importance of Catholic Architecture ~ Arthur Lohsen

May 27:  Hope in Suffering: How Baroque Art Made God Present on Earth ~ David Clayton

 

All talks will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m at the Catholic Information Center, 1501 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005.

 

 A $10 donation is suggested.

 For more information, contact us at (202)898-1288 or rachelross@thesacredarts.org, or visit our website at www.thesacredarts.org/lecture.