A while back, Hubby and I were in New York. After a lovely lunch with PeaceBang and two other friends, we walked south from the Upper West Side past the headquarters of the glass-fronted American Bible Society building. Since he indulged me the last time we were in the city, I didn’t ask to stop that time, but did note that they were expanding their exhibit gallery into the new Museum of Biblical Art, “[representing] a new model in American museology, one that emphasizes the original functions and meanings of objects growing out of the Christian and Jewish traditions.”
Looking again online I see it opened three days ago.
It even comes with a hip-ish acronym (or is it an abbreviation?) MoBiA. (And is that mo’bee-uh, or mobee’uh?)
It looks interesting, provided it is free as the former gallery was. (Coming from Washington, I like my museums free of charge. Plus, they’re rated very low for their financial efficiency as a charity.) The web page is little more than a conduit for press releases — and reads like one — but if you find yourself near Columbus Circle this might be more interesting than the shopping options.
Mother of PeaceBang and PB saw a wondrous art show at the American Bible Society a couple of years ago. We went on a lark and were dumbfounded by the power of many of the pieces. The most amazing one was an absolutely ginormous, intricate mosaic depicting the Return of the Prodigal Son as a Texas barbecue. It was so beautifully done it looked like a painting, and it must have been seven or eight feet tall. I was so awe struck by it, it gave me the inspiration to do a performance of the parable in my church with all the characters as members of the Bush family.
You may be interested to know that there is a Bible Museum in Bethesda, MD. The Ratner Bible Museum is open on Sundays. I have taken several of our 4th grade religious education classes on field trips there. It has been there for several years and it is free. http://ratnermuseum.com/
Kurt