Christmas Crèches  by Adele Kenny During the early Middle Ages, Nativity images were made by Byzantine artists. Concurrently, the Nativity became a subject for homilies that included extensive singing and involved recitations. It was not until St. Francis made his living Nativity in Greccio 16 years later that crèches became popular objects of religious faith. >> Read the full article...		12/1/2004
		Moroccan Jewish Art & Culture  by N.R. Reitano Traveling through 11th century Morocco an Arab geographer, al-Bakri, recorded a proverb of the Maghreb people: “Fez is a town without people.” This disquieting expression imagines the overshadowing of Muslims by a growing Jewish population, one whose commercial success and ties to distant parts of the world might threaten the economic interests as well as the cultural and religious integrity of their Muslim neighbors. >> Read the full article...		8/1/2004
		American Samplers  by Adele Kenny During Colonial times the art of needlework flourished in America, and the American sampler, taking its form from English styles, became not only a reference for embroidery stitch styles, but also a record of early American life. Making samplers had become a popular activity of English women by the mid-1500s. >> Read the full article...		1/1/2004