Understanding World Religions through Art The Ackland Art Museum’s Five Faiths Project Understanding World Religions through Art

Five Faiths Project Overview Using original works of art from the Ackland’s collection, the Five Faiths Project explores the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism with local and national audiences.

Premise Five Faiths Project Original works of art are powerful tools for fostering conversation and learning about diverse faith traditions and cultural practices.

Five Faiths Project Goals Support the unique role of museums in advancing learning and discovery about diverse faith traditions using works of art and the resources of the university community Support public school teachers and administrators in providing students with appropriate information about five world faith traditions Support interfaith dialogue and understanding with educational resources, exhibitions and public programs reflecting scholarly and practitioner perspectives

Knowledge about religions is not only characteristic of an educated person, but is also absolutely necessary for understanding and living in a world of diversity. - National Council for the Social Studies The United States is the most religiously diverse nation in the world. - Diana Eck, The Pluralism Project

National Statistics Buddhism between 2.5 million - 4 million Christianity ca. 235 million Hinduism ca. 1.2 million Islam ca. 6 million Judaism ca. 6 million - Pluralism Project 2001, Statistics by Tradition

Implications for North Carolina The religious and cultural demographics of NC reflect national trends, for example: 34 Buddhist temples & centers in NC 4 Hindu temples in the Raleigh-Durham area local Churches respond to the needs of their changing congregations by providing church services in Spanish

Important Considerations Students from these five (and other) faiths make up the current population of children in the NC public school system and UNC-CH NC school teachers are required to instruct about Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic traditions, among others, as part of the curriculum for teaching about world cultures Teachers are actively seeking resources for teaching about these cultural traditions in a manner that respects diversity and promotes understanding about our pluralistic community

Components Five Faiths Project The Collection Educational Resources Visiting Artists Faith Communities Collaborative Exhibitions Ongoing Research and Scholarship

The Collection Five Faiths Project The Ackland’s multi-cultural collection includes ritual objects from the Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish and Christian traditions.

Five Faiths Project Educational Resources Works of art are the center of the object-based teaching and learning resources developed for use in classrooms.

Visiting Artists Five Faiths Project Wendy Ewald Visions of Faith Louise Omoto Kessel Voices of Faith 100 members of local faith communities have participated in sharing their voices and vision.

Faith Communities in NC Five Faiths Project Faith Communities in NC The Five Faiths Project engages NC communities in each of the five traditions. Conversations with local communities are essential to understanding continuities and change in faith traditions across time and place. Practitioners offer a contemporary context that enriches teaching and learning.

Five Faiths Project Collaborative Exhibitions Domesticating Virtue Islamic Art Reinstallation Creative collaborations with the university community encourage innovative use of the collection and enhance teaching and learning.

Ongoing Research and Scholarship Five Faiths Project Ongoing Research and Scholarship National and local faith leaders review all materials Nationally-recognized scholars participate in the intellectual content, contribute their research and ensure high-level discourse in all aspects of the Project Invited faith leaders, scholars and museum professionals convene for a series of colloquies funded by the Henry Luce Foundation All of these constituencies address the limits and potential of visual communication and verbal representation in object-based learning and museum exhibitions

Five Faiths Project Leadership and Partnership Carolyn H. Wood Amanda M. Hughes Project Director Assistant Project Director The Ackland Art Museum Shabbir Mansuri, Council on Islamic Education Charles Haynes, First Amendment Center Michael Gilligan, Henry Luce Foundation Anantand Rambachan, St. Olaf’s College Eugene Korn, Anti-Defamation League Thomas Tweed, UNC-CH

Phase I Products Five Faiths Project Visions of Faith exhibition and catalogue Award-winning Five Faiths posters Voices of Faith CDs These Five Faiths curricular resource material Prototype website: www.ackland.org/fivefaithscurriculum

Five Faiths Project Phase II Process Luce Colloquies Faith leaders, scholars, museum professionals and artists consider and discuss the promotion of a national agenda for museums with multi-cultural collections In-depth discussions of the obstacles to and benefits of using works of art as vehicles for teaching about world religions Public lectures by nationally-recognized scholars and faith leaders Public Forums Engage the local community in productive conversations with faith leaders and scholars about continuity and change in the ritual practices of NC faith communities

Phase II Process Five Faiths Project Seeking the Light: Spirituality and Contemporary Art

Five Faiths Project Phase II Products Production of a guidebook to include: practical guidelines and models for museums explanation of the issues identified and explored within the scope of the project a glossary of suggested word choices – along with the rational for those choices This document is intended to address the concerns of museum professionals, faith leaders and scholars in their on-going educational endeavors. Archives of research Acquisitions

Funding Sources to-date Five Faith Project Funding Sources to-date Henry Luce Foundation National Endowment for the Arts North Carolina Humanities Council Randleigh Foundation Samuel H. Kress Foundation Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation William Hayes Ackland Trust

Potential funding sources and institutional partners National Endowment for the Arts National Endowment for the Humanities Pew Charitable Trust Henry Luce Foundation Lily Foundation Fetzer Foundation Templeton Foundation Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Anti-Defamation League Council for Islamic Education Duke University First Amendment Center North Carolina Central University

Art does not reproduce the visible but makes visible. - Paul Klee