We’re classy, so in response to the GOP’s attack on David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire In My Belly” video, we want to celebrate freedom of expression in the face of the right-wing American political establishment that gets whipped up into an irrational frenzy any time LGBT people are treated as equals. To celebrate our freedoms and the beauty of America, we are announcing our first-ever (and perhaps only) “International Draw Jesus Day” event.

Hyperallergic readers and fans with artistic abilities can submit their very own drawing of Jesus for publication on this blogazine on December 26th, which is known in Canada and the United Kingdom as Boxing Day.

Bring it artists, we will show whatever you send us and NSFW is perfectly fine. Forget the people who want to censor our lives and art and long live freedom of expression!

Email all your submissions to DrawJesusDay@hyperallergic.com and trust me, we can take it.

[THIS IS NOT A SPOOF BUT IT IS FUNNY]

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26 replies on “Announcing International “Draw Jesus Day” on Dec 26!”

  2. I’m gonna draw my Jesus in a tuxedo t-shirt. because it says: I want to be formal, but I’m here to party.

  4. This isnt exctly going to hurt god, or if you believe, Yeshua. they are big boys, and can take it. But it is retarded. And shows exactly why so many heteros cant stand artsy fartsy especially when gayness becomes its overiding subject. What does this have to do with art or Christmas? its being childish, besides, Yeshua according to the Shroud of Turin looked exactly like Bin Laden. Stop with the racsist Durer white boy Jesus with circumcized dicks.

  5. our lord was conceived directly through the Holy Spirit; He departed bodily (the ‘Ascensin’) from earth at the end of his ministry: He redeemed the flesh. So why censure His genitals on your poster? Can we have for once some real celebration of life?!

        1. That’s funny, many Christians of faith have entered Draw Jesus Day with devotional images, they obviously have no problems with it. I’m sorry if it goes against your beliefs but this is a plural society.

  8. One with an obviously naked, gay, blue eyed, blonde Yeshua? No, thats just racist, self absorbed and just plain tacky. Respect your elders. And others belief’s, Truth might help a little too.

    I might submit a Muhammed, which you can in Shia if you dont show any skin. The reason he cannot be pictured is because he didnt want to be worshipped himself, He was an Iconoclast, his believes soon overwhelming the Byzantines to, as they wiped out their murals and mosaics during the 9th century. Isa(Jesus in corrupting greek) is holy to muslims, and of virgin birth. Just not the son of god, as their can only be One. But not like Highlander.

    art collegia delenda est

      1. If trolls are history majors who tire at the inane and ignorant contempt crowd of skilless childish self expression, then yes.

        Save the spiritual and ignored Watts Towers(Nuestro Pueblo), tear down the self serving and colorless academic Ivories.

      1. Exactly. i just gave you a real condensed history of Yeshua and Muhammed, and this is what you get. Artistes are completely ignorant, they dont learn anything in fine art colleges, and so continue their ways of ignorant bliss in real life. no purpose, no commitment, no sacrifice, no truth.

        If that is troling, then we need a lot more. For independant thought is an endangereed speices in the lemmingland of the artscene.

  11. Guess I put it on another site I was “trolling” on. So much for free expression, as long as it doesnt interfere with the partying and the appearance of relevancy over veritas.

    Jesus(real name Yeshua, Isa in the Quran where he is mentioned 25 times) is considered the greatest prophet before Muhammed, and of virgin birth. The split is Muhammed claimed the Trinity to be a made up thing from misinterpretation of Yeshua words. He was a man, not god, there is only one, there cannot be three. But he rose to heaven as Muahmmed claimed he himself had, and was not crucified nor died for our sins. But was the Master of peace, love and a pure life. He is venerated in Islam, and considered a Muslim and prophet.

    Those who disrespect this man are simply revealing their own trollike inner being, discontent with life and so consumed with making everyone else appear as decadent and rotten inside as they are. You cannot judge the lives of those in different times by our own, their concerns were completely different. With a consistent essential human quality which it is arts purpose to visulize, and failed miserably in our own contempt academic times.

    Save the pure and creative Watts Towers, tear down the self absorbed daycare centers of Ivory Academia

  12. Hmmmmm. This thread goes off the front page as a link once things start looking bad for your approach to art. hmmmmmmmm
    censorship? I am sure there is some myopic rationalizing to be done here, that is what they teach at art schools after all, and not much else

    art collegia delenda est

  13. Hrag, Mark, and Dfimagery, I think that International Draw Jesus Day is a wonderful project. This is an opportunity for opening up discussions about what is sacred and what is merely provocative…what is truly sacred…what is provocative just for the sake of being provocative. It is an important opportunity. I appreciate that you guys aren’t afraid to discuss it. Art has many purposes. To me, one of the greatest purposes for Art is in glorifying the indescribable Divine. We are an enlightened civilized people, we needn’t get caught up in Fatwas with those whom we disagree. Cartoonists should be able to draw whatever they want without risking their life, and Molly should be able to instigate ‘Everybody draw Mohammed day’ and not have to go into the witness protection program. Dogma can be a heavy burden. But, as artists, whether we are religious or not, we have the responsibility to awaken and enliven the world. It is our job. We needn’t be perfect, we aren’t running for office, and we won’t be defrocked. There is a rather dense old book by Dorothy L. Sayers (yes, the Christian mystery writer and friend of C.S. Lewis) in which she discusses, and I’m paraphrasing, the difference between “Moral Goodness” and “Aesthetic Goodness”. Artists are provocateurs; as artists we are speaking in visual metaphor, much like Jesus’ parables. The stories represent universal truths. Artists are called to reveal the truth; not to re-iterate well worn ‘truths’. To an artist, ‘the truth shall set us free’ means that we must be willing to let go of our own beliefs to find the new ‘truth’. Too often we hold to our old beliefs- not out of laziness or lack of intelligence, but to protect our own fragile sense of self, our egos, our facade of being right. What most of us want more than anything is to be ‘right’. It is what leads many down the religious path in the first place. Buddhists practice letting go of this eternal grasping. As an artist, I trust that if I follow my instinctive artistic path, that I will find a way to represent a form of truth. This goal trumps any religious demands, or any sense of religious ‘appropriateness’. One must follow their own path with a sacred devotion. Nothing can be out of bounds. Making Art is on some level about self-censorship, we have to find our own limits. (It is not for others to censor us or tell us what is allowed.) We have to try to find a way for our own personal language to go straight to the viewers soul without need for translation. A way that doesn’t alienate us from the viewer, our own soul, or the mysterious Divine. True Art is a ‘way’.

    The great thing about Hyperallergic’s project is that it opens up a conversation (if we aren’t afraid to have it), about Art, it’s relationship to devotion and freedom of expression, and our own relationship to it.

    As for us… our family will sit around the Christmas table later today and draw pictures of Jesus.

    Bo

    I discuss some of my feelings about censorship and finding a middle way here… http://www.bobartlett.com/message.html

    interesting points made here… http://hyperallergic-launch.newspackstaging.com/9469/words-and-pictures/

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