in Pittsburgh this month...

Coming up in November

Lucia Dolce holds a first degree in Japanese Studies from the University of Venezia, Italy, and a PhD from Leiden University, The Netherlands. She is Senior Lecturer of Japanese Religion at the Department of the Study of Religion and Director of the Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Her main research interest is Japanese religiosity of the medieval period, in particular, the esotericisation of religious practice, the development of millenarian ideas, and kami-Buddhas associative practices. Dr. Dolce's first book, "Esoteric Patterns in Nichiren's Interpretation of the Lotus Sutra," was awarded the Nakamura Hajime Prize for the best book in religious studies by a younger scholar in 2004. She is currently working on two research projects on rituals in premodern Japanese religion. For more information, contact the Department of Religious Studies - 412-624-5990.

How do religion and the arts interact on the classical and popular levels in India? What does Radha, a primary deity in Hinduism, have to do with Mother Meera and Bhakti Poets? What is Sufism and what is its significance in Indian culture? Each panelist will provide a presentation offering insight into these questions. Moderator and presenter Dr. Fred Clothey will summarize the presentations and lead a discussion that will open up to the audience for further questions and comments. Dr. Fred Clothey is a recently retired Professor and former Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. His scholarly interests include the study of myth, symbol and ritual; the role of religion in politics, identity-formation and resurgent nationalisms; and the character of religion in contemporary South Asia. Presenter: Prajna Paramita Parasher, Associate Professor & Director, Film and Digital Technology, Chatham University. Cost: $10 General Admission; $5 Members & Students. For more information, contact The Mattress Factory - 412-231-3169; info@mattress.org.

To celebrate our 30th year, the Mattress Factory is presenting India: New Installations, an exhibition that will open in two parts.

Mattress Factory Curator, Michael Olijnyk and Executive/Artistic Director Barbara Luderowski traveled to India in 2006 and selected ten artists to participate in two exhibitions throughout 2007. These artists will come to Pittsburgh, live in residence at the Museum, and create new work on site.

India: New Installations, Part II, includes artists Anita Dube, Raqs Media Collective and Hema Upadhyay.

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