The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
Coordinates: 41°34′48″N 73°56′10″W / 41.580°N 73.936°W
The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM) is a transdenominational church and 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the realization of a shared 1985 vision of the American artists Alex and Allyson Grey to build a contemporary public Chapel as 'a sanctuary for spiritual renewal through contemplation of transformative art'
Conceived to house Alex Grey's Sacred Mirrors (a series of twenty-one art-works that examine the body, spirit, and mind in rich detail) along with other important works of visionary and contemporary spiritual art, CoSM's stated mission is "Building an enduring sanctuary of visionary art to inspire every pilgrim's creative path and embody the values of love and evolutionary wisdom".
The Foundation for the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors Ltd. was formed in 1996 as a non-profit charity to raise awareness and funds for the creation of the Chapel; advisory board members have included Deepak Chopra, Ken Wilber, Mathew Fox, and Marcia Tucker. In 2003, upon the suggestion of shaman Alex Stark, Alex and Allyson Grey began holding Full Moon prayer ceremonies in their Brooklyn home to facilitate the construction of the Chapel. Due to noise complaints by neighbors, the Grey's home quickly became too small to house the events rapidly widening popularity.
Thanks to an outpouring of support from the nascent community that was forming around these gatherings, the first Chapel of Sacred Mirrors opened in a donated space in Chelsea in the heart of NYC's gallery and nightclub district on the autumnal equinox of 2004.
Along with the Sacred Mirrors series, the original Chapel also displayed a number of Alex Grey's major works (many of which had been repurchased from collectors by the CoSM foundation) including Theologue, Net of Being, Cosmic Christ, and Journey of the Wounded Healer, as well as Allyson Grey's Secret Language paintings, and occasional exhibitions of fellow visionary artists. With monthly interfaith celebrations that were held on the New and Full moons, and workshops by leaders in the fields or art, science, and religion, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors quickly became established as a "Mecca" of the New York "New Age" community. The use of Alex Grey's artwork on the album covers and stage show of the popular rock group Tool, album artwork for The Beastie Boys and Nirvana, and as part of a major installation at the Burning Man festival in 2006, greatly increased Alex Grey's popularity among the youth and New Age counterculture, The original NYC Chapel of Sacred Mirrors also featured workshops on painting, sacred geometry, and sacred architecture, as well as a series of popular "Entheogenic Salons" that included live painting by Alex and Allyson Grey, along with international electronic music DJs and producers, video artists, dance, and other performances.
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