Well, the new normal of sequestering ourselves, wearing masks when we do go out and washing our hands a lot – is going on much longer than anticipated. Indeed this sequestering can be quite lonely and isolating. I hope all the programs and opportunities the JAI has offered have made a real difference. I know that our audience for the terrific JAI Cafe series has really grown. Most recently on the evening of June 22nd when we shared memories of our very special friend and fellow artist, Karen Frimkess Wolfe z"l, we had an online audience of over 50 members, family and friends. A special thanks to Dori Atlantis, Karen's dear friend and collaborator who shared wonderful images of both their collaborative work as well as Karen's solo achievements.
Special thank you's go out to Georgia Freedman-Harvey who has done so much to organize these Cafe events, as well as Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik and Melinda Smith Altshuler.
There is more to come starting on Monday evening, July 20th: Perla Karney will share her passion for Jewish Art which she has brought so effectively to the UCLA Hillel as the Artistic Director of the Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts. And then on Monday evening, August 3rd our very innovative artist member, Terry Braunstein will present her work. Watch for future email announcements of Cafes to come. I promise we will keep you company and inspire you with wonderful art during this ongoing Pandemic.
Another project of the board during the pandemic, was to launch the first JAI virtual exhibition along side a gallery exhibit at USC Hillel. We received entries from 24 members to the call for art for From a Narrow Place: Images of Resilience. The reopening of USC Hillel has not been confirmed as of now, so that date is not yet set. Board members Randi Matushevitz and Melinda Smith Altshuler are overseeing the virtual exhibit. A launch date is pending and it will be shared in an upcoming newsletter.
Thank you to all the JAI members who submitted artwork. Together the pieces present a diverse and thoughtful response to the theme. I look forward to celebrating the launch of the exhibit with all of you.
With very best wishes for the safety and comfort of you and your family,
RUTH WEISBERG, PRESIDENT JEWISH ARTISTS INITIATIVE of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Monday, July 20, 2020 | 7:00 p.m.
I N T R O D U C I N G PERLA KARNEY
PERLA KARNEY Artistic Director of the Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at UCLA Hillel
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Perla will explore Jewish art and culture through the lense of a curator, and the history of art at UCLA Hillel.
Perla Karney is in her sixteenth year as the artistic director of the Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at UCLA Hillel. The mission of the center is to connect Jewish undergraduate students at UCLA to their Jewish identity through the arts. The Dortort Center includes 3000 square feet of gallery spaces on three separate floors.
In the Fall and Winter of every academic year Perla exhibits the works of local artists, including many Jewish Artists Initiative members, as well as artists from around the world, including Austria, Germany, Israel, Africa and China. The spring is devoted to the showcase and platform for juried student art curated by students from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.
In addition to mentoring and supporting student artists and featuring professional artists, the Dortort Center partners with departments on the UCLA campus to present cultural programs in the arts such as original play readings, documentaries, concerts, feature films, book salons and much more.
Perla is the past vice-president of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, sits on the Arts Council of the UCLA Fowler Museum and was recently elected to the board of the award winning Rogue Machine Theater Company.
Click the button above to RSVP and reserve your login and password for this special Zoom online event:
Monday, July 20th at 7:00 p.m.PDT
Deadline to RSVP is Sunday, July 19th
A group Zoom invitation will be sent on the day of the Cafe
FROM: RUTH WEISBERG
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Dear JAI Members,
We've received a request from very prominent New York based author Matthew Baigell who asked us to convey these important questions to our membership. Please take the time to respond to his questions so that he can also include our West Coast perspective.
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I am collecting material for an article from artists who explore Jewish themes, and am asking for any answers to the questions listed below that you might be willing to share with me. My email address for this project is: mebaigell@gmail.com. I will close down that address in mid-July.
What has prompted you to explore Jewish-themed subject matter and does that still hold in today's climate?
Do you have a special process by which you arrive at a finished work?
Are you bothered by the relative neglect by mainstream museums, galleries, critics, and art historians?
Do you have stories to tell in this regard?
I look forward to hearing from one and all. Please send your response to: mebaigell@gmail.com.
Many thanks, Matthew Baigell
In Full View An online art exhibit in tribute to Rachelle Mark z"l
July 7 – August 1, 2020
San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center Gallery
18312 Oxnard Street, Tarzana, CA 91356
(818) 697-5525 • SFVACC.org
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The exhibit will feature 95 paintings by 16 Co-op 7 artists. In Full View will be online beginning July 7, 2020
Exhibiting artists: Rosemary Altshuler, Patricia Bates, Adria Becker, Selina Cheng, Jody Church, Judy Dekel, Beverly Engelberg, Karen Alpert Entous, Ann Gerstenfeld, Susan Gesundheit, Dafna Gilboa, Jeanne Hahn, Karen Kay, Merry Levine, Cheryl Mann and Debbi Saunders
In Full View is curated by Helen Kim, M.A.
This year’s exhibit is in tribute to Rachelle Mark
Anyone interested in attending the reception should contact susangesundheit@gmail.com for a registration link as registration is required.
Artist Co-op 7 is celebrating its 31st year in Los Angeles, and the fourth year in our home at the San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center. The Co-op is a community of artists who work together to discover individual approaches to creativity and expressions of artistic growth.
From: JAI Artist Sandra Lauterbach
Excited to have CROSSED Lines in Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825Indistinct Chatter exhibit. It is an all-media exploration of abstraction in contemporary art.
Indistinct Chatter is an online exhibition and sale running July 1 -10, 2020.
Libertas, 2020, Mixed media on canvas, 48 x 60 inches
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From: JAI Artist Jodi Bonassi
The 99% 3 person exhibition at Mash Gallery has received a great review from Genie Davis in Art and Cake and will be extended thru July 18 with Social Distancing and Masks required. For those staying safe -
If you would like to learn more about the works from The 99% by Albert Alvarez, Jodi Bonassi and José Lozano, please join our Zoom event where the curator, David S. Rubin, will interview the artists about their works.
Watchful #5 is among the works of many fine artists in the LA Art Association's Indistinct Chatter online exhibition and sale. For more info on the works, click on https://www.laaa.org/indistinct-chatter
Anne Hromadka Greenwald loved the ten summers she spent as a camper and staff member at her camp in the Black Forest of Colorado. She knows how sacred and important camp can be. Since most camps will stay closed this summer, she wanted to make sure kids got a bit of that magic by launching a virtual arts camp just for them:
Camp Craft Haus is a twice-a-week art camp experience designed to help fill the gap. These are tough times, and virtual communities can help children connect, learn, and have fun during what could otherwise be a very long summer.
But, we know that kids (and adults!) can’t spend all day on Zoom. That’s why each session lasts only one hour, just twice a week - so kids will have lots of screen-free time to just play. All our sessions will be focused and active, with kids making art, following along with demonstrations, and sharing their creations with their friends, while learning skills for how to continue art-making on their own.
Camp Craft Haus will add a fun, creative outlet for your kids this summer. We are #inthistogether, so #letsgetcrafty!
Monday, July 20, 2020 | 7:00 p.m.
