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Dear Friends and Art Lovers,

In keeping with the season, spring, for me, was consumed by processes of rooting—of planting seeds that have only just started to grow. It has been a season of reflecting and imagining what's possible, of thinking strategically and bringing on partners who can see the same dream and find ways to make it even bigger and brighter.

I am grateful for this space to push myself towards new kinds of projects and explore new scales and scopes while surrounding myself with passionate and talented people who also dream of building a more just and equitable world through art.

The fruits of much of this labor will not be enjoyed for several months, and yet I'm relishing in the vast potential of this liminal space where ideas have begun to make their way out into the world but have yet to become a reality.

Read on to learn more about what is coming to fruition and how you can be a part of the action.

Thank you for being on this journey with me,

Caron

Visiting Museum Director: Said Abu-Shakra comes to Boston

Earlier this year, I invited Said Abu-Shakra, founder and director of Umm El-Fahem Art Gallery, to visit Boston as my guest so that he could share his work with some of the cultural leaders here.

I met Said a few years ago during a recent trip to Israel and have been visiting with him and his wife Sahem every time I return. Over the years, I have been blown away by the work he has undertaken against the odds to create the first Arab museum of contemporary art in Israel. I have learned so much from his hope, perseverance, and tenacity, and I couldn’t be more excited to help him share those lessons with others doing the hard work here in Boston.

As part of Said’s visit, we will be hosting a dinner and discussion with Said at my home in Newton on June 1 at 6pm. I would be delighted if you could join us for the occasion. If you would like to attend, just click the link below to email me and request further information.

REMEMBER. RENEW. REIMAGINE.

Centennial Exhibition at Hebrew College

On view through June 14, 2022 | Registration Required

Images: Centennial Art Exhibit opening reception, April 3, 2022.

I am honored to have two works included in REMEMBER. RENEW. REIMAGINE. This special exhibit, which honors Hebrew College’s 100th anniversary, celebrates artistic voices, images, and expressions inspired by Torah, and includes pieces from Hebrew College’s permanent collection as well as contemporary creative expressions on Torah and Jewish identity. The exhibit will run until June 14, 2022. Gallery viewings are free, but reservations are required. Use the link below to make an appointment.

Image: Installation view of Artist Residency Exhibition at Temple Emanuel, 2022.

Temple Emanuel Artist Residency

During the last week in April, I had the great pleasure of sharing my work with my community at Temple Emanuel in Newton. Though my faith has always been central to my artwork, this was my first experience exhibiting work in a holy place. As pictured in the image above, I was able to install a large-scale sculpture, a bed made of chicken wire titled My (Un)Comfort Zone, just in front of an alcove containing an open Torah scroll rescued from the Holocaust. Above the doorway, it reads “Remember” in Hebrew. The chickenwire used in my work was initially selected for its symbolic meaning, a reference to the materials used by the US government to fence in children and other migrants for nothing more than seeking a better life. This chicken wire bed was flanked by two significant other works - Justice Vessel for Tina, which is a call to action, and The Sound of Silence: Tekkiah, Shevarim, Teruah, two cut and mangled Shofarot which ask the question: what happens when we remain silent? The trio with the Torah brought home the message that we must engage. Humanity is not a spectator sport. To see this work activated in this context gave me goosebumps and reignited a deep connection to my identity and cultural history.

Learn more about the work that was on view in the residency exhibition by checking out the virtual catalog at the link below.

Image: digital rendering of BIDMC's new, state-of-the-art inpatient building

Curating the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital

Central to much of my art is the impetus to use my privilege to uplift others and create more equitable and just communities. In my new role as pro bono curatorial advisor for the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, I am working to do just that.

As many of you know, my husband, Kevin, is the president and CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health. For many months, our dinner conversations have circled around the beautiful new inpatient building they are building on their Boston campus. As the project nears completion, I have leveraged my connection to this project to ensure that the building is filled with artwork created by Boston- and New England-based artists from all walks of life with a particular focus on including work by artists of color.

My connection and commitment to Boston’s BIPOC artist communities began in earnest during my last solo exhibition at Beacon Gallery, where I dedicated a wall to feature works by Boston-based BIPOC artists. Co-curated by Meclina, the project, titled “What Now: Making Space,” spurred deep friendships and connections and inspired me to work harder to use my access and privileges to open doors for other.

If you know a talent artist who would be a good fit for this opportunity, please send me their name—I would love to connect with them!

Follow Along on Instagram

The best way to stay in the know about all the new developments in my practice is to follow along on Instagram.