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Oregonian, February 23, 2010: Oregon LivingJewish Arts Month kicks off Wednesday with Pre-JAM slam, continues into AprilBy Nancy Haught, The OregonianFebruary 23, 2010, 6:00AMJewish
Arts Month
What: A collaborative, monthlong arts festival of
Jewish music, art, film and theater When: Kicks off Wednesday and continues into April Details, including schedule: northwestjewishartists.org Kick-off event: Pre-JAM slam, a sampling of Jewish Arts Month offerings; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 S.W. Capitol Highway; free Traditionally, Jews are known as "the people of the book," a reference to their scriptural tradition. "But we're also people of music and art, film and theater," says Eddy Shuldman, JAM director and chair of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists. Ora is Hebrew for "light." JAM events really begin in March and run through April. They include plays paired with visual art exhibits, klezmer and folk concerts and an evening of adult storytelling by Joanne Greenberg, who wrote the novel, "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden." Other events, including lectures, workshops and the Jewish Film Festival, fall within Jewish Arts Month. A grant of $4,200 from the Oregon Arts Commission helped organize and promote JAM events. -- Nancy Haught http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2010/02/jewish_arts_month_kicks_off_we.html **********************
Jewish Review, February 12, 2010: Arts & Letters Arts Commission funds Jewish Arts MonthBy JEWISH REVIEW The Pre-JAM Slam kick-off for Jewish Arts Month, a new collaborative festival of the arts, will be held at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center at 7 p.m., Feb. 24. The Oregon Arts Commission awarded the MJCC a $4,200 Arts Build Communities grant to organize and promote Jewish Arts Month in Portland. JAM will reach hundreds of people at venues throughout the Portland community through art, music, theater and the spoken word. Additionally, MJCC Chief Executive Officer Lisa Horowitz offered the center’s facility and staff support. JAM is a collaborative effort between various Jewish and secular cultural arts agencies including the MJCC, The Multnomah County Library, Portland Center Stage, Jewish TheatreCollaborative, Triangle Productions, Oregon Jewish Museum and the Elements Gallery and Hot Shop, among others. Eddy Shuldman, JAM director and chair of ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists, imagined an arts festival that would involve collaboration between various local Jewish and secular cultural arts agencies. “Stories can be told through spoken and written words, images and sound; they play an essential role in all cultures,” said Shuldman. “We are known as ‘the people of the book’ but we are also a people of music and art, film and theater. “We have successfully assimilated in America and, because of that, it is easy to lose touch with our traditions and values. Judaism is often viewed through a lens of stereotyped images and expectations. Through the arts, I think we can begin to displace those Hollywood clichés.” JAM will begin Feb. 24 with a “Pre-JAM Slam” celebration at the MJCC, beginning at 7 p.m. and featuring an official city proclamation to launch the festival. Jennifer Yocum will attend as a representative of Mayor Sam Adam’s office to deliver the proclamation. Brian Wagner with the Oregon Arts Commission will also be present, along with numerous, artists, musicians, actors and theater directors. Art exhibits will accompany several theater productions: including Sarah Horowitz’s “Yiddish Alphabet” and Shelley Jordon’s animated painting “Family History” at the Portland Center Stage’s production of “The Chosen.” Renata Dollinger’s oil paintings of shtetl life will be on display at Coho Theater with Triangle Productions’ one-woman play “Rose,” starring Wendy Westerwelle. The Jewish Theater Collaborative will present “Kindertransport” at Artists Repertory Theatre. (See story below.) “Fugue: Exile, Emigration and Displacement,” a photography and poetry exhibit by Friderike Heuer will be featured in the ART Alder Stage lobby. ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists have an exhibit called “LIGHT” at the Elements Gallery and “Hot Shop” March 4-12. There will also be a weeklong exhibit at the MJCC. JAM will present Joanne Greenberg, best-known author of “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,” in an intimate adult storytelling event at Oregon Jewish Museum. After lecturing about her novels at Reed College and the University of Oregon, Greenberg will tell Jewish stories intended for mature audiences on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Her stories will include “A Corpse Bride;” “The Jewish Orpheus and Eurydice” and “The Litvak Eulogy.” Music concerts at the MJCC will feature V’Chaverim, an eclectic klezmer band, on March 11 at 7 p.m., and Amy Shapiro and Jeff Olenick, an evening of folk and theatrical music, on March 18 at 7. p.m. Shelley Jordon will present “An Artist’s Journey” (or…”How a middle-aged Jew Reinvented Herself”), a lecture and screening at The Oregon Jewish Museum. Numerous other activities also fall within Jewish Arts Month and can be found on its master calendar northwestjewishartists.org/JAMschedule2010.html). These include the Sholom Aleichem Conference at Congregation Neveh Shalom, the Jewish Film Festival, and the Women’s Seder led by Cantor Ida Rae Cahana. Also, the Yuval Ron Ensemble: Mystical Music of the Middle East—Concert for Unity will perform at the First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland. At Havurah Shalom, A “Fah-bring’-in!” and CD Release Party honoring Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, zt”l will take place on March 21 at 5:30 p.m. to benefit the Southwest Community Health Center and P’nai Or of Portland. At Portland Jewish Academy,
fifth- and sixth-grade students will
participate in a workshop at the Hillsdale Library on April 21 from
3:30-5:30 p.m. Family Heirloom Art, Celebrating Family Stories and
Creating a Family Tree will be led by artist Lisa Kagan. The workshop
is free, multi-generational and open to the public.
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| Recent Events: Celebration of Art! Sunday, October 25, 2009 Mittleman JCC 6651 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, Oregon 97219 |
Jewish Review, November 15, 2009: ArtsNorthwest Jewish Artists show wares at Mittleman Center By POLINA OLSEN Northwest Jewish Artists celebrated their annual show on Oct. 25 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Called ORA, Hebrew for light, the group supports each other and finds opportunities to showcase their art. The variety and quality of the two dozen exhibitors impressed everyone who attended. The Jewish Review only has space to mention a few: Willa Schneberg, an Oregon Book Award winner for poetry, wrote a poem for one of her low fired clay pieces. The whimsical ceremonial objects can be put to good use—spice boxes, Torah pointers, an etrog holder. Sabina Wohlfeiler brought watercolors from a previous show Translations: Art Inspired by the Portland Japanese Garden. “These are Asian but also inspired by the Klimt painting,” she said, referring to the Nazis confiscated portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer that was returned to its rightful owner and is now on display in New York. The patchwork patterns on her model’s kimono reflect Wohlfeiler’s quilting background. “Watercolors are immediate; they’re transportable,” she said. “We’ll take a bike ride on Sauvie Island and then stop and paint.” Wohlfeiler also sells less expensive prints and says modern reproduction techniques make them indistinguishable from the original. Cara Buchalter Emanuel’s Art Deco paintings graced inexpensive T-shirts and cards. Small journal covers featured baseball players, harlequins, even her grandfather. She painted a large red bouillon cube on a white kitchen apron. A fourth grade teacher at Congregation Neveh Shalom, Buchalter Emanuel finds inspiration in “the sensuous lines of Art Deco haute couture; classic silhouettes of sleek sophistication.” Sharon Stern worked photographs of grandchildren into her quilts. Esther Liberman displayed beaded hamsa jewelry, kippot and yizkor candle covers. Gary Pearlman broke from the Hebrew calligraphy and papercuts he’s made since 1980 to display his oil paintings. Diana Unterspan paints abstract art with wool and silk. Her display included a picture of herself called “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl,” a literary nod to James Joyce and Dylan Thomas. Fridericke Heuer, who works at the Oregon Jewish Museum, brought photographic montages under the theme Affirmation and Negation—Transposing Biblical Stories into Contemporary Images. Jane Kadner found inspiration for her carved and painted gourds while living in Tucson. Any family will find an heirloom in Diane Fredgant’s hand-painted silk tallit. “I make things special for people,” she said. “[For example], I’ll put a piece of someone’s baby blanket under the neck piece.” Using non-toxic colorfast dyes, she also paints challah covers, scarves, wall hangings and chuppahs. This year’s special section by Rose Schnitzer Manor artists included oil paintings, ceramic, crochet and needlepoint. Vivian Korn made her pulled thread embroidery in 1975. Now 86 years old, Korn calls her work simply “pull-string.” She learned the technique as a girl in Los Angeles. “I couldn’t get over Vivian’s pull-string,” said attendee Susie Gouz who volunteers at the Manor. “I’m not surprised she’s artistic—she’s so talented in the Rose Schnitzer choir.” Learn more about ORA, Northwest Jewish Artists visit northwestjewishartists.org. |
| Past
Events: . Celebration
of Art! Exodus:
Our Journeys
. . Debut
Exhibit
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Southwest Portland Post October 2008: Community Life More than 25 Jewish women artists will be
showing and selling their work as the ORA Northwest Jewish Artists
present "2008 Celebration of Art" on Sunday, October 12 from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. at Mittleman Jewish Community
Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Media include collage, paint,
silk, fused glass, fiber, precious metals, beadwork and
photography. Come see the biggest exhibit of Jewish artists in
Portland! For more information, visit www.northwestjewishartists.org
![]() "Froggie," an acrylic painting by Sharon Segal, will be one of the exhibits at "2008 Celebration of Art," October 12 at Mittleman Jewish Community Center. ***********
Southwest Community Connection October 2008: Art News Mittleman hosts Jewish art show and sale, Oct. 12 HILLSDALE -- The Mittleman Jewish Community Center will host a one-day art show and sale from dozens of local Jewish artists and members of the ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists group. The event will be Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The third-annual event will emcompass many media, including sculpture, photography, painting, beadwork, glass, ceramics, and more. Founding ORA member and glass artist Eddy Shuldman said she is pleased that this year's show will be at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. "The MJCC is a beautiful and welcoming space," Shuldman said. "Previously we showed our work in local synagogues, but part of our mission is to expose the broader community to the work of Jewish artists. I think the MJCC is the perfect venue for this show." In addition to charter ORA members, 15 guest artists have been invited to display their art. Many of the ORA members and their guests are residents of Southwest Portland, and one exhibit space has been donated by the group to exhibit the work of accomlished senior artists from the Rose Schnitzer Manor, a senior care facility in Hayhurst. "I'm really excited that we're bringing in guest artists this year," said ORA member and bead artist Esther Liberman. "It gives us a chance to highlight the variety of Jewish art and artists in our own community." ORA was founded three years ago to unite Jewish artists in Portland, while providing opportunities to connect with buyers and collectors. The intent was also to serve the larger arts community by exposing non-Jews to Jewish art. While all the artists at this exhibit are Jewish, not all of their work is Judaica or features Jewish themes. Yet, organizers say that even the work without an explicit Jewish theme reflects the Jewish roots of the artists. "If you're going to buy a piece of our artwork, you're going to inherit a piece of our collective Jewish soul," said Sabina Wohlfeiler, a watercolor painter and ORA member. To view ORA members' work online, visit http://northwestjewishartists.org. http://www.swcommconnection.com/news/index.php ********
Jewish
Review September 20, 2008: Arts & Letters.
![]() "Dreaming of Forgotten Ancestors" by Robin Esterkin By Kaplan Tuttlebaum What does it take for a Jewish artist to be accepted by the Jewish community at large? It certainly isn’t easy to get the attention of a wide audience. But some dedicated and tenacious artists never give up. ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists, the longest existing arts organization comprising solely Jewish artists in Portland, is about to launch its third annual Celebration of Art. While Portland is home to a number of Jewish artists, there was no organization bringing them together. ORA was founded to help artists support each other while providing opportunities to connect with buyers and collectors. The intent was also to serve the larger arts community by exposing others to Jewish art. Three years ago the group held its inaugural exhibit at the Oregon Jewish Museum, entitled “Breishit: In The Beginning,” Judith Margles, director of OJM, noted that the opening brought the largest first-night attendance to date for the museum. Shortly thereafter, ORA rented space at Havurah Shalom in northwest Portland for their first Celebration of Art. For a number of members, this was the first time they’d exhibited publicly. Sales were brisk. A year later, the group moved its annual exhibit to Neveh Shalom. This venue provided larger exhibit space, better parking and a more central location. Turnout improved, but the group observed that a substantial slice of the Jewish community still wasn’t attending. “Some people don’t venture far from their own synagogue,” observed ORA charter member and glass artist Eddy Shuldman. So this year the group hopes they have found more neutral turf, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, considered by many to be the “Jewish community’s living room”. The upcoming one-day exhibit and sale will be held on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. The change in venue plus several other additions have raised the artists’ hopes. They expect a larger than ever turnout this year. In addition to charter ORA members, 15 guest artists have been invited to display their art. ORA member and bead artist Esther Liberman says, “I’m really excited that we’re bringing in guest artists this year. It gives us a chance to highlight the variety of Jewish art and artists in our own community.” The works will encompass many media, including sculpture, photography, painting, beadwork, glass, ceramics and more. And one exhibit space has been donated by the group to exhibit the work of accomplished senior artists from the Rose Schnitzer Manor. While all the exhibiting artists are Jewish, not all of their work is Judaica or features Jewish themes. Yet even the work without an explicit Jewish theme reflects the Jewish roots of the artists. Sabina Wohlfeiler, watercolor painter and ORA member, summed it up by saying, “If you’re going to buy a piece of our artwork, you’re going to inherit a piece of our collective Jewish soul.” Exhibiting this year will be charter members Rosana Berdichevsky, Leslie Elder, Robin Esterkin, Laurie Fendel, Diane Fredgant, Esther Liberman, Sharon Segal, Eddy Schuldman, Sabina Wohlfeiler. Guest
artists include Nancy Chesler, Jane Kadner, Cara Buchalter Emanuel,
Renate
Dollinger, Friderike Heuer, Susan Kuznitzky, Lynn Lertzman, Gary
Pearlman,
Jan Rabinowitch, Deborah Shapiro, Ellen Shefi, Sharon Stern, Judith
Hankin,
Gary Martel, Paula Stewart, Sheila Springer, Lillian Steinberg, Elaine
Kaufman and Bernice Fiebelman.
******** .
ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists present EXODUS:
OUR JOURNEYS New Exhibit by ORA Artists ORA, the Hebrew word for “light,” is the name of a Portland artists’ collective, a group of twelve women artists who have come together to support, share, inspire, and enjoy each other and to showcase their art. A year ago OJM hosted their first show, Breishit: In the Beginning. This year the women of ORA return to the museum on February 7 with a new exhibit, Exodus: Our Journeys. This exhibit is an artistic and spiritual exploration of Torah text, of personal and artistic journeys. Works on display will include collage, paint, silk, fiber, precious metals, beadwork, glass, and photography. Members
of the ORA collective include Rosana Berdichevsky, Sara Harwin,
The exhibit will run from February 7 through February 24, 2008. Please join us for a FIRST THURSDAY opening on February 7, 2008, 5-8 p.m.
.******* COPYRIGHT 2008 The Register Guard Portland
museum features Jewish artists
. Jewish women’s art association sets exhibit, sale at Neveh Shalom By Jewish Review ORA, the association of Jewish women artists in Portland, will present an exhibition Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland. ORA comprises 12 artists who have come together to support, share, inspire, enjoy and showcase their art. The exhibit will be accompanied by live music provided by Stephanie Schneiderman of Dirty Martini fame, jazz pianist George Fendel and singer/songwriter Justin Jude. Refreshments will be served coffee-house style. Although the artists are Jewish, both secular and Judaic works will be on display and for sale. Members
of ORA and their areas of artistry are:
Admission
is free. For more information visit ORA’s Web site at
northwestjewishartists.org. http://www.jewishreview.org/node/4036
*******
Jewish Review November 15, 2006: Arts & Letters ORA
artists plan sale Havurah Shalom is the venue for the next exhibit and sale organized by ORA—Northwest Jewish Arts, a group of 12 women artists. In Hebrew, ORA is the feminine form of light. The show and sale is set for Sunday, Nov. 19. Doors open at 11 a.m. The sale will end at 4 p.m. The new group opened its first show Sept. 7 at the Oregon Jewish Museum. A capacity crowed attended the festive opening. A spokesman for the group said that show was the first time some in the group had shown their work publicly. Many more works will be on display Nov. 19 in the larger space available at Havurah Shalom. The show, which will include both Judaic and non-Judaic art will not duplicate the work shown in the September event. Havurah Shalom is located at 825 NW 18th Ave. http://www.jewishreview.org/Archives/Article.php?Article=2006-11-15-2826
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On September 7, 2006, the Oregon JewishMuseum opens an exhibit featuring the art works of ORA, a new group of 12 Northwest Jewish Artists dedicated to providing opportunities to showcase members' works of art while supporting each other's artistic growth. The Oregon Jewish Museum exhibit will include a sampling of works from ORA members Rosana Beredichevsky, Lynn Dorman, Leslie Elder, Robin Esterkin, Diane Fregant, Carole Glauber, Sara Harwin, Julie Hockley, Esther Liberman, Sharon Segal, Eddy Shuldman, and Sabina Wohlfeiler. The exhibit, which will showcase a variety of media including beadwork, glass, photography, fabric and painting, includes both secular and Jewish themes.
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Jewish Review August 1, 2006: Arts & Letters Local
Jewish artists unite Twelve Portland-area Jewish artists have formed an organization designed to help them place their work in front of potential buyers while also making the Jewish community more aware of the Jewish artists at work here. ORA—Northwest Jewish Artists was formed about two months ago by Rosana Berdichevsky, Lynn Dorman, Leslie Elder, Robin Esterkin, Diane Fredgant, Sara Harwin, Julie Hockley, Esther Lieberman, Sharon Segal, Eddy Shuldman, Sabina Wohlfeiler and Carole Glauber. The women work in a variety of media including painting, photography, beadwork, fabric, jewelry and glass. "We want to reach out and enrich the Jewish community by exhibiting our work, both secular and Jewish in content, and we want to have the opportunity to exhibit our art and support each other's artistic growth," said Glauber. Glauber is a writer and photographer. Her book, "The Witch of Kodakery: The Photography of Myra Albert Wiggins, 1869-1956" was previously featured in the Jewish Review. The group plans a Sept. 7 opening event to be hosted by the Oregon Jewish Museum. There will be a reception from 5-8 p.m. that evening with all the artists. Their work will remain on exhibit at the museum until Sept. 20. The event at the museum is planned for a period between regular museum exhibits. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of works during the ORA show will help support the museum. ORA also has arranged a sale set for Nov. 19 at Havurah Shalom in Northwest Portland. http://www.jewishreview.org/Archives/Article.php?Article=2006-08-01-2545
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© 2007-2010 Esther
Liberman
Last updated February 23,
2010
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