Northwest Jewish Artists book exhibit at MJCC

By Kaplan Tuttlebaum

article created on: 2008-09-15T00:00:00

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.