So what is the Parsha Project? It was a class at Congregation Beth Emeth's Chai School that explored how to study a Torah portion and delve into it's meaning, and then take that knowledge and use it to explore a parsha of each student's choosing and create a mixed media piece interpreting the meaning. We had 25 students participate in the class and 14 of them have their artwork in this show.
The place is buzzing with excitement as the students and their families and friends show up to see their work on display. Just read the comments and you'll see!
If you aren't able to join us tonight, you can still come see the show. It will be hanging through next Saturday, January 30th.
Check out MOCA DC for gallery hours, address, and directions!
A big thank you to Paul Moskowitz, Shari Berman, the students and their parents, all the CBE staff, and Dave Quammen (MOCA's gallery director) for inspiring and going along with this idea to show the Parsha Project in a real gallery.
I am thrilled at the quality of work each student produced, and that they have had this opportunity to see their work on exhibit in a public space. My hope is that they take this experience with them out into the world, and remember that it is not about having talent as much as it is about engaging in the process one hundred percent, and being willing to take a risk and try something new. That's when great things happen!
It's a wonderful show and the children are all here. It's just such a coming out experience to celebrate their artistic creativity found even within the classroom environment. Jennifer has touched them in a dynamic way so that they could see beyond the written word.
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic! I think it's great that you gave them an opportunity to express themselves visually and then the chance to exhibit it in a gallery in Georgetown, WDC. For those that have an interest in art, this is a great experience!
ReplyDeleteI think it is fabulous that these kids have their artwork displayed in the middle of Georgetown!
ReplyDeleteI love your pieces too, Jennifer
I'm truly amazed at the quality and depth of several of the pieces. There's an impressive self-assurance in the work of several of these young people. Hanging them in the gallery really brings out the quality of the pieces--there's no question that they belong among the work by "professional" artists that's hanging elsewhere in the gallery.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real tribute to the insights and talents of the young artists and the dedication and belief in them by their teacher, Jennifer Judelsohn. Yasher koach all!
The class was fun. It had a "free" aspect that made it different from most art classes. We were able to do what we wanted. I liked the free-form elements.
ReplyDeleteOne day I decided I wanted to just play with gel medium. I spent a few minutes just playing around, and then I figured out how to use it in my painting.
I enjoy doing things spontaneously, and I was able to do something different in class every day. It was a great experience!
It's wonderful to have the opportunity to showcase the kids' art in Georgetown. We appreciate Jennifer's efforts in arranging all this.
ReplyDeleteI think the kids are very talented. They each have their own way of interpreting the piece. I love the use of many textures and colors.
The class was fun. I wish I had more time to work on my piece--more time to experiment--but I think it came out well.
ReplyDeleteIt was neat to work with something thousands of years old and making something "modern" out of it. And it wasn't just making something "dry" out of the text.
It's interesting to have my art hanging in a gallery--something I never thought would happen, because I'm not really artistically inclined. It feels good that people are looking at this along with the other art and maybe thinking about how good it is.
I'd recommend this experience to anyone--even people who aren't artistic!
I liked that we got to paint something. I like to draw and do random designs and creations. When I heard that we had to do something with a parsha, it made it more interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe background was the hardest part. I had to rip the paper to create the grass and glue them on--it got kind of tiring, but it did pay off in the end.
I didn't think I'd have my art in a gallery. I just keep my drawings in a notebook. This will probably inspire me to keep drawing and finding a way to put it up.
I like doing art with people in it. As soon as I heard about this class, I wanted to do the story of Jacob and Esau wrestling in the womb. The sibling rivalry interested me, and how the "cuter" one isn't really the nice one.
ReplyDeleteEsau is the stronger one, and Jacob is the "angelic" one trying to get out first. But the stronger succeed.
I really liked being able to be with everyone doing something that connected us. The Torah stories connected us, even though we were doing different stories. I got inspired by seeing all the different students and their reactions to the stories and the way they see things.
I imagine the way things might have been like back then--like a film on a screen.
It's so cool to have my art in an actual gallery. Art is my passion, so it's really special to "get out there" finally.
Jennifer's like a patron for me--she's supporting my art like nobody else has. I'm so grateful to her for the way she's making something happen for me.
The class was fun. I enjoyed being with my friends and doing art. I liked getting to work with different materials, like gluing the twine on the canvas.
ReplyDeleteMy piece is about when Joseph's brothers found the cup in Benjamin's sack. As soon as I read the parsha, I saw something in my mind's eye, so I decided to make that.
It's weird having my art in a gallery. I've had my art in galleries before, but this is different.
The class was a lot of fun. I was able to just work on my piece without thinking about it--it was automatic. I'm not really an artist, so I didn't really think about it, but apparently a lot of people like my work.
ReplyDeleteHaving it in the gallery is strange. Even though most people will like it, I do have a slight fear of public embarassment if someone doesn't like it.
I think everyone did a really good job--all the artwork turned out great.