Wednesdays, March 9, March 30, and April 6; Mondays, May 16 and May 23, 12:00 pm
Thanks to a very generous anonymous donor, the Konikoff Center of Learning is offering free Jewish Art Education classes to the Tidewater community this Spring. JAE is dedicated to educating the wider world on the contributions of the Jewish visual arts to Jewish civilization, by exploring innovative uses of media.
Tidewater’s instructor, Nancy Kotz, is an art historian and nonprofit professional. She began her career in arts and public policy before transitioning to the museum world where she held positions in museum education and museum retail. Since 2015, she has been presenting programs to audiences across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia for Jewish Art Education.
JAE’s one-hour long presentations include visual arts related to Jewish holidays, programs on individual artists, and thematically focused presentations. Lunch is included for in-person attendees. Pre-registration is required for both online and in-person tickets, at JewishVA.org/JAE. Contact Sierra Lautman, director of Jewish Innovation, at 757-965-6107 or SLautman@UJFT.org with questions.
The Art of Modigliani
Wednesday, March 9, 12:00 pm
An exploration of the remarkable life and artworks of this Italian-Sephardic Jewish artist. His brief life left a legacy of intellectual bravado, brilliant art, and a mysterious death. A melodramatic and romantic legend has grown up about him, yet his art endures as pure genius.
Jewish Women Artists
Wednesday, March 30, 12:00 pm
This survey of 19th and 20th century Jewish female creativity examines the various art forms created by female painters, sculptors, printmakers, and photographers. Their art reflects their unique life experiences and displays concern for aesthetic issues, social equality, and culture during the times in which they lived.
The Art of Passover
Wednesday, April 6, 12:00 pm
The Passover holiday is based on the story of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The name, Passover, comes from the ‘Passing over’ of the homes of the Jews during the 10th plague, the death of the first born. The Art of Passover tells the story of this holiday using art objects as visual resources for learning and understanding.
The Art of Tikkun Olam/
Fixing the World
Monday, May 16, 12:00 pm
This program identifies the citation from Pirke Avot/Ethics of the Fathers that determines the role of Tikkun Olam /Fixing the World in the Jewish world and surveys the many customs developed to observe it. Through sculpture, prints, paintings, photographs, and objects of many different media, Jews are charged to give charity as the right thing to do in different times and places.
The Art of Marc Chagall:
The Early Years
Monday, May 23, 12:00 pm
This is a survey of the life and art of this quintessential Jewish artist. From paintings to prints to stained glass and tapestries, Chagall created an amazing world of fantasy and reality. See why the painting, I and the Village, was so important to him and to the world. The Art of Marc Chagall is an overview from East European village (shtetl) to world-renowned artist.
-Sierra Lautman