Friday, October 28, 2011

Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Museum - call for work

A good artist friend Carol Hamoy sent the below notice to me - wanted to share it with you. Sounds like a great show, and they are looking for great work. Contact Nancy Mantell at the Museum if you are interested in submitting. ------------ Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Museum Brookdale Center, 1 West 4th Street NYC 10012 Phone: 212 824 2218 E-mail: museumnyc@huc.edu Contact: Nancy Mantell for more info October 25, 2011 Dear Artist As you know, Hebrew Union College Museum has been successful in exploring controversial topics through the work of exceptional Jewish artists. We plan to present a major exhibition beginning in September 2012, addressing the conflict-ridden subject of Jewish attitudes to gender issues. We are inclosing a list of potential subjects to help you visualize these themes. Without a doubt you will have your own ideas and suggest issues that have not been included on our provisional list. Please let us know what you have available that might be appropriate for this exhibit, or that you think you might produce for it. We are interested in all media, including—but not limited to--paintings, sculpture, textiles, objects, artists books, videos, photography, and cartoons. One caveat, we cannot exhibit work that shows frontal nudity. We would like to begin to review work immediately, so we look forward to hearing from you soon. If you have come across work by other artists that you think we should consider, we would much appreciate it if you would share it with us. Best Laura Kruger Curator Phyllis Freedman Nancy Mantell Susan Orr Curatorial Assistants Phone: 212 824 2218 E-mail: museumnyc@huc.edu Jew and Gender: What is Changed? (A Working Title) Possible Subjects Circumcision, Ritual objects: Tzitzit, tefillin, tallit, Prayer/Inclusion and exclusion in congregations, Marriage/Divorce/Family, Polygamy, Forbidden sex: incest/adultery/sodomy/bestiality, Seduction/Rape, Clothing: cross-dressing/sheitel/tzitzit/tallit, Redemption of the first born (male) What about females? Impurities: after childbirth/menses/mikvah, Masturbation: what about IVF/before radiation treatment/selling sperm, Homosexuality: Holocaust

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

World is changing - are you ready to help?

As most of you can tell now, what I've been talking about for the last 2 - 3 years is starting to take root. The world is changing. Are you ready? Are you prepared?

What does prepared mean for you. Do you have community, people who watch your back? People who love and inspire you, support you? Will feed you and clothe you if necessary. If not, get to it.
You will need them, and they will need you. Are your ready to help your neighbors, share food, share water, share hope? If not, get ready. The world will become a small world, and you will feel better and survive with a richer heart - if you have meaning, and purpose, and support.

This is NOT a time to be thinking - "what about me" . This is a time to be thinking " how can I serve".

So as artists, how do we serve? How do we provide the authentic vision that is ours alone , the unique talents we karmically came here to share? How do we make beauty, add to the vibration of soulful elegance and stay in the world, real and helpful? It is up to each one of us to find our way through the career maze and the prosperity game. Define it for yourself, envision it for yourself, create it, move towards it, and allow it to manifest. DIY is the game plan.

Remember, that the world is changing. You will need courage, genius and the power to define your own destiny. And all is well. Together, all is well. It is always right, just the way it is. Your job is to find the calm center within you, to see the nimble fluid choices as they appear in the mist. And be willing to redefine prosperity, redefine meaning and purpose. And redefine relationships and community. And then, all is well. Simple and complex.

Prepare - please. Your surrogate Jewish mother worries.