Women`s Torah Project Art Sale Catalogue October 2009

Women’s Torah Project Art Sale Catalogue
October 2009
Mezuzah Case, by Aimee Golant
Limited Edition Sacred Space Mezuzah Case in Sterling Silver. All silver with a window
in the center illustrating the Hebrew letter “shesh”. Dimensions: 3 3/4 x 1 x 1/2" (Does
not include prayer.)
Aimee Golant is a 6th generation metal artist and a grandchild of Holocaust survivors.
She creates contemporary Judaic art in order to preserve, share and illuminate the
universal within Judaism. Among her many Judaic art achievements, she has a mezuzah
in the permanent collection at the Jewish Museum of New York and she has created the
crown for the Women's Torah Project. Aimee works on many non-profit and educational
philanthropic causes through her art. Website: http://www.aimeegolant.com/
Valued at $250
Kadima • 12353 8th Ave NE • Seattle WA 98125 • 206.547.3914 • www.womenstorah.com
Ner Tamid, by Laurel Robinson
This Ner Tamid (traditional hanging lamp) is a lost-wax cast bronze and the orange lamp
is hand-blown glass illuminated by a small 40-watt bulb. The Ner Tamid hangs from a
cast bronze chain linked to a ceiling-mounted bronze canopy of flowers with a Star of
David. The cast bronze tent is decorated with faces, figurines, menorah, and hands
adorning the outside and opens up to the orange/yellow blown glass on the inside. The
cast bronze tent is 7 x 7 x 17”, the glass globe is 14.5 x 5” (diameter), the cast bronze
chain is 26 x 1.5 x 1”, and the cast bronze canopy is 6 x 6 x 1”.
Laurel Robinson is an artist and professor of art at Georgia Southwestern State
University. Among many notable exhibitions and publications of her work are pieces
displayed in four permanent museum collections in the United States. Laurel has been a
visiting lecturer and professor at other universities in the United States, as well as
teaching abroad at the University of Tel-Aviv in Israel. Laurel created the yad and yad
box for the Women’s Torah. http://www.gsw.edu/~finearts/laurel.htm
Valued at $6,000
Two Seder Plates, by sooze bloom deLeon grossman
For people with smaller Passover Seder tables, these long rectangular Seder plates are an
alternative to the traditional big round shape. The Seder plates are created from fused and
slumped glass, with copper and dichroic glass inclusions. Sooze bloom deLeon
grossman is one-half of Laughing Magpies and is creating a reversible mantle for the
Women’s Torah.
The first Seder plate is made out of a clear, green-tinted glass with darker and gold
shapes adorning. Dimensions: 20 x 5 ". The second Seder plate is light green/turquoise
shade with gold flecks and darker shapes adorning. Dimensions: 20 x 5"
Valued at $95 each
Platters, by Neal Sofian
Two large ceramic platters with Star of David designs, both with a short base support and
shallow bowl. The above platter is glazed with light greens and browns, with many
different colored Stars of David painted and incised into the surface. Approximately
13” in diameter x 2".
Neal Sofian has been working in clay since he started making a mess the back yard 50
years ago. In 1982 Neal moved to Seattle WA for his work in healthcare, where he
discovered Pottery Northwest (www.potterynorthwest.org) where he has been a student
for the past 27 years. For the past 4 years, Neal as served on Pottery Northwest’s Board
of Directors, and is currently President of the Board.
The second of Neal’s platters is dark black and brown ceramic, with a large white Star of
David painted in the center and other incised Stars. Approximately 14” in diameter x 2"
Each platter valued at $175
Two Silver Pendant Necklaces, by Andrea Sher-Leff
Two, one-of-a-kind Star of David pendants, both made of fine silver (.999%) with small
designs in the detail on the silver, each approximately 1” long. On black cord with silver
tips.
Andrea Sher-Leff grew up in Illinois, graduated from the International Academy of
Merchandising & Design and has been a silversmith and jewelry designer for the past 18
years. She currently resides in Austin, Texas where she recently opened her boutique,
Wear Art Thou, www.wearartthouaustin.com. Andrea is creating the clasp for the wimple
surrounding the Women’s Torah.
Valued at $168 each
“Blessing of Creation” framed Mizrach, by Marcia Falk
This framed and signed Mizrach, 9.5" x 16.5", is one of only 36 limited edition prints of
an original oil pastel. The text is the Blessing of Creation, from Marcia’s volume of new
Hebrew and English prayers, The Book of Blessings. Marcia’s mizrachs guide us to our
inner east, providing a focus for meditation, contemplation, and the prayer of the heart.
The mizrach is printed under the supervision of the artist on Epson Velvet Fine Art paper,
using archival pigments.
Marcia Falk is a poet, translator, and Judaic scholar. A popular public speaker, she
travels widely to college campuses and to various venues in the Jewish community,
where her topics range from the love lyrics of the Bible to contemporary Jewish women
writers. In addition to painting and creating her Mizrach art, she is widely published and
continues to lead congregations in services and rituals from her groundbreaking prayer
book, “The Book of Blessings: New Jewish Prayers for Daily Life, the Sabbath, and the
New Moon Festival”. Website: www.marciafalk.com
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Valued at $220
Tallit, by Shoshana Gugenheim
This medium/large white cotton Tallit with rainbow stripes wears like a shawl, sitting
over the shoulders and reaching down the back and front, with an open front. The white
fabric in the center is linen and the striped fabric on the sides is a heavy cotton weave
from Damascus. The tzitzit are tied in a traditional Ashkenazi tie and have techelet
threads. This tallit comes with a tallit bag made of the same striped Damascan fabric. It is
approximately 43" long x 28" wide.
Shoshana Gugenheim, M.Ed, is the lead scribe for the Women’s Torah Project and a
community artist and educator. She offers creative arts workshops addressing issues of
modernity with a special interest in women, land, and society. In addition to her visual
art, she incorporates the study of text, creative writing, and movement in her workshops.
Shoshana's mosaic works and one-of-a-kind books appear in "HaGalleria" at Kibbutz Har
El near Jerusalem. Shoshana lives in Jerusalem, Israel. www.shoshanagugenheim.com
Valued at $240
Challah Cover, by Lois Gaylord
Natural linen cloth challah cover with hand-woven band of cotton and tencel. Also
embroidered with the same spaced-dyed tencel yarn used in the wrap. In the center of the
cover, “Shabbat” is woven into the colorful design in Hebrew. Approximately 23 x 17".
Lois Gaylord grew up in San Jose, CA and is a weaver and fiber artist. She received her
BA in textile design from the University of Washington in the early 1980's and resides in
Seattle, Washington. Lois works as a freelance architectural model maker and part-time
fiber artists, specializing in weaving, sewing, and dyeing. Along with her interest in
clothing and costuming, Lois also creates textiles for religious or ritual use and is
currently weaving the bimah cloth for the Women’s Torah Project.
Valued at $100
Dreidel, by Jordana Rene
Ceramic dreidel, glazed with green, brown, and gold iridescent colors. Detail includes
decorative swirls and grooves in the ceramic. Approximately 5 " in height
Jordana Rene is a member of the American Ceramics Society and has studied art at the
Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, Otis College of Art and Design in Los
Angeles, and Candili Mountain Pottery in Procopi, Greece. Having recently been inspired
by the culture and philosophies of the far East, Jordana’s current art is reflective of nature
and spirituality. Her artwork includes ceramics, handmade books, and paintings of mixed
media. Jordana especially enjoys working with custom design clients to identify a new
design or glaze technique that meets their interests. Her commissions include artwork
designed for homes from Hong Kong to Los Angeles. She teaches art and Judaic studies
to children and has led workshops on the use of art as a tool for insight in religious
studies. www.jordanarene.com
Valued at $180
B'Tzeyt Yisrael:The Mountains Danced Like Rams,
by Rainer Waldman Adkins
Framed black and white gouache and watercolor of mountains and nature, animals, and
music in collaboration. Ink calligraphy of Psalm 114 in Hebrew bordering and titling the
piece. Dimensions: 16" x 19"
Rainer Waldman Adkins, Program Director for Kadima Reconstructionist Community
is an accomplished and widely collected artist, educator, and political activist.
Valued at $
The Middle Street Synagogue Sculptural Chanukah Menorah,
by Akiva Kenny Segan
This unframed handcolored lino print proof is approximately 15.5” x 21.5”
Akiva Segan is an artist and education director originally from New York City and now
residing in Seattle, Washington. After receiving a B.A. from Southern Illinois University
and M.F.A. from University of Missouri both in printmaking and drawing, he has
exhibited his artwork all over the United States and continues to work on his “Wings of
G-D” drawing series on the Holocaust. Akiva teaches many classes around the world
using art as education. Website: www.holocaust-art.org
Valued at $75
Framed and Signed Photographs, by Sarah Farr
Two signed, hand-printed photographs taken in Paraguay in 2005 by Sarah Farr. One
print is black-and-white, 14" x 11", and the other is a color Polaroid Transfer, 9" x 9".
Both prints were donated by Maia Brown, currently a senior at Oberlin College and a
long-time supporter of the Women’s Torah Project.
Valued at $50 each
Oil Painting, by Rachael Sofian
An unframed oil painting on canvas, of a red-haired girl amongst flowers, with white and
blue decorative background. Dimensions: 30" x 24"
Rachael Sofian is a graduate of the BFA program at Western Washington University
where she received the Whatcom Artist Guild and Artist Brevis Scholarships. Rachael
has been painting for the past 10 years and held a recent one women show at the One of
One Gallery in Bellingham. Rachael’s focus has been on figurative work. Her recent
work has incorporated vintage wallpaper patterns around and into the figures themselves.
Valued at $500
Painting, by Leah Knopf
Large colorful painting on canvas, depicting a blue hamsa and face as part of the tree of
life, on a green and yellow background. The Hebrew letters for “tree” are painted in the
lower left hand corner. Dimensions: 24" x 20"
Leah Knopf is a Seattlite currently attending the University of Washington, studying
anthropology and education. She loves the visual arts, including painting, photography
and mixed media. Aside from art, she happily teaches kindergarten at Kadima's Sunday
school, and is excited to see the outcome of the Women's Torah Project!
Valued at $300
Covered Jar, by Wally Bivins
Soda-fired stoneware cookie jar. Black on black glazes. Both food safe and dishwasher
safe. Approximately 10" x 9".
Wally Bivins has lived in the Seattle area for just over 10 years. He has worked as a
circus clown, a stone mason, and a designer of interactive computer installations.
Currently Wally serves as the Executive Director of Pottery Northwest,
www.potterynorthwest.org, a position he has held for five years. Pottery Northwest is a
professional facility housed at The Seattle Center offering its own artist-in-residence
program as well as an extensive selection of classes for people at all levels of interest.
Valued at $160
Silver Pendant, by Sandra Wakswaser
Hand-made solid silver mandala pendant, “231 Portals of Wisdom.” This piece
incorporates sequences of Hebrew letters that, according to the mystical tradition, have
extraordinary power to transmit energy into our physical world and, when worn and
meditated upon, cleanse destructive impulses and attract great light into one’s life. About
1.5 inches in diameter.
Sandra Wakswaser creates Jewelry with Meaning in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She studies
Kabbalah with Women’s Torah scribe Rachel Reichhardt. Website:
http://www.deluzdesign.com.br
Valued at $198
Mezuzah Box, by Norma Grinberg
Norma is donating two of her ceramic mezuzah boxes, each with a decorative twist and
the Hebrew letter “shesh” at the top. These are pale off-white in color. Please note that
these works of art are cases only and do not contain a prayer.
Norma Grinberg is one of Brazil’s premier ceramic artists. Her award-winning work is
critically noted for its originality and contemporary aesthetic. Norma combines her
artistic talent with exacting technique to create indoor and outdoor installations and huge
sculptures, such as the Humanoids, part of the permanent installation, Place with an Arch,
in the gardens of the Escola de Comunicação e Arte at Universidade de São Paulo; and
the Cururus, exhibited at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo; as well as smaller objects.
Objects of Jewish inspiration are also part of her work. http://www.normagrinberg.com.br
Two identical mezuzah cases, valued at $50 each
Mezuzah Case and Kosher Parchment Prayer, case by Elka Freller and
prayer by Women’s Torah scribe Rachel Reichhardt
Acrylic mezuzah case with silver tips, embellished with a thin slice of blue-dyed
Brazilian agate topped with the decorative Hebrew letter shin, also in silver.
Elka Freller, an award-winning designer based in São Paulo, Brazil, graduated in
Architecture and her passion for art led her to create jewelry. Elka joined her Jewish and
artistic lives to design jewelry for all Jewish stages of life, often reflecting a feminine
theme. She incorporates Brazilian stones, silver and gold. www.criando.net/elkafreller
WTP scribe Rachel Reichhardt is the b’nei mitzvah education coordinator at
Comunidade Shalom, a Conservative congregation with the first Brazilian woman rabbi
working in Brazil. She also teaches adult classes on Kabalah and other Jewish subjects.
Besides being extremely learned in Jewish studies, Rachel has always been active in
opening space for women in the Jewish tradition. Rachel was invited by the dean of the
Seminario Rabinico to Rachel to study there, which she did under the supervision of the
sofer. In 2004 she was officially accredited the title of soferet from the Institute Bet Ezra
Ha’Sofer of the Seminario Rabinico.
Valued at $150
Illumination, by Kevin Cain
Kevin Cain studied illustration at the New School of Visual Concepts in the early 1980’s
and has freelanced since 1986. His main focus has been aerial cartography. In 2005 he
received a Certificate of Children’s Book Illustration from the UW Extension program.
This artwork, created especially for the WTP auction, is derived from illuminations in
13th and 14th century Hebrew manuscripts. Kevin took techniques the ancient scribes
used to fill space and adapted them to his contemporary design sense. The result is
artwork firmly rooted in past traditions yet still speaking to modern sensibilities.
The 8 x 10” painting is executed in gouache and gold paint on archival paper.
Valued at $125
Collages, by sooze bloom deLeon grossman
(Images are of original collages. Collages will be printed on archival paper for this sale.)
The Heart of Arkness
Jacob’s Ladder
B’resheit I
Guardian of the Earth
Life is a Narrow Bridge
Noah’s Ark
Cosmic Angelica
The Doors Are Opening
Dona dona – on a Wagon
Sooze bloom deLeon grossman is half of Laughing Magpies and works in many media,
including glass and fabric. Sooze is creating the reversible pomegranate seed-motif cover
for the Women’s Torah and is one of the artists participating in Women of the Book.
The prints are approximately 11x17” and valued at $80 each.
Molded Glass Menorah
Heavy molded clear glass menorah, donated by Kadima member Shira Kost Brewer, has
metal inserts to hold Chanukah candles. It sits on a simple metal base that echoes the
curvilinear lines of the menorah itself. Dimensions: 12" x 6 ".
Valued at $100