Art Accolades
Twenty-five years of great music and great Judaic art were celebrated at the 25th annual Festival of Jewish Artisans at Temple Isaiah in West Los Angeles. At the opening night concert, festival founder and arts educator Jean Abarbanel revealed how she and co-founder Marcia Josephy were “on the hunt” for Jewish artists.
Always an education event rather than a fundraiser, the festival has showcased more than 300 artists, who come at their own expense. Originally, Abarbanel said, they vowed not to raise money (but not to lose money, either), to always have an activity for children and to create a network for the artists.
Added Josephy, “The Festival enhances our Jewish lives in a meaningful way.”
Many artists, including longtime exhibitors Ruth Shapiro, a metal worker-jeweler from Mar Vista, and Middie Giesberg, who exhibits vividly colored Ethiopian embroideries through the North American Committee for Ethiopian Jewry, said this is the most prestigious show of its kind, and the artists are treated the best.
The opening night concert featured the 100-voice Angel City Chorale, directed by Sue Fink, with virtuoso John Bilezikjian and pianist Tali Tadmor. Also featured were Cantors Evan Kent (Temple Isaiah), Alison Wissot (Temple Judea, Tarzana) and Patti Linsky (Ahavat Shalom, Northridge) in a musical montage of the festival’s past 25 years. Musical selections included Yiddish, Hebrew and Broadway tunes. An artists reception and preview sale followed the concert.
The second day began with an artists networking and education brunch at the temple. All afternoon there was a steady stream of buyers sampling wares like Brian Bergner’s Jerusalem stone mezuzahs; silver and pewter candlesticks by Israeli Rafi Landau and San Diegan Lisa Slovis Mandel; and whimsical metal Judaic wall art by Arel Mishory of Denver.
Other wares included vivid glass platters by Gila Sagy, an Israeli now living in Northern California; sand-blasted etched glass plates and goblets by Michelle and David Plachte-Zuieback of Santa Rosa; and gold jewelry with ancient Israeli coins and ancient Roman glass by eighth-generation Yemenite jeweler Moshe David.
For more information, call (310) 277-2772 or visit ” target=”_blank”>www.unicefusa.org or call (800) 486-4233.
