“As an artist, my work is about bringing color and light into the world.

As an educator, my goal is to empower others to take risks and to embrace their own creativity.

As a Jew, my commitment is to celebrate life to its fullest, acknowledging the power of both Source & community.”

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You are my community & I am grateful.

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בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

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Turning 70. Filled with Gratitude. It’s a very big deal.

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“Permission Granted”

This exhibit is my book. My living, multidimensional book.

Everything tells a story. Lots of moving parts.

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There’s the story of always loving to make things— drawing pictures on the cardboard from my father’s dry cleaned white shirts, creating outfits for my Barbie, Skipper, and blond hair, blue eyed Ken dolls, and being asked by my grammar school teachers to design the classroom bulletin boards.

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There’s the story of being practical and NOT going to art school but instead studying Occupational Therapy at a prestigious northeastern university.— spending summers running the art program at a girls camp in New Hampshire and eventually moving to California to work as a psych OT… facilitating groups of all kinds in a variety of settings— teaching religious school at a few different synagogues and discovering Jewish camps on the west coast that didn’t include waterfronts but were filled with other creatives with whom I could collaborate. Teaching quilting to women in the San Bruno county jail… Piecing a work life together.

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There’s the story of fully claiming my artist identity AFTER working at the NAMES Project/AIDS Memorial Quilt for three years and coming to believe that ANYTHING is possible— That a group of rag tag folks in our late 20s and early 30s could pull off such a challenge—-“shlepping a shmate” around the world to raise consciousness about a deadly pandemic while providing a mechanism for folks to memorialize their loved ones and help to process their grief.

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If we could do that, I could, for example, make painted silk tallises that would be part of the transformation of Jewish life with a new, different looking ritual object for a new and different generation with female clergy changing EVERYTHING.

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There’s the story of hundreds— or was it thousands— of people making their own tallis with me, each with THEIR own story AND of one of those tallit makers— Rachel Chancellor & I reconnecting after over 10 years this past November with them then inviting me to have this exhibition of my work here now.

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There’s the story of Mark Liebowitz and I meeting in an exhibition hall in Houston, Texas in 2005 under a chuppah that was part of my booth display at the URJ Biennial Conference and four years later getting married beneath it— building a life together tending to aging parents together— creating “home” wherever we were— and even making some beautiful art together.

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All of those stories are jumbled up — hanging on the walls, in the windows, from the ceiling, and from the rafters of this very building… Over 40 years of art making—- with a few pieces from my youth thrown in for good measure.

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A Retrospective with a celebration on my 70 and a half birthday.

What comes next?

One foot in front of the other.

Feet on the ground with my head held high and filled with pride.

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“Exploration” a word on an Angel card I picked the other night— Exploration as to what comes next… Shooting for something new without a clear path, but knowing that I’m moving in the right direction.

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Like knowing decades ago that I could design and paint on silk, even engaging others in the painting process but that I was (and AM) dependent on others— folks with additional skill sets to complete the projects— OTHERS like Lior Jacober, who, after having sewn many a tallis for me (but not for many years), I knew I could trust to masterfully sew yardage of silk with images of my recent paintings printed on it into a finished garment (or two) in record time so that I could wear one today!

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Deep breath.

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So now I’m ready to begin a new venture— One that’s been percolating for a few years while Mark and I were still living in New England. I know for sure that I’m going to need help.

I’ll need partners with a range of skills to join me in this venture allowing me to continue to paint and have others handle assorted and not yet known pieces of the pie.

I think it can be great fun and I invite you to talk with me about it over the next few weeks and months.

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Meanwhile, for now—- here today— continue to enjoy yourselves, the art, the space— decorate a pomegranate to put on the tree, grab a bookmark and an “I’m on the Committee” button, make a note as to a shared art making experience. Have something to eat and drink and enjoy this heavenly day!

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I bless us all to keep the creative spirit alive in order to nurture ourselves, each other, and the planet.

Thank you so much for being here. L’chaim!