COMMON MAN, MYTHIC VISION:
The Paintings of Ben Shahn
JULY 25- OCTOBER 31
Art As Dialogue
The role of artists in peace making
and community building is explored in
a new exhibit at the Janice Charach
Epstein Museum/Gallery.
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News
EiCow can art completed by
Bookshop: Hebrew Books, Holy Day Books, I 953;
The Detroit Institute of Arts
© Estate of Ben Shahn/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
BEN S H A H N championed social justice and made paintings that communicate
the shared experiences and concerns of humanity. His art expresses our joys and
sorrows, reflects his Jewish heritage, and celebrates the strength of the human spirit.
Free with museum admission.
support was received through the generosity of The Henry Luce
This exhibition is sponsored by Ernst &Young LLP.
Foundation.Additional funding was provided by the National Endoiment for the Arts, a federal agency. Organized by The
Jewish Museum, N1:
In Detroit the exhibition is made possible with support from the .Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural
Affairs and the City of Detroit.
THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit • 3.13-833-7900 • www.dia.org
WEST BLOOMFIELD PLAZA
6720 Orchard Lake Road
W. Bloomfield (next to Deli Unique)
248-855-6566
8/13
1999
I 7S Detroit Jewish News
Jewish, Arab and Druze
Israelis help bring prosper-
ity
: to the Middle East?
Its not by market value,
according to economist
Cynthia Phillips of Ann Arbor.
It's by the way they communi-
cate and build bridges between
different groups of people.
"A civil community builds
the foundation for a prosper-
ous community," Phillips says.
Phillips, who is Orthodox,
believes in the power of art ag
peacemaker so strongly that
she invested her own money to
put together a traveling art
exhibit, documentary video,
companion book and educa-
tional CD-ROM that soon will
be shown in the United States.
IP*
tion dealing with remains of Arab
homes. Natour Camel offers mosaics
related to religion.
Phillips began working on the exhi-
bition in 1997, after being invited to
Israel by artist and new friend Zvit
Sharabi, then a student at the
University of Michigan. While in
Identity Thought and Vision:
Discussions with Jewish, Arab
and Druze Israeli Artists has its
American premier Aug. 19-
Oct. 7 at the Janice Charach
Epstein Museum/Gallery.
Through the works of 27
artists and associated materials,
audiences journey into Israeli
landscapes and soulscapes.
"I became an economist
because I wanted to help people,
but they can't have financial secu-
rity or economic development if
there's constant conflict," says
Phillips, 36, a doctoral. candidate
in agricultural economics at
Michigan State University.
"I created my production com-
pany to offer exchanges that bring
groups together. In the Detroit area,
we're developing a dialogue between
Arab and Jewish artists so people have a
better sense of Israelis and who they are."
Most of the exhibit consists of
paintings. Anton Biederman shows a
collage of world leaders. Avi Ezra dis-
plays work that explores issues of iso-
lation and connection. Ayana
Friedman has a photography installa-
Clocwise from top left:
Arab Israeli artist Farid Abu Shakra:
"Untitled."
Jewish Israeli artist Anton Biederman:
"Memory Candles."
Druze Israeli artist Natour Camel:
"Clan of Religion."
Israel, Phillips met Biederman, who is
Jewish and already had been planning
exhibits with Arab and Druze artists.
"Once I started talking with the
artists, it became a passion of mine to
share their stories," explains Phillips,
who completed her project with asec-
ond trip. "I took a tape recorder and
video camera and went back to refine
the material. It gives an eye on Israel
that we don't get to see a lot. The spir-