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Artist Joan Rosenblum derives colors from sounds.

awakenings, when she experi-
enced strong reactions to colors
as a child.
The artist recalls dreaming
Ann Arbor
that colors were coming at her
bstract painter Joan
and associated those visions
Rosenblum works in a
with emotions.
studio on the top floor
"The works I do have many
of her Ann Arbor home. She
layers;' explains Rosenblum,
merges subtle and bold shades
who has shown her paintings at
seen first by her inner eye, usu-
ally while music is playing. Very the Ann Arbor art fairs and in a
number of galleries, including
recently, hues have been imag-
the Janice Charach Epstein
ined in response to spoken ref-
Gallery in West Bloomfield and
erences.
the ARC Gallery in Chicago. "I
Rosenblum has shown her
work surrounded by acoustic
artistic reactions to sounds in
equipment and most every kind
many exhibits. Her latest proj-
of music except hard rock."
ects will be on view Oct. 7-Dec.
Rosenblum, who grew up in
7 at ArtSearch in Ann Arbor.
New York City, remembers draw-
She will share the space with
ing people she noticed as she
sculptor Norma Penchansky-
Glasser, whose bronze forms are rode the subway, but she set
aside her art interest for a more
planned to give a real sense of
practical focus and majored in
bodies in motion.
biochemistry in college. Married
"I was with my sister and her
at 19 to Robert Rosenblum and
grandchildren when the chil-
a parent in her early 20s, the for-
dren started talking about their
mer New Yorker gave up school
grandmother in terms of col-
to look after her family.
ors," Rosenblum explains about
After her two children were in
the ideas behind many of the
school, she took private art
works she is about to display.
classes while living in upstate
"They said, 'There she goes —
through the red, around the yel- New York. When her husband's
work brought him to Ann Arbor,
low and inside the purple!
she decided to continue her art
"The children seem to have
studies, first at Washtenaw
the same kind of instinct for
Community College and later at
colors that I have, and I took
Eastern Michigan University.
each of their ideas and turned
"I got a bachelor's degree in
them into paintings using their
fine arts and a teaching certifi-
phrases for titles.
cate," Rosenblum explains. "I
"Through the Red has differ-
rented a studio until my hus-
ent shades of red with a black
band built the one in our home.
band on the side and an overall
strong mood. Around the Yellow I like to work midday to evening
because the afternoon light is
is done in pastels with blues
not as intense. I also like to see
and purples to look like a piece
the work in artificial light."
of cloth. Inside the Purple
includes two cutout squares of
paper with pale purple on the
outer rim and beige inside."
Artistic Partnership
Rosenblum, 69, who alternates The artist, whose projects are
media by sometimes choosing
part of commercial and public
oils and other times opting for
collections including the Ford
pastels, will have 12 pieces in
Design Center in Dearborn and
the show, including works done
the Ann Arbor Public Library,
in previous years. Her paintings
owns sculpture by her exhibit
all reach back to her first artistic

Suzanne Chessler

Special to the Jewish News

A

IN

October 6 . 2005

partner, who like Rosenblum, is
Jewish, and has been trying to
arrange a joint exhibit for a long
time.
In a way, Rosenblum has had
a mini joint exhibit in her sec-
ond home, a Philadelphia condo
that keeps the artist and her
husband close to their son. After
Degas, a Penchansky-Glasser
sculpture of a ballerina, stand-
ing before a Rosenblum oil
painting completed in shades of
red, graces the dwelling.
"I've admired Norma's work
since 1980;' says Rosenblum,
who has joined many group
shows, including the Ann Arbor
Area Pastelists Third Biennial
Exhibit and the EMU Art
Alumni Exhibition. "I'm so
pleased that the ArtSearch ven-
ture finally came together."
Rosenblum, a member of
Hadassah and Congregation
Beth Israel in Ann Arbor, has
not brought Judaic themes into
her works and does not play
religious recordings while work-
ing.
"I must say that the religious
music stays in my head after the
holidays;' says Rosenblum, who
has six grandchildren. "I have
painted with that music in mind
and probably will have that
same experience this year."

Fiddlesticks

❑

Joan Rosenblum's paintings,
along with the sculptures of
Norma Penchansky-Glasser,
will be on view Oct. 7-Dec.
7 at ArtSearch, 717 West
Huron, Ann Arbor. There
will be a reception 5-10
p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and a
public showing noon-9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 8. After that,
the collection can be seen
Mondays-Fridays by
appointment. (734) 769-
3223.

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