SH mAisitE
Front Lines
1
DETROIT JEWISH HEWS
DIGEST
JNonline.us
Advertising Sales
Publisher/President Arthur M. Horwitz
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
Sales Director: Keith Farber
kfarber@renmedia.us
Account Executives: Ann G. Abrams, Jan Haskell,
Melissa LitvIn, Heidi Martin, Rick Nessel, Dharlene Norris
Senior Sales Assistant: Kim Metzger
Contemporary Art
Business Offices
Your donated tie could be
in Charach Gallery show.
Karen Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News
D
etroit's old neckties may have
just found a new home. San
Francisco-based artists Isaac
Amala and Liz Simpson are collecting
ties at two donations spots around the
city to be part of an exhibition, "Into
the Threadbare': coming to the Jewish
Community Center's Janice Charach
Gallery in West Bloomfield on Oct. 17.
Their work, which will incorporate
ties from the community and their own
collection organized by color, texture
and pattern, will put between 5,000 and
10,000 ties on display, with the center-
piece a two-story tree-trunk-shaped tube
coming out of the floor in the largest
sculpture ever exhibited at the gallery.
"It is a chance to see ties stacked, lay-
ered, sewn and wrapped. More than that,
it's contemporary art people can relate
to',' said Simpson, 27.
"People recognize [the ties] and say
`Hey, I know this tie; I had one just like
it; I had one just like it when I got my
first job; or my aunt gave me one just like
this and I never wore it because it was so
ugly," Simpson said, adding that she likes
working with materials that come with
their own stories.
Ties range from tags still on to
threadbare, and Donald Trump to Wal-
Mart. Ties can be dropped off until the
week before the show at the Charach
Gallery; and also at the Shirt Box on
Northwestern Highway in Farmington
Hills until Oct. 1. The Shirt Box will give
$20 discount cards to tie donors, said
co-owner Ron Elkus, adding that he is
excited to see people's discarded ties
become art.
"I think it's amazing because one thing
is that men don't have too many personal
things ... a suit, a white shirr,' he said.
"But with ties, they can express their per-
sonality, so a lot of times, men will be a
little bit more carefree with their ties:"
It's a material that resonated with the
artists because of its popular connota-
tions and also its potential, said Amala,
25."The focus is as much on the indi-
vidual tie as it is on a large collection of
ties," he said, explaining they see the ties
as pixels that they can "paint" with.
Customer Service Assts.: Maya Brodsky, Jan Shain
Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner
Collections Analyst: Hazel Bender
Creative Services
creative@thejewishnews.com
Creative Director: Deborah Schultz
Contributing Graphic Designer: Lindsay Schwartz
Production By VERTIS INC.
Site Manager: Scott Drzewiecki
Designers: Iris Dembeck, Jeffrey Meyer, Pam Sherevan,
Michelle Sheridan
Former Detroiters Isaac Amala and
Liz Simpson, now of San Francisco,
will create sculptures from ties for
an upcoming exhibition at the Janice
Charach Gallery.
"Basically, we say how do we want
these ties to interact with each other and
how can we stretch people's expectations
for what's possible with a simple necktie':
he said.
Simpson, who left Detroit in 2000, and
Amala, who left in 2001 — both are West
Bloomfield High School graduates —
look forward to bringing their contempo-
rary art home. The two have collaborated
on projects for the past five years and
worked with neckties the last three.
"Metro Detroit was the place where
we each first imagined we could become
artists': said Amala, "and that there was a
place for us in the creative field."
❑
ECO p_._Judaism
Travel
• Look for travel agencies that will
help you to offset your carbon emis-
sions associated with business travel.
www.expedia.com , www.terrapass.com
• Turn your water heater to the low-
est setting (or off) when you travel.
• Fly less. Take a train instead. Trains
emit less CO2 emissions, per pas-
senger, than going by plane. It is
also safe, fun and a great way to
see the countryside.
• Stop your newspaper when you
travel.
• Unplug appliances when you travel.
• Use the courtesy van at your hotel.
• Turn off a/c and lights in your hotel
room.
• Stay at hotels that recycle.
Our JN Mission
• Pack a night light for kids rather
than leaving the bathroom light on
in the hotel.
• Choose hotels that are members of
the Green Association.
• Hang your "Do not disturb" sign
to avoid having sheets and towels
washed every day when staying at
hotels. Many hotel now also have
signs saying "if you don't want us to
change your linens, put this sign on
your pillow" and "if you don't want
us to change your towels hang them
back up and throw the ones you
want changed on the floor." Make
use of all of these signs and/or tell
the management.
• Plan vacation trips close to home.
• Plan low impact vacations such as
sailing and canoeing instead of motor
boating. Think of off-road biking
instead of off-road motor vehicles.
• On vacation consider low impact
recreational activities such as:
walking, jogging, hiking, bicycling,
wildlife photography, canoeing,
camping, tennis, golf, swimming,
football, etc.
• Try a "green" spa. To find a sustain-
able spa near you, check out the
www.greenspanetwork.org
Contact Michigan Coalition on the
Environment & Jewish Life for global
warming presentations: (248) 642-
5393, ext. 7; mi-coejl®jfmd.org ; or
www.mi-coejl.org .
Source,WCOE.J1_,copyrightZ009
The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that's useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to reflect the full range of diverse viewpoints while also
advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages creativity
and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive member of the community. Being competitive, we must always strive to be the most respected, outstanding
Jewish community publication in the nation. Our rewards are informed, educated readers, very satisfied advertisers, contented employees and profitable growth.
A8
July 16 • 2009
Photography
Staff Photographers: Angie Baan, Armando Rios
Editorial
Editor: Robert A. Sklar
rsklar@thejewishnews.com
Associate Editor: Alan Hitsky
ahitsky@thejewishnews.com
Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen
kcohen@thejewishnews.com
Arts Editor: Gail Zimmerman
gzimmerman@thejewishnews.com
Senior Writer: Shelli Liebman Dorfman
sdorfman@thejewishnews.com
Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net
Columnists: George Cantor, Robin Schwartz, Steve Stein
Copy Team:
Senior Copy Editor: David Sachs
dsachsWthejewishnews.com
Copy Team Assistant: Sy Manello
smanello@thejewishnews.com
Platinum:
Editor: Lynne Konstantin
lkonstantin@thejewishnews.com
Executive Editor: Gail Zimmerman
gzimmermanWthejewishnews.com
Young Adult Advisory Board
Gayle Friedman Gold, Jordan Glass, Robin Schwartz,
Brad "Bubba" Urdan
Published by: Jewish Renaissance Media
Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt
President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett
kbrowett@renmedia.us
Controller: Craig R. Phipps
Editorial Director: Robert A. Sklar
IT & Circulation Director: Deanna Spivey
Marketing Consultant: Kelli Baird
Fulfillment
circulationdesk@thejewishnews.com
Customer Service Manager: Zena Davis
Departments
General Offices: 248-354-6060
Display Advertising: 248-354-6060
Fax: 248-304-0032
Circulation: 248-351-5174
Classified Advertising: 248-351-5100
Fax: 248-304-0049
Deadline: Monday, 4 p.m.: Editorial
Fax: 248-304-8885
Deadline: All public and social announcements must
be typewritten and received by noon Tuesday, nine
days prior to desired date of publication.
Subscriptions:
1 year
2 years
3 years
1 year out-of-state
2 years out -of - state
Per year foreign
$69
$129
$155
$96
$180
$142
Detroit Jewish News
29200 Northwestern Highway
Suite 110
Southfield, MI 48034
©copyright 2009 Detroit Jewish News