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. 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