56 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022
ARTS&LIFE
ART
T
hree mornings a week,
at Congregation Beth
Shalom in Oak Park,
some 15 painting students take
studio classes taught by artist
Harriet Gelfond. The class,
previously taught at the Jewish
Community Centers in Detroit
and Oak Park, moved to the
synagogue when the Oak Park
center closed in 2015.
Students’ recent work is
being shown through Sept. 15
during a popup exhibit at the
Janice Charach Gallery in the
Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield. The display,
Enduring Through Art, features
samples of projects developed
by each student attending the
Farber Art Class.
The works range from
realistic to abstracted images.
Students who have participated
over the years have shown their
work in earlier exhibits at the
Charach Gallery.
“I’ve been teaching this class
since 1968, and I just want the
community to see how an art
class can produce this won-
derful, imaginative work,
” said
Gelfond, whose own art train-
ing came from Cass Technical
High School and Oakland
Community College.
“My brother-in-law, Charles
Gelfond, who is an artist,
taught the class for a year, and
he is in that class still. If stu-
dents see that it’s a safe place, a
friendly place where they can
get help if they want to and
some kind of encouragement,
I think that’s what keeps them
coming.
“It’s a wonderful thing to see
the progress of each student
and their ability to keep mov-
ing and learning. One thing I
appreciate is that it’s not that
easy for someone who wants
to paint to get up the courage
to do it, so I give them credit
for wanting to openly do their
work.
”
James Britt, who generally
paints portraits, has been with
the class almost since the very
beginning. His work has been
shown at a gallery in Saugatuck
and at the Birmingham
Bloomfield Art Center.
“I go to this class two or
three days a week,
” said Britt, a
retired restauranteur who lives
in Redford Township and miss-
es classes during the part of the
year that he spends in Florida.
“I had an aunt who put a paint-
brush in my hand and gave me
some paints when I was 12.
That started it, and it developed
over the years.
”
Britt offered six recent paint-
ings for the exhibit and believes
painting brings magic into his
days.
“Using paint to bring things
to life on canvas is a magical
experience,
” said Britt, who has
taken some art instruction at
the College for Creative Studies
and Muskegon Community
College. “Sometimes, it’s breath-
taking, and I spend a couple of
Farber Art Class students exhibit
at the Janice Charach Gallery.
Enduring
Through Art
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
CLOCKWISE:
Students have been
coming to the Farber
Art Class. Artwork by
Anne Olender. Artwork
by Beth Dzodin-Fuchs.
Details
Enduring Through Art
can be seen through
Sept. 15 at the Janice
Charach Gallery in the
West Bloomfield Jewish
Community Center. Hours
are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays
and Tuesdays and by
appointment. (248) 432-
5579. gallery@jccdet.org.