Sunday, June 29, 2008

Ageless Art

Several members of our group had the honor of attending the art exhibit today at Rose Schnitzer Manor. As part of their 10th Anniversary celebration, they staged an amazing display of artwork done by resident artists. There was also work by some of the wonderful volunteers, and a separate exhibit of work by various local artists, depicting residents and activities at RSM.

This experience was thought-provoking on many levels. It was bittersweet and also inspiring. Some of the work was recent, some was done 40 years ago, but perfectly current in its appearance. Some works were professional quality, while some were just pleasant projects done at in-house classes. Some of the artists are still working, others have abandoned the brushes for various reasons. Some were present and happy to discuss their work, others were not.

We joked about mounting our own show when we all live there, but in truth I couldn't help but feel sad at the prospect of one day abandoning my needle & beads. I remembered the day my grandfather handed down his thread and needles to me, because arthritis forced him to end his career as a tailor.

One sweet moment today was overhearing a volunteer encouraging one of the residents to "let go" and allow herself to create new pieces without trying to match her previous works. She explained that the woman's first work was her most successful, because she wasn't trying to emulate anything else. It was good advice, and indicated that the young woman had really given some serious thought to the older woman's frustration. I found it very moving.

All in all, it was a wonderful and emotional experience. I hope they make this a regular event, and that many Portland artists will come and enjoy the inspiration.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

On the Move

Our members don't stay still for long!

- Eddy is vacationing in Amsterdam and Italy, enjoying wine, cheese, and a LOT of museums!

- Laurie is in Los Angeles, visiting the new grandchild again! (She's also working some magic for our group, but more on that later...)

- Sabina is about to leave for Wisconsin...

-Leslie's going to Israel this summer....

- Rosana and Ricardo are moving next week into their new condo!

I'm sure a lot of new artworks will come out of all these great experiences... just wait and see!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

New Location for Celebration of Art!

At last it can be revealed.... our upcoming CELEBRATION OF ART will be held at.... drumroll please.... Mittleman JCC!! The beautiful Ballroom of MJCC will be the setting for this year's ORA art show, featuring our own members, plus over 15 guest artists!

The date will be Sunday, October 12, 2008. Mark your calendars now... don't say you didn't have advance notice!

We are very excited about this new location for our annual art show and sale. MJCC is central to the Jewish community, so we feel it's a fitting place for our group. The facility is beautiful, with lots of parking, and the J Cafe right there on the premises. This is another big step for us, and we hope you'll come see us in this elegant setting.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Awesome Art!!

Today was our jurying of prospective guest artists for our show this autumn. It was wonderful to see how many artists submitted work, and how many of them were good! Acceptance and regret letters will go out later this week, and soon after that I hope to have pictures to post on our website.

This is a very exciting step for our fledgeling group. And it's amazing how much effort and coordination is required to make it happen. I'm impressed by how fast we were able to put the whole thing together; it was a result of many people really "stepping up."

To everyone who submitted art, kudos for putting your work out there, and good luck!

To our professional jurors, thank you so much for contributing your time and expertise!

To those ORA members who took this particular ball and ran with it, KOL HAKAVOD!