A Vacationer's Guide to Artists'Studios
Rockland, Mae
MAE ROCKLAND A VACATIONER'S GUIDE TO ARTISTS' STUDIOS The New Jewish Yellow Pages update In the fall of 1975, when I began to compile material for The Jewish Yellow Pages (Schocken Books, 1976;...
...He works in silver, steel, bronze and copper to create unusual ceremonial objects...
...Rebecca Lynn Wachtel 807 Haines Champaign, Illinois 61820 (217)356-5907 In her basement ceramics studio in Champaign, home of the University of Illinois, Rebecca produces contemporary Kiddush cups, Chan-nukiot, Seder plates, etrog containers—if it can be crafted in ceramic, Rebecca probably makes it...
...Please call for an appointment...
...Of particular interest, however, is her Kinor series, sound sculptures inspired by David's harp...
...others welcome visitors to their studios not only to be able to communicate with potential clients but also to help people understand the effort and commitment that goes into the creative process...
...Lois Hirshberg Ken Rosenfield Mudflat Pottery 25 First Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141 (617)876-3877 Elee Koplow Claydragon Studios 26 Otis Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141 (617) 354-3205 You can park you car and visit both Mudflat Pottery and Claydragon Studios...
...While in Alma, you might see the Delta Queen Riverboat or go to a local cheese factory to sample the goodies...
...Incorporating her own ideas and style, she draws on ancient techniques that she learned from some of the best Yemenite jewelers...
...Marks Place Fairfax, Virginia 22031 A visit to Schaefer Studios discloses how it is possible to combine life in suburbia with full time craft production...
...In our printshop you can see the processes we use...
...the nearest synagogue is 50 miles away...
...Call ahead if you want to make certain to see either Lois or Ken...
...One note: if you happen to be in the Chicago area in mid-June, try to visit the Greater Chicago Folk Arts Festival, which will take place on Sunday June 14 on the lakefront at Centennial Park in Evanston from 11 a.m...
...She will be in her studio until mid-August when she will travel to the east coast in anticipation of a show at Kolbo in Brookline, Massachusetts...
...No Friday or Saturday calls...
...Please always call before dropping by (I've noted those who do not want Shabbat visits...
...Janet Berg c/o Bezalel Art Academy Metal Arts Department Ado Hanavi Street Jerusalem, Israel Like many Jewish artists, Janet is fascinated with the design potential of the Hebrew alphabet...
...Elee creates charming, strong personality caricatures in bright colored clays, Jewish figures from brides and rabbis to bicycle riding Chassidim, all crafted with skill and affection...
...Her work consists primarily of rings with names and quotations and name pendants in the contemporary mode...
...Mae Rockland Myron Tupa Metatron Designs 106 Francis Street Brookline, Massachusetts 02146 (617)738-1894 Much as I'd like to be studio-hopping this summer, I will be working in and on my design studio along with my husband, Myron Tupa, who is also a printmaker...
...to 6 p.m...
...If you think that your work—or that of someone you know—should be included in future columns, please write to me care of moment...
...With the publication of the book, even more people contacted me with news of their products and services...
...Felton, a small community two hours south of San Francisco, is particularly beautiful in the summer because of the redwoods...
...Claydragon is open from 10 a.m...
...You can see her masks and her limited edition cast bronze bas relief, "Mothers of Israel," in her studio...
...She gallery-sits most Thursday afternoons, or she can be reached at home (617) 469-9292...
...There will be continuous music and dance, a children's stage and a juried art exhibit and sale...
...Visitors will find Rosh Hashanah cards, folkloric Sukkah decorations and papercuts—including some in 5x7 plastic box frames that can be personalized—on hand...
...If you want to make certain to see Elee, call for an appointment...
...They are available for visits except during the month of June and the last week in July...
...Wendy Friedman 23 East 10th Street New York, New York 10003 (212) 598-0393 Wendy is happy to see visitors interested in k'tubot, invitations, birth announcements and the like in her home studio where she has an ancient k'tubah on display...
...Will makes silver jewelry and Rita is a potter...
...She uses her calligraphic skills in the crafting of crystal engraving and intricate jewelry...
...to 5 p.m...
...Gunther Aron The Old School House Lamy, New Mexico 87540 (505) 983-3017 Gunther Aron's converted school house and studio is just 17 miles from Sante Fe...
...Please call before you come—except Friday afternoons and Saturday...
...He has limited edition k'tubot (marriage contracts) available that are surprisingly inexpensive, and will also accept commissions for hand done calligraphic designs...
...Allan is a master cabinet maker who creates ritual Judaica from wood he often has cut himself...
...Matching tallit bags are available...
...On the first and third Monday mornings of July and August, she will conduct tours entitled "The Art Institute of Chicago—The Jewish Connection," adults $7, children, 5-16, $4, including Institute admission...
...In addition to furniture, he will custom design large ritual pieces for homes or synagogues...
...containing about 90 percent new material and celebrating the phenomenal growth of Jewish American arts and crafts...
...Rose Ann Ohasman 6147 North Richmond Chicago, Illinois 60659 (312) 764-4169 Rose Ann is amazingly prolific...
...Leslie Cattman 9261 Zayante Road Felton, California 95018 (408) 335-2640 In her garage-become-studio, Leslie fashions elegant folk-loric pottery—porcelain with calligraphic and floral designs in blue, green or brown...
...Charna Rickey 4011 Ocean Front Walk Venice, California 90291 (213) 870-8018 (home) (213) 399-5118 (studio) Charna Rickey's contemporary Judaic bronze sculpture is well known in the Los Angeles area...
...Even though the new book is bigger and better, my file still runneth over...
...And that is why I am so pleased that moment has afforded me the opportunity to share periodic updates in these pages...
...Fortunately, that fear was unfounded, and the only thing that saved me from a severe case of mail inundation was a manuscript deadline and publication date...
...By the time you read this, most of you will have decided how you will spend those precious vacation days...
...They are the only Jewish family in their county...
...The rest of the time Joan works at her calligraphy and can be reached for special appointments at home— except on Shabbat...
...Thus, the newly released The New Jewish Yellow Pages (S.B.S...
...She's made masks of many mythological figures and has developed a series based on women in the Bible...
...Lois and Ken, along with other studio potters, work at Mudflat creating ceramic work, some with Judaic themes, in their own distinctive styles...
...All tours by arrangement only...
...She creates strikingly handsome metal masks that are not only valid aesthetic statements on their own but also spring to life when they are incorporated into her dramatic storytelling presentations...
...Our neighborhood, the Coolidge Corner area of Brookline, has a wonderful multi-ethnic vibrance...
...She enjoys demonstrating the hot wax techniques, and has demonstration and educational materials available as well as her production line of exquisite batik challah and matzah covers and unusual fabric m'zzuzot...
...Those people listed here, however, will be in their studios during the summer and have indicated that they enjoy visitors...
...From August 17 through 28, she will be conducting two five-day workshops at the Omega Institute, New Lebanon, New York, on maskmaking and storytelling (call 518-794-8850 for additional information...
...If you are lucky enough to be planning a trip to Israel, try to look up Kadish Gaibel (whose English is infinitely better than my Hebrew), Janet Berg, Neil Folberg and Barbara Gingold...
...They will be on their farm most of the summer, growing vegetables and gathering wood for the three wood stoves that provide the only heat for their house...
...We work in our restored Victorian home in Brookline...
...Publishing Inc...
...Gladys also custom weaves synagogue textiles...
...Ted Egri Taos, New Mexico 87571 (505) 776-2444 Ted Egri works almost exclusively on commissions for specific locations...
...Reeva, who lives nearby, does calligraphic designs in both Hebrew and English...
...Elee Koplow shares the enormous Claydragon studio space and firing facilities with a dozen other ceramists— some potters and some sculptors...
...He welcomes visitors in his Jerusalem studio...
...She maintains a portfolio of work to help clients develop ideas...
...Joan Mesznik Vessels 254 West 81st Street New York, New York 10024 (212) 799-8085 (studio) (212) 874-5286 (home) Joan Mesznik's extraordinary ceremonial pottery can be seen at her studio-shop all day Sunday until 8:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 11:30 p.m...
...Many more are described in The New Jewish Yellow Pages, which also has addresses for other stops of interest to the Jewish tourist...
...There are several kosher and/or Jewish-Israeli style restaurants alongside the Chinese, Greek, Irish, Hungarian, French and Italian eateries all within walking distance, not to mention six ice cream establishments...
...Call in advance...
...to 4 p.m...
...to 9 p.m., Friday through Sunday noon to 6 p.m...
...So, in the summer of 1979 I began the work of revising The Jewish Yellow Pages only to find that there was so much happening that rather than a simple revision a new book was in order...
...Phyllis Kantor 250 East 38th Street Eugene, Oregon 97405 (503) 344-5509 Reeva Kimble 2352 Van Ness Eugene, Oregon 97430 (503) 345-8129 If you are in Oregon after September 1 when Phyllis will be back at her 16 harness loom, you can see her weave intricate double woven challah and matzah covers, wall hangings and heirloom quality tallitot...
...A group of ten or more adults can make arrangements for other times...
...No Friday afternoon or Saturday calls...
...now out of print), I was afraid that despite my good intentions I wouldn't find enough examples of high quality Jewish-Americana to fill a genuinely helpful sourcebook...
...Just a few blocks from John F. Kennedy's birthplace, a national monument, there are a half dozen Jewish bakeries and bagel shops as well as a Jewish bookstore and craft gallery...
...Admission is free...
...Rose Ann lives in West Rogers Park...
...Gladys Hoisington 1227 S.E...
...If you plan to be close to home this summer, or traveling in this country, getting to know some of the talented artists and craftspeople in your own vicinity or along your travel route can be enriching and rewarding...
...After June 1, Elee will be working on an unusual tile mural of Jerusalem for a California client...
...Neil Folberg Ma'alotDafna 139/13 Jerusalem, Israel Neil, whose intimate photographs of the North American Lubavitch community are widely known, has spent the past year photographing the Sinai in color...
...Please, no dogs, cats or lizards that snap at people's ankles...
...Some artists and craftspeople prefer to show their work only through galleries and shops...
...Finally, the craftsmentchen listed here represent just a sampling of the many talented people turning their efforts towards the creation of fine Judaica...
...Particularly noteworthy is his series of large, elegant Chanukah lamps that should be displayed as sculpture year round...
...Deborah Kelman 5173 Coronado Oakland, California 94618 (415) 653-7375 Batik artist Deborah Kelman welcomes visitors to her studio, but by appointment only (no Friday evenings, Saturdays or holidays...
...Wendy is there much of the time, but takes a swim and exercise break daily to get out of the "desk position," so please call in advance...
...If your synagogue or community center is considering a major acquisition, call for an appointment...
...Many Jewish artists, especially those far from large Jewish communities, feel isolated from the public they want to reach, so a visit to them provides not only the opportunity to have a good time, but also to perform a mitzvah...
...Schaefer Studios 9125 St...
...They create lovely harmonics corresponding in intensity to the wind that activates them...
...Call Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m...
...Is it any wonder that so many politicians have started out here...
...The resulting landscapes resemble exquisite water-color paintings, and are avidly sought by collectors of fine photographs...
...By summer, we hope to have two presses and our silkscreen area fully operational...
...Monday through Saturday...
...She loves greeting visitors, explaining the ceramic process and teaching a bit about Judaic art...
...Barbara Gingold Dor Vedorshav 8 Moshava Germanit Jerusalem, Israel A free-lance graphic designer and photographer, Barbara also arranges tours for visitors interested in Jewish crafts and in seeing studios of other artists...
...The shop and display room are open and attended Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m...
...There is no obligation to buy, but do keep in mind that time is a major ingredient in artwork...
...Kadish Gaibel Herzog 55 Jerusalem, Israel Kadish, a calligrapher, is the advisor to the department of ceramics at the Bezalel Academy of Art on the subject of Hebrew letters...
...Allan and Sue Schultz RR2, Box 53A Alma, Wisconsin 54610 (608) 685-3821 Sue and Allan, both raised in Chicago, have opted for the rural life...
...And, if you cannot visit but are interested in these artists, do write or phone...
...When you call for an appointment, you might check with the University to see what their summer theater is offering when you are in town...
...Sue and Allan require only about 10 minutes' notice, "just enough time to put on the kettle...
...In the "clean" studio we display papercuts, limited edition etchings and silkscreen prints and boxed greeting cards based on Jewish themes...
...12th Terrace Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441 (305) 421-6704 The B'nai Or (Children of Light) tallit is woven by Gladys Hoisington in a series of bright colors selected by Rabbis Everett Gendler and Zalman Schacter...
...Whether you are sticking close to home or traveling this summer, consider visiting one or more of the artists listed here...
...within walking distance there are Jewish bookstores, bakeries and kosher snack shops...
...The latter three are young Americans who have made aliyah...
...She has created some handsome pieces incorporating beads and amulets that people have brought back from Israel...
...His work, in a variety of materials, is impressive...
...Neil makes brief periodic visits to the States, taking orders for a year's worth of work...
...Suzanne Benton 22 Donnelly Drive Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877 (203) 438-4650 Suzanne Benton has developed her own art form based on the age old tradition of masked dance drama...
...Summer 1981 For many collectaholics, summer vacation is the time to find new treasures...
...Sue, using a technique reminiscent of Victorian pieced velvet lap robes, creates "soft stained glass" wedding canopies, Torah and bima covers, wall decorations, challah covers and tallit bags...
...Leslie's complete line of decorative, ovenproof, dishwasher safe Judaic pottery is hard to resist...
...Carol Kestler 1131 E. Duke Drive Tucson, Arizona 8.5719 (602)323-0185 Combining a variety of metals and techniques, Carol produces intriguing contemporary ritual objects, jewelry and body ornaments...
Vol. 6 • June 1981 • No. 6
