EXHIBITION: SERIOUSLY! – Works in Series
January 15 – March 15, 2023
BACKGROUND: “Opening mid-January, the Temple Judea Museum will be exhibiting a unique trio of artists. Marlene Adler is Chair of the Temple Judea Museum’s Artists’ Collaborative. Diane Pieri is a guest artist who shows with us regularly, and Dan Soslowsky is a student at Drexel University. So what joins this disparate group together? As a curator I always look for synergies in the works I select for exhibition. In this case these three artists have chosen very different subjects but they all work in series and that is the thread that binds them.” Rita Rosen Poley
EXHIBITING ARTISTS:
Marlene D’Orazio Adler: Marlene Adler recently completed a series of paintings on paper that are part of the recently published, new KI* Family Purim Megillah written by Rabbi* (Emeritus) Lance J. Sussman. Marlene’s original paintings for the new megillah will be on display. …A particular challenge was in maintaining consistency when recreating the same characters in more than one illustration. I wanted to give the readers a feeling of that time in history and also create each character with facial expressions that convey the actions in the story. I hope that my illustrations provide a realistic expression and uniqueness of that time period in Persia…
Marlene Adler
Diane Pieri: In early 2022, Diane contributed an artist’s page to the handmade book the TJM** Collaborative artists presented to Rabbi Sussman before he retired. Diane’s painting for the book is of the Hebrew letter, Lamed, the first letter of Rabbi Sussman’s name. She had so much fun researching the form and history of one Hebrew letter that, from that, she decided to create an entire series of the Hebrew alphabet. Each one a unique image and together, a visually stunning series.
…So, as a cultural and culinary Jew, far from a learned, religious one in any way, I decided to embark on a journey of discovery and to illustrate all 22 letters. What a meaningful experience! Each letter embodies deep religious meaning. However, I have taken a more decorative approach. My intention is to surround each letter with beauty and joy. This is also my intention in my own work…
Diane Pieri
Dan Soslowsky: Dan is a student at Drexel University who is active in creative programming at Drexel’s Hillel. It was there that I saw his work exhibited. Dan’s Identity series takes a decidedly different approach than that of either Marlene or Diane. His work is much more editorial and very personal. All the images are created digitally and highly evocative of graphic novel illustrations.
…For as long as I can remember, art has been my primary outlet for expressing feelings, and, as a result, creating is incredibly impactful for me. Furthermore, as I develop as an individual, the images and experiences that I associate with my personal Jewish identity develop too…
Dan Soslowsky
Reception: Sunday February 12th – 1:00 – 3:00pm
Pictured above: KI Rabbi Benjamin David, artists, Marlene Adler, Diane Pieri, and Dan Soslowsky with Rita Rosen Poley, museum director
The Temple Judea Museum (Bios and more information available)
Director/Curator: Rita Rosen Poley
Chair: Karen Shain Schloss Chair: TJM Artists’ Collaborative: Marlene D’Orazio Adler
TJM Friends’ Chair: Norma Meshkov
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel*
8339 Old York Road, (SE corner Township Line Road)
Elkins Park, PA 19027
Rita Rosen Poley, Director/Curator
CONTACT: 215-887-8700, ext. 416; TJMuseum@kenesethisrael.org; www.kenesethisrael.org/museum
A Program Stream awardee of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts