Jewish Museum (New York)
Encyclopedia
The Jewish Museum of New York, an art museum and repository of cultural artifacts, is the leading Jewish museum
in the United States. With over 26,000 objects, it contains the largest collection of art and Jewish culture outside of museums in Israel. The museum is housed at 1109 Fifth Avenue, in the former Felix M. Warburg House
, along Museum Mile
on the Upper East Side
of Manhattan
in New York City.
While its collection was established in 1904 at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
, the museum did not open to the public until 1947. It focuses both on artifacts of Jewish history
and on modern and contemporary art. Its permanent exhibition, Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey, is supplemented by rotating exhibitions and special exhibitions.
objects from Judge Mayer Sulzberger
to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
on January 20, 1904, where it was housed in the seminary's library. The collection was moved in 1931, with the Seminary, to 122nd and Broadway and set aside in a room entitled 'The Museum of Jewish Ceremonial Objects'. The collection was subsequently expanded by major donations from Hadji Ephraim Benguiat and Harry G. Friedman.
In January 1944, Frieda Schiff Warburg, widow of philanthropist Felix M. Warburg
(d.1937), donated the family mansion as a permanent home for the museum, and the site opened to the public as 'The Jewish Museum' in May 1947. The building was expanded in 1963 and by architect Kevin Roche
in 1993.
In the 1960s, the museum took a more active role in the general world of contemporary art, with exhibitions like Primary Structures
, which helped to launch the Minimalist art movement. In the decades since, the museum has had a renewed focused on Jewish culture and Jewish artists. In 1992, the Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center
teamed up to create The New York Jewish Film Festival, which presents narrative features, short films and documentaries.
Today, the museum also provides educational programs for adults and families, sponsoring concerts, films, symposia and lectures related to its exhibitions. Joan Rosenbaum has been the museum's director since 1981.
The museum has over 26,000 objects including paintings, sculpture
, archaeological artifacts, Jewish ceremonial art
and many other pieces important to the preservation of Jewish history
and culture. Artists included in the museum's collection include James Tissot
, Marc Chagall
, George Segal
, Eleanor Antin
and Deborah Kass
. This represents the largest collection of Jewish art, Judaica and broadcast media outside of museums in Israel. It has a permanent exhibition called Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey, which explores the evolution of Jewish culture from antiquity to the present. The museum's collection includes objects from ancient to modern eras, in all media, and originated in every area of the world where Jews have had a presence.
Jewish Museum
Jewish Museum may refer to:Australia* Jewish Museum of Australia, Melbourne, VictoriaAustria* Jewish Museum ViennaCzech Republic* Jewish Museum of PragueDenmark* Danish Jewish Museum, CopenhagenGeorgia...
in the United States. With over 26,000 objects, it contains the largest collection of art and Jewish culture outside of museums in Israel. The museum is housed at 1109 Fifth Avenue, in the former Felix M. Warburg House
Felix M. Warburg House
The Felix M. Warburg House is a mansion located on 1109 Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street in the Upper East Side in New York City. Today the Jewish Museum is located there.- History :...
, along Museum Mile
Museum Mile, New York City
Museum Mile is the name for a section of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in the city of New York, in the United States, running from 82nd to 104th streets on the Upper East Side in a neighborhood known as Carnegie Hill. The "mile", which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world, is...
on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in New York City.
While its collection was established in 1904 at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, the museum did not open to the public until 1947. It focuses both on artifacts of Jewish history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
and on modern and contemporary art. Its permanent exhibition, Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey, is supplemented by rotating exhibitions and special exhibitions.
History
The collection that seeded the museum began with a gift of 26 Jewish ceremonial artJewish ceremonial art
Jewish ceremonial art, also known as Judaica refers to an array of objects used by Jews for ritual purposes. Because enhancing a mitzvah by performing it with an especially beautiful object is considered a praiseworthy way of honoring God's commandments, Judaism has a long tradition of...
objects from Judge Mayer Sulzberger
Mayer Sulzberger
Mayer Sulzberger was an American judge and Jewish communal leader; born at Heidelsheim, Bruchsal, Baden, June 22, 1843. He went to Philadelphia with his parents in 1848, and was educated at the Central High School of Philadelphia, and after graduating he studied law in the office of Moses A. Dropsie...
to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
on January 20, 1904, where it was housed in the seminary's library. The collection was moved in 1931, with the Seminary, to 122nd and Broadway and set aside in a room entitled 'The Museum of Jewish Ceremonial Objects'. The collection was subsequently expanded by major donations from Hadji Ephraim Benguiat and Harry G. Friedman.
In January 1944, Frieda Schiff Warburg, widow of philanthropist Felix M. Warburg
Felix M. Warburg
Felix Moritz Warburg was a member of the Warburg banking family of Hamburg, Germany.- Biography :He was a grandson of Moses Marcus Warburg, one of the founders of the bank, M. M. Warburg . Felix Warburg was a partner in Kuhn, Loeb & Co.. He is known as a leading advocate of a Federal Reserve...
(d.1937), donated the family mansion as a permanent home for the museum, and the site opened to the public as 'The Jewish Museum' in May 1947. The building was expanded in 1963 and by architect Kevin Roche
Kevin Roche
Kevin Roche is an Irish-American architect known for his creative work with glass.Born in Dublin, Roche spent his formative years in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork before he graduated from University College Dublin in 1945. He then worked with Michael Scott from 1945-1946...
in 1993.
In the 1960s, the museum took a more active role in the general world of contemporary art, with exhibitions like Primary Structures
Primary Structures (1966 exhibition)
Primary Structures: Younger American and British Sculptors was a minimalist art exhibit shown from April 27 - June 12, 1966 at the Jewish Museum in New York...
, which helped to launch the Minimalist art movement. In the decades since, the museum has had a renewed focused on Jewish culture and Jewish artists. In 1992, the Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center
Film Society of Lincoln Center
The Film Society of Lincoln Center based in New York City, United States, is one of the world's most prominent film presentation organizations. Founded in 1969 by three Lincoln Center executives - William F. May, Martin E. Segal and Schuyler G...
teamed up to create The New York Jewish Film Festival, which presents narrative features, short films and documentaries.
Today, the museum also provides educational programs for adults and families, sponsoring concerts, films, symposia and lectures related to its exhibitions. Joan Rosenbaum has been the museum's director since 1981.
Collection
]The museum has over 26,000 objects including paintings, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, archaeological artifacts, Jewish ceremonial art
Jewish ceremonial art
Jewish ceremonial art, also known as Judaica refers to an array of objects used by Jews for ritual purposes. Because enhancing a mitzvah by performing it with an especially beautiful object is considered a praiseworthy way of honoring God's commandments, Judaism has a long tradition of...
and many other pieces important to the preservation of Jewish history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
and culture. Artists included in the museum's collection include James Tissot
James Tissot
James Jacques Joseph Tissot was a French painter, who spent much of his career in Britain.-Biography:Tissot was born in Nantes, France. In about 1856, he began study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Hippolyte Flandrin and Lamothe, and became friendly with Edgar Degas and James Abbott...
, Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
, George Segal
George Segal
George Segal is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:George Segal, Jr. was born in 1934 Great Neck, Long Island, New York, the son of Fannie Blanche and George Segal, Sr. He was educated at George School, a private Quaker preparatory boarding school near Newtown, Bucks County,...
, Eleanor Antin
Eleanor Antin
Eleanor Antin is an American photographer, author, and artist working with video, film, performance, and drawing. Originally from New York, USA, she is currently based in Southern California where she is a professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego...
and Deborah Kass
Deborah Kass
Deborah Kass is an American artist whose work explores the intersection of pop culture, art history, and the self.-Life and work:Deborah Kass received her BFA in Painting at Carnegie Mellon University, and studied at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program and the Art Students League of New...
. This represents the largest collection of Jewish art, Judaica and broadcast media outside of museums in Israel. It has a permanent exhibition called Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey, which explores the evolution of Jewish culture from antiquity to the present. The museum's collection includes objects from ancient to modern eras, in all media, and originated in every area of the world where Jews have had a presence.
Collection highlights
]- Man RayMan RayMan Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
Self-Portrait with Camera, 1930 - Andy WarholAndy WarholAndrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, 1980 - Eva HesseEva HesseEva Hesse , was a German-born American sculptor, known for her pioneering work in materials such as latex, fiberglass, and plastics. -Early life:Hesse was born into a family of observant Jews in Hamburg, Germany...
, Untitled, 1863-64 - Richard AvedonRichard AvedonRichard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
, Jacob Israel Avedon portraits, 1969-73 - Adolph GottliebAdolph GottliebAdolph Gottlieb was an American abstract expressionist painter, sculptor and graphic artist.-Biography:Gottlieb was born in New York to Jewish parents. From 1920-1921 he studied at the Art Students League of New York, after which he traveled in France and Germany for a year...
,Return of the Mariner, 1946 - Deborah KassDeborah KassDeborah Kass is an American artist whose work explores the intersection of pop culture, art history, and the self.-Life and work:Deborah Kass received her BFA in Painting at Carnegie Mellon University, and studied at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program and the Art Students League of New...
, Double Red Yentl, Split, from My Elvis series, 1993 - Jan Pogorzelski, Hanukkah menorah 1893
- James TissotJames TissotJames Jacques Joseph Tissot was a French painter, who spent much of his career in Britain.-Biography:Tissot was born in Nantes, France. In about 1856, he began study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Hippolyte Flandrin and Lamothe, and became friendly with Edgar Degas and James Abbott...
, Adam and Eve Driven From Paradise, c. 1896-1902 - Alfred StieglitzAlfred StieglitzAlfred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in making photography an accepted art form...
, The SteerageThe SteerageThe Steerage is a photograph taken by Alfred Stieglitz in 1907. It has been hailed as one of the greatest photographs of all time because it captures in a single image both a formative document of its time and one of the first works of artistic modernism....
, 1907 - Reuven RubinReuven RubinReuven Rubin was a Romanian-born Israeli painter and Israel's first ambassador to Romania.-Biography:Rubin Zelicovici was born in Galaţi to a poor Romanian Jewish Hasidic family. He was the eighth of 13 children. In 1912, he left for Ottoman-ruled Palestine to study art at Bezalel Academy of Art...
, Goldfish Vendor, 1928 - Marc ChagallMarc ChagallMarc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
,Old Man with Beard, c. 1931 - Adolph GottliebAdolph GottliebAdolph Gottlieb was an American abstract expressionist painter, sculptor and graphic artist.-Biography:Gottlieb was born in New York to Jewish parents. From 1920-1921 he studied at the Art Students League of New York, after which he traveled in France and Germany for a year...
, Return of the Mariner, 1946 - Johann Adam Boller Hanukkah menorah,Frankfurt am Main (Germany), 1706-32
- Torah Ark from Adath Yeshurun Synagogue, Abraham Shulkin, 1899
Art Exhibitions
Over the past twenty years, some of the museum's important exhibitions have included:- The Circle of MontparnasseMontparnasseMontparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
: Jewish Artists in Paris, 1905–1945 (1985) - The Dreyfus Affair: Art, Truth, and Justice (1987)
- Painting a Place in America: Jewish Artists in New York, 1900–1945 (1991)
- Too Jewish?: Challenging Traditional Identities (1996)
- Assignment: Rescue, The Story of Varian FryVarian FryVarian Mackey Fry was an American journalist. Fry ran a rescue network in Vichy France that helped approximately 2,000 to 4,000 anti-Nazi and Jewish refugees to escape Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.-Early life:...
and the Emergency Rescue Committee (1997) - An Expressionist in Paris: The Paintings of Chaim SoutineChaim SoutineChaïm Soutine was a Jewish painter from Belarus. Soutine made a major contribution to the expressionist movement while living in Paris....
(1998) - Voice, Image, Gesture: Selections from The Jewish Museum’s Collection, 1945–2000 (2001)
- Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery/Recent Art (2002)
- New York: Capital of Photography (2002)
- ModiglianiAmedeo ModiglianiAmedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
Beyond the Myth (2004) - Eva HesseEva HesseEva Hesse , was a German-born American sculptor, known for her pioneering work in materials such as latex, fiberglass, and plastics. -Early life:Hesse was born into a family of observant Jews in Hamburg, Germany...
: Sculpture (2006) - Action/Abstraction: PollockJackson PollockPaul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
, de KooningWillem de KooningWillem de Kooning was a Dutch American abstract expressionist artist who was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands....
, and American Art, 1940-1976 (2008) - Shifting the Gaze: Painting and FeminismFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
(2010-2011) - Harry HoudiniHarry HoudiniHarry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
: Art and Magic (2010-2011) - Maira KalmanMaira KalmanMaira Kalman, born in 1949, is an American illustrator, author, artist, and designer. Born in Tel Aviv, Kalman came to New York City with her family at age 4. She attended the High School of Music and Art, now LaGuardia High School....
: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) (March 11, 2011 - July 31, 2011).
Current
- Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone sisters of Baltimore (2011)
See also
- Carnegie Hill
- Education in New York CityEducation in New York CityEducation in New York City is provided by a vast number of public and private institutions. The city's public school system, the New York City Department of Education, is the largest in the world, and New York is home to some of the most important libraries, universities, and research centers in...
- List of magic museums
- List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City
- Museum Mile, New York CityMuseum Mile, New York CityMuseum Mile is the name for a section of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in the city of New York, in the United States, running from 82nd to 104th streets on the Upper East Side in a neighborhood known as Carnegie Hill. The "mile", which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world, is...
- Upper East SideUpper East SideThe Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
Sources
- The Jewish Museum New York, Vivian Mann, Emily D. Bilski, Scala Publishers, 1993
External links
- Jewish Museum official website
- "Current Exhibitions" at the Jewish Museum website
- "Past Exhibitions" at the Jewish Museum website
- Global Directory of Jewish Museums