NOEL GUSSEN

Rooted in the unique community of Teaneck, NJ, and formally trained at West Virginia University, my artistic journey took a transformative turn while earning certifications in painting and drawing on kibbutz Kfar Hanasi. For 6 months my time was spent painting and rendering the Golan Heights. Visiting Yad Vashem had a profound effect on me, both as a Jew and as an artists. These combined experiences have defined my artistic voice and visual storytelling.

In my latest series, “Judaic Symbolism,” I embark on a visual exploration that transcends the canvas, weaving together elements from Torah narratives, Jewish history, and the indomitable spirit of Israel. Each painting serves as a tapestry of symbols, a dialog and dance of imagery that often carries a dual significance.

From the subtle drips of honey, symbolizing sweetness and sustenance, to the flowing waters and ancient bricks echoing stories of resilience, and the graceful olive branches embodying peace – these symbols become a unique language, rich with both historical context and contemporary resonance.

Beyond the narrative, I delve into the vibrant palette of bright colors, adding an extra layer of complexity to the visual dialogue. The juxtaposition of vivid hues alongside profound symbols creates a dynamic interplay, inviting viewers to not only observe but to feel the resonance of each piece.

In “Judaic Symbolism,” my artistic journey is one of exploration, not only into the depths of symbolic storytelling but also into the very language of color. The result is a series that transcends the canvas, inviting contemplation and connecting the viewer to a visual lexicon that speaks to the heart of Judaic heritage.

-Noel Gussen

SAR Art Faculty

TOBI KAHN

Tobi Kahn is a painter and sculptor whose art has been shown in over 70 solo museum exhibitions. Works by Kahn are in major museum collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC; the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, TX; The Phillips Collection, DC; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN; Yale University Art Gallery, CT; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; and The Jewish Museum, NYC. His traveling museum exhibitions include Tobi Kahn: Metamorphoses; Avoda: Objects of the Spirit; Microcosmos; Tobi Kahn: Sky & Water; and Tobi Kahn: Sacred Spaces for the 21st Century.

Kahn has been commissioned to create numerous installations including SHALEV, an outdoor sculpture, New Harmony, IN; EMET, a meditative space for the HealthCare Chaplaincy, NYC; two sculptural Holocaust memorial gardens, La Jolla, CA, and Tenafly, NJ; M’AHL, a floor installation in the exhibition Rendering the Unthinkable, 9/11 Memorial Museum, NYC as well as two bronze memorial sculptures for the Grey Art Gallery of NYU and the 9/11 Memorial Museum, NYC; a meditative space for Auburn Theological Seminary, NYC; and an outdoor sculpture installation and painting for the East Falls campus of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.

In 2022, The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. installed a unit of 7 paintings that are part of the museum’s permanent collection with works from 1977-2020. The exhibition was on view from February-July 2022 and received media coverage in Forbes, The Brooklyn Rail and Hyperallergic to name a few.

Kahn’s work is the subject of two solo traveling museum exhibitions; FORMATION: Images of the Body that opened at the Dadian Gallery at the Henry Luce III Center for Arts and Religion in Washington, D.C. and then traveled to the Brother Kenneth Chapmann Gallery at Iona University. ELEMENTAL: A Decade of Paintings by Tobi Kahn will open November 2022 at the Patchogue Arts Council - MoCA L.I. – Museum of Contemporary Art Long Island.

Kahn also communicates his vision through his passion for teaching. For over 30 years, he has taught fine arts at the School of Visual Arts, NYC and lectures extensively at universities and public forums internationally on the importance of visual language and on art as healing.

SULY BORNSTEIN WOLFF

SAR hosted the grand opening of its GRAND Gallery, welcoming and connecting families, students, parents, and grandparents. The Gallery, positioned prominently at the school's entrance, is placing the arts front and center for our community, and beyond, to experience ARTS & Enrichment hands-on family workshops, rotating exhibits, lectures, events, and Grandparent and Me classes. הגלריה האדירה will help build connection-the communal currency of humanity, linking one person to another and one generation to the next-supporting the value of intergenerational learning and the transmission of values through utilizing various disciplines in the ARTS as a vehicle to deepen commitment to Jewish identity and to collective and personal narrative, and toward fostering fulfillment and meaning in our lives. In addition to rotating exhibits, the GRAND Gallery also houses a permanent collection of SAR History, depicting the school's development over its many decades that includes an interactive component. Thank you to Noel Gussen for the graphic design.

At Sunday's Grand Opening, artist Suly Bornstein Wolff showcased her work in an exhibit called, Re-Play Re-Use in which families modeled her approach to art and used a variety of recycled and upcycled materials and family photographs to create representations of their families. Suly's warm approach and acceptance of all attendees’ work and her clear expression of her own raison d'etre, created a hum in the room as children and adults alike designed unique and playful artworks.

Suly explained that her creative work grows out of being an immigrant born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and relocating to Israel where she now lives and works in Tel Aviv, for over 30 years. Suly's work has shown in galleries and museums internationally and across Israel. As she creates, she weaves together the history and impressions of her country of origin, Brazil, with those of Israel. Bornstein Wolff, a multidisciplinary artist mainly creates paintings, objects, and installations most often using recycled materials, such as plastic bags, tiny children's plastic toys, old paintings, deflated balloons, and materials that are no longer considered usable, and would end up in the trash. These materials, which are no longer considered something of value are transformed in Suly’s hands into objects of art. This is the core of the artist's intentions. Through art and beauty, she brings to viewers the issues of consumerism and personal responsibility for our planet. Suly Bornstein Wolff’s works have been exhibited in museums, municipal galleries, and commercial venues in Israel, Italy, the United States, and India among other countries. Currently, her works are on display at the Mishkan Museum of Art, Ein Harod in the north of Israel, and her commissioned site-specific installation is on display at Hiriya Recycling Park in the center of Israel, where she demonstrates how Art and Beauty can be created even from simple things, that usually escape the viewer’s eye.

It was a beautiful morning in a beautiful gallery space, conceived by Sharon Black and designed by architect Hila Stern. Please visit the Gallery to view our exhibits at any time and join us when artist Tobi Kahn leads a family workshop in the winter and artist David Moss joins us in the spring.

SAR: THEN AND NOW

COMING SOON 2023