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Nancy Schön Exhibition

May 27, 2008

On April 13, Mayyim Hayyim, Community Mikveh and Education Center in Newton, Massachusetts held an opening reception for a unique and exciting show by internationally renowned scultpor Nancy Schön. The pieces on display represent nine months of intensive work done in a shared studio in the Old City of Jersualem in 1979. In her artist's statement, part of which is reprinted here, Ms. Schön reflects on the many ways in which the sights and sounds she encountered during this period influenced her work. This show will be on display in the Mayyim Hayyim Gallery until July 11, 2008.

Artist's Statement

When my husband took his sabbatical year, the family agreed, reluctantly, to go with him to Israel. Although grown up, our four children and one friend (now our son-in-law) came with us. Shortly after we arrived, it seemed to me we had set up our own kibbutz since each of our children, almost immediately, acquired a new friend or two.

An artist friend of mine was working in Jerusalem in a cooperative studio overlooking the Old City. When I called her, she invited me to share her studio. I was delighted to accept her generous offer. She was a jewelry maker and told me that she had her jewelry cast at a small foundry across from the Jaffa gate. Since there was no art foundry in Jerusalem, she suggested that I see if they might cast my sculptures.

I spoke with difficulty to this gentle man who was an Arab. His English was poor and my Hebrew and Arabic were non existent. He agreed to cast my work, explaining that my sculpture would have to be limited in size to fit into the cylinder used for centrifugal casting. It measured no bigger than 6 1/2" tall by 3 1/2" in diameter and the weight in the metal could not be more than a kilo – 2.2 pounds. He would cast in what he called Yerushaliam Bronza which was the metal used from discarded brass shells used in warfare. These seemed like severe limitations, but I agreed. It turns out due to the speed of this dear man who cast my work, I was able to have a show with 30 small sculptures at the Jerusalem Theater Gallery, while only spending 9 months in Israel.

Sometimes, I walked to the studio, sometimes, I took the 315 bus. Each day brought a new adventure. The long and colorful clothes people wore seemed like costumes coming out of a storybook. The new sites, sounds and smells were so enchanting, I knew I had to capture them in some way. People doing what they normally do in their every day life was very special to me. The sculptures I created are a record of the people I saw and the encounters I had.

Photographs from Exhibit