Home We are immensely blessed tonight to have with us Archie Rand, one of America's foremost artists. He is unique in that he is both an abstract and a figurative painter. Even as a teenager, he was recognized as an artistic prodigy.
His works have been featured in over 80 solo exhibitions. They are found in many collections of prestigious art institutions, like the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Israel Museum of Jerusalem, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
He is also a prolific writer on artistic subjects and an outstanding teacher. He currently holds the position of Senior Professor of Visual Arts at Columbia University.
The mural he has designed and executed for our congregation to honor Jesse and the late Jean Wulfe is a thrilling masterpiece. It is more than just technically impressive. It has a soul.
In the Torah, God told Moses that he had appointed Bezalel to be the artist for the Tabernacle. In so doing, God mentioned that God had filled Bezalel not only with wisdom, understanding, and technical skill, but also with the spirit of God.
I think that the same can be said about Archie Rand. I believe that God gave him extraordinary gifts, both artistic and spiritual.
It is my honor now to invite Archie Rand forward to address us on “Jewish Art.”