Ask Harriete

Space Available in Upcoming Workshop

Recycle, Repurpose,
                             RETHINK Materials
 There is still space left! to take this workshop with me at the Contemporary Jewish Museum  on Earth Day.
Sunday April 22,  2:30 - 5:00p.m

$18 includes admission to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, materials, and refreshments.

Celebrate Earth Day with an art workshop focused on recycled and repurposed materials.

Take a peek at the exhibition Do Not Destroy: Trees, Art, and Jewish Thought, roll up your sleeves for ideas and inspiration with artist Harriete Estel Berman, then gather your own creativity to make samples and hands-on projects that bring post-consumer materials and eco-awareness into your classroom. Co-presented by SCRAP.

  TuBishvat Seder plate  by Harriete Estel
  Berman titled Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,
  Assiyah, Yetzirah, Beriyah,   © 2001
  Post consumer recycled tin casn,
  Photo Credit: Philip Cohen

The workshop will be inspired by my use of post consumer, recycled materials for over 24 years to construct artwork ranging from jewelry and teacups to entire lawns and sculpture with social commentary.  Judaica focuses on the concept of Tikkun Olam (repair of the world) with the use of recycled tin cans.

This workshop is designed for teachers to gather ideas.

If you want to celebrate Earth Day with me on Saturday be prepared to work outside. I organize an Earth Day Clean Up for my neighborhood every year. Weeding for 8 hours is on the agenda, but help for only a few hours is completely fine. This is in San Mateo. Come help!

Fawn in my backyard.

Quail on my front steps.

Amazing photo taken on Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Sticker Shock or A Real Bargain - It's All Relative To Framing

An editorial by Ryan Jones in The Crafts Report (November 2011) brought a fascinating TED Talk to my attention. Dan Ariely explains how "framing" different options can influence purchasing decisions.

Quoting Ryan Jones, editor of The Crafts Report, "Some people wonder why they should bring along some higher-priced items to a craft fair, especially if it's unlikely they will sell them. But, framing means that your highest-priced items can be a better sales tool than the greatest booth or display. Listen to the TED Talk by Dan Ariely to learn more about this concept.

I recommend listening to the TED Talk all the way to the end because it explains the logic behind why we artists should always have a big show stopper piece of artwork in our booths or in an exhibition to sell the smaller items. After the video, take a look at an example about how I am trying to apply this reasoning for my Judaica.

Here is my practical example.
Right now I have a Seder plate for Tu Bishvat in the exhibition DO NOT DESTROY at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. The price places this work outside the average consumer. My aspiration (or wish come true) is that a museum will buy this work for their permanent collection. 

Two weeks before the museum exhibition opened,  I contacted the museum gift shop about selling some of my Mezuzot. Each mezuzah is priced at $175. That may put some people into sticker shock compared to the usual gift shop item, but it is a real bargain for the labor, preparation, skills, and design in each mezuzah. 

At the same time,  the mezuzot are affordable examples of my work with an environmental message that can be used every day. 

Everything is relative, and there are many factors that may influence the purchaser's decision including the perceived value of the artwork in the exhibition, and the validation provided by being included in the museum exhibition Do Not Destroy.

Keep this strategy in mind for your booth or next show. While the masterpiece of the show may or may not sell, it may be a prime factor in selling the other work.

I sold four mezuzot so far and the show has been open one week. My fingers are crossed. Check back, I will update this post.

Harriete

Are you interested in going to the exhibition, Do Not Destroy, at the Contemporary Jewish Museum? They are offering a two-for-one admission through May 28, 2012. Just mention “Friends and Family Offer” when purchasing general admission tickets in the Contemporary Jewish Museum's Lobby. The show is really interesting with a wide range of  work from photography, drawings, sculpture and more.

 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Assiyah, Yetzirah, Beriyah ©  2011 by Harriete Estel Berman

Close up center, if you shine a light on the center of the seder plate (above) it reflects a Star of David on the ceiling.



Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Assiyah, Yetzirah, Beriyah
                                                          ©     2011

Artist:Harriete Estel Berman
DIMENSIONS: 6” ht x 24” w x 20" d

If you are interested in viewing the design, and fabrication of this Judaica TuBishvat seder plate, CLICK HERE to view an entire album on Flickr with step by step photos for this work in progress.

Happy Chanukah or "Eating Chinese Food on Christmas"

Chanukah already started and I forgot to tell you about my favorite books and resources for contemporary Judaica. The selection is small, in my opinion, but the potential audience for this genre has room for growth.

Last year Lark Books published 500 Judaica: Innovative Contemporary Ritual Art. (Affiliate link) I  am very pleased to say that I have have several pieces in this book.    

 A Collectors' Guide to Judaica(Affiliate link) has an interesting selection of historical pieces with informative text. (It only has a few 20th century peices of Judaica.) 

 

 

 

Are you looking for images of contemporary Judaica that is not the generic gift store item?

The Contemporary Jewish Museum still has a selection of catalogs from their Invitational Exhibitions. (The Museum Store ships domestically and internationally. Place an order by email, store@thecjm.org, or phone, 415.655.7888.)

In the order listed here (right):
L'Chaim!: A Kiddush Cup Invitational

 

Making Change: 100 Artists Interpret the Tzedakah Box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scents of Purpose: Artists Interpret the Spice Box

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Works, Old Stories

These catalogs are not listed online, but they are all beautifully executed with images of Judaica within traditional forms and beyond the expected.

Email me, I will make a recommendation for a catalog based on your interest.

Participation in the exhibitions at the Contemporary Jewish Museum has offered me the opportunity to create museum quality Judaica.

Many of the pieces that I made for these exhibitions have been purchased for the permanent collections of museums.

Shown to the left is "And there is Light" a spice book that holds a Havdalah box. 

If you are interested, all of my Judaica is shown on my web site.

"And There was Light"                  2004

Seven hinged panels to create an accordion style book with removable Spice Box. This contemporary Judaica is constructed from recycled tin cans, spice tins, vintage steel dollhouses, 10 k. gold rivets, aluminum rivets, stainless steel screws. Available for purchase or exhibition.

Each panel    14.25” height x 9” width
Length of book completely open is 54".

 

Facets of Light        1999

Menorah constructed from pre-printed steel from recycled tin containers, "Pushke" Boxes used for the Jewish National Fund, and pre-printed steel from vintage doll houses. Aluminum rivets. One-half inch acrylic cubes function as feet under the menorah. Available for purchase or exhibition.

3" height x 21" width x 25.5" length

Yellow Flower Scroll Doorpost Mezuzah
Dimensions: 7.25” Inventory number M2L.220
Retail Price $220. (Scroll not included)