​Throughout the ages, women have had a pivotal role in history. This exhibit, titled “Women In Motion,” consists of six artists: Toby Bergman, Sherri Ehrlich, Erté, Bunnye Levi, Jeffrey W. Robinson, and Lori Weisenfeld. Randye Krupnick, Curator and Art Director of Gallery on Grant describes this exhibit as a journey through women’s life experiences, while exploring themes such as chance, adventure, self-reflection, emotion, and age. In fact, women are continuously in motion throughout their lives, going from one life stage to another and often resulting in a contribution to important events in society. This exhibit will run through June 2026.

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The exhibit begins with an artist proof of Erté’s “Arabian Nights.” This art-deco rendering is a good representation of Erté’s distinctive style of elongated figures, geometric patterns and rich textures while displaying an overall theatrical flair. The female figure is in a dance pose with her scarf showing movement. Art Deco was very popular during the 1920s through 1940s.

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Jeffrey W. Robinson has exhibited at Gallery on Grant in 2025. Once again, he uses both warm and bold acrylic brushstrokes to tell a story. Specifically, his painting “Holding All the Aces” portrays an upbeat and playful vibe. Jeffrey describes this painting as “a bold, graphic portrait that merges confidence, play, and calculated mystery.” Through saturated color, shape, geometry and symbolic detail, the work explores themes of chance, self- assurance, and controlled revelation. In Jeffrey’s painting “In the Garden of Becoming,” the woman is portrayed reflecting on her “identity as something both grounded and continually evolving, shaped by personal strength and the natural rhythms that surround us.” Again, although the figure is captured in a still position, the woman is continuously in motion as she evolves. Motion in this painting is defined as personal development.

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Sherri Ehrlich explains her inspiration: “Nature and botanical forms appear frequently in my work as metaphors for growth, resilience, and impermanence. Figures, when present, function less as portraits than as symbolic vessels – holding history, emotion, and inner life.” Here in Sherri’s paintings, motion is shown through budding flowers. Once again, each artist shows movement in a unique way, manifesting in their own personal style of painting.

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Toby Bergman describes her approach as “a blend of portraiture, photorealism with abstraction. The face is rendered with precision, informed by classical art, while the background remains intentionally loose and abstract, allowing the painting to breathe.” In Toby’s painting “Forward Moving,” the mother moves forward with her child on her back, realizing that each day is a gift and that there is much the child needs to experience. Within Toby’s five exhibited paintings, motion is shown either through abstract figures or specific women in the middle of action, playing the violin or walking in the rain.

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Lori Weisenfeld, an award-winning artist, exhibits two works of art, both older women towards the end of their lives. Specifically, they are presented as women who already lived through many life stages. “Selma,” a charcoal, is Lori’s mother, and “Shirley,” a pastel, is Lori’s mother-in-law. Lori describes her use of color: “I found that using color made exploring the play of light, shadow, and texture even more interesting and complex. I enjoy the interplay of warms and cools, the contrast of complementary colors, the surprising colors that make skin look alive, and discovering the amazing array of colors in whites.” Lori has specifically commented about her charcoal “Selma”: “I caught her by a window and the light fell on her face beautifully, and she was very beautiful.”

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“Women In Motion” ends with sculpture from Bunnye Levi. Bunnye’s works are in wood, wire, polished marble, jasper, and chalcedony. Notably, “Mother and Child” is created in wood in an abstract manner. Bunnye was able to reveal important themes that were prominent during her life through her sculptures, such as motherhood, rabbits, the circus, wisdom, and paths taken. Bunnye was trained by a prominent Maryland artist, Reuben Kramer, at the JCC in Pikesville, Maryland during the 1960’s. Adjacent to the sculpture is a Kramer sketching announcing the “Ladies Day Out at the JCC for Sculpture.”

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“Women In Motion” showcases women in many forms, through numerous media and techniques. Randye Krupnick has curated a varied collection of artwork which is quite enjoyable to view, while celebrating Women’s History Month.