To correspond to Axelrod Performing Art's Center's opening of the Israeli Film Festival,

Gallery on Grant's new art show, "Enduring Spirit" will host an opening reception Sunday,

July 12@ 6:15-7:30. "Enduring Spirit" is an Art Exhibit showcasing two artists: the paintings

of Toby Bergman, and the sculptures of Bunnye Levi. Toby Bergman will also give a brief

discussion of her art during the art exhibit opening on July 12.

 

Toby Bergman's paintings create a powerful exhibit featuring two distinct, yet deeply

connected series of paintings: an 11-piece collection of gripping black-and-white works

inspired by Roman Vishniac's pre- Holocaust photographs, and a series of vibrant paintings

exploring the spiritual role of the Kohanim and Leviim. Together, these works invite viewers

into the past, reflecting on our collective memory while bearing witness to the enduring

spirit and soul of the Jewish people.

 

Toby Bergman is an oil painter based in Lakewood, New Jersey. Toby describes her use of

oil paint:" It gives me the ability to soften, layer and blur, and capture the subtle values

within a face. I am drawn to the visual clues that help uncover the story within the image-

the tilt of the head, a gesture, a blurring, strokes and light patterns that are intrinsic to the

essence of what needs to be expressed. My strokes are deliberate yet alive, moving

between precision and freedom. I want the viewer to feel the person before them, to sense

their presence, and to discover the narrative woven with color and stroke. My work is an

invitation: to pause, to connect,  wonder, and feel."

 

The art exhibit also includes 5 sculptures by Bunnye Levi. Bunnye Levi lived in Baltimore,

Maryland from 1937-2012. During the 1960's, Bunnye studied sculpture with the well-known

and prolific artist Reuban Kramer.  Kramer's Sculptures are exhibited in many art museums

in Baltimore, including the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Jewish Museum of Maryland.

 

Bunnye Levi worked with a variation of stones, including wire and polished marble. Bunnye

Levi created images that had inspired and influenced her throughout her life. Bunnye

recounted that as a child she went to the circus and was inspired to constantly move. In

fact, until the end of her life she loved to workout at the gym. The wire sculpture" Circus"

portrays her love and excitement of the circus. "Paths Taken" is a sculpture in polished

marble. It portrays life choices, such as being a wife, mother and an artist.

 

Randye Krupnick, the curator and Art Director of the Gallery on Grant describes "Enduring

Spirit" as "a museum-like experience as the viewer endures such impactful paintings by

Toby Bergman and the artistic achievement of Bunnye Levi.  The viewer will become

engrossed in the detail and powerful expressions of the subjects in Toby Bergman's

paintings. In fact, the viewer will want to explore further the story behind each painting.