22. September 18-November 13, 2005

YIDDISHKEIT: Growing Up Jewish in America

Joan Myerson Shrager

STATEMENT OF THE EXHIBITION: The artist draws her inspiration from the history and experiences of her family, immigrants to America from Europe in the early 20th century. Physical objects, photographs, stories and memories of her family’s integration into American life populate the displayed images. However this is no ordinary scrapbook of an exhibition.

Joan Myerson Shrager’s artistic medium is very much of the twenty-first century. A computer is her palette and a digital camera and scanner have replaced an old box camera and a sketchbook. The works that result combine old family ties and new technology and, In this way they bring stories of immigration and life in “The Golden Medina” up-to-date, allowing us to confront what it means to be an American of the twenty-first century while still valuing a religious and cultural heritage grounded in “The Old Country.”

For the artist this work comprises a love letter, across generations, to her own family. For the viewing public, this visually rich exhibition resonates with echoes of our own immigrant generations.