NATURAL INSTINCTS Exhibition

The Jewish Art Salon presents Natural Instincts, an exhibition hosted by the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, CT.

Opening Reception: Thursday, October 26th, 6-8 PM.

Charter Oak Cultural Center, Hartford, CT.

21 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106

October 26 – November 18, 2017, Monday-Friday 9:30-5:30

Directions and parking here.

This exhibition will bring together works that embody harmonious multiculturalism and inter- religious unity. In the current age, we focus on what divides, rather than what unites us. Artists are showing works that highlight our common humanity, rather than our differences.

We draw upon Katherine Phillips’s article for the Scientific American for inspiration. Titled “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter,” Phillips writes:

Being around people who are different from us makes us more creative, more diligent and harder-working… Decades of research by organizational scientists, psychologists, sociologists, economists and demographers show that socially diverse groups (that is, those with a diversity of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation) are more innovative than homogeneous groups.

It seems obvious that a group of people with diverse individual expertise would be better than a homogeneous group at solving complex, non-routine problems. It is less obvious that social diversity should work in the same way—yet the science shows that it does.

This is not only because people with different backgrounds bring new information. Simply interacting with individuals who are different forces group members to prepare better, to anticipate alternative viewpoints and to expect that reaching consensus will take effort.

Finally, as Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Pit race against race, religion against religion, prejudice against prejudice. Divide and conquer! We must not let that happen here.”

Participating artists (Jewish Art Salon members in bold):

Andréa Acker, Pablo Azar , Yehudis Barmatz-Harris, Rosalba Breazeale, Leah Caroline, Shosh Cohen, Roz Dimon, Dorit Jordan Dotan, Robyn Ellenbogen, Alan Falk, Goldie Gross, Olive Guterson, Beth Haber, Ellen Holtzblatt, Katarzyna Kozera, Rebecca Kowalsky, Joshua Meyer, Norma Picciotto, Leah Raab, Cynthia Beth Rubin, Ruth Schreiber, Allison Seamen, Joel Silverstein, Alvin Sumigcay, Rachele Unter, Yona Verwer, Erin Wiersma, Laurie Wohl.

This art exhibition is an excellent opportunity for dialog and reflection, as artists have the ability to unite cultures through their work and intentions in a unique way. This show offers an opportunity for open and honest conversation about how united, we can be stronger.

The exhibition is part of Charter Oak’s 2017/18 Annual Celebration of Jewish Arts and Culture, which will feature films such as Maria Sharapova: The Point, and Harvesting Stones, a Jewish Play Writing Contest, music by the Guy Mendilow Ensemble, and Jewish Comedy: A Serious History.

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