United Hebrew Hosts 'Call of the Wild' Art Show

When the residents, rehab patients and visitors at United Hebrew of New Rochelle walk through the building's lobby, they face a jungle of leopards, monkeys and bears—oh, my!

Luckily, the animals are captured. That is, they've been captured in the photographs, watercolor paintings, and mixed media pieces that make up the "Call of the Wild" exhibit at United Hebrew's Lazarus Gallery.

The exhibit, which opened September 15th and runs through November 16th, is open to the public and enjoyed daily by the residents of United Hebrew, a facility for nursing, rehabilitation, assisted and independent senior living.

All pieces in the show are for sale. The works of 35 artists are featured, including 16 Westchester artists and Warren Rosenberg, the provost of Iona College. Although many of the artists are from New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, there is also work from an artist in Japan.

Pieces were submitted in response to an online 'call to artists' issued by Lazarus Gallery curator Jodi Moise. Moise narrowed down the over 200 entries, and then a smaller group of pieces were chosen by three judges: Theresa Kump Leghorn of the Museum of Arts & Culture, Yvonne Pollack of the Katonah Museum of Art, and Lisa Robb of Pelham Art Center.

The idea for an exhibit about animals, the fifth exhibit since the Lazarus Gallery opened, came from the residents themselves.

"The residents expressed an interest in animals," said curator Jodi Moise. 'When we talked about art with the residents, this was a common theme that came up."

"Call of the Wild" features paintings of wild animals, but domesticated animals are also featured in the artwork. A painting called "Dog Gone" shows simply a dog's backside and tail, making it appear as if the dog has escaped from the frame.

Linda Forman, vice president of community relations at United Hebrew said the works evoke people's experiences with animals.

"[The exhibit] brings up memories of dogs and cats they've had," said Forman. "Or memories of trips to the zoo."

Curator Jodi Moise agreed.

"People who had dogs as pets themselves respond well to a watercolor by Olimpia Gambacorta called "Keeping Warm," which depicts two dogs in a snowstorm," she said.

Despite its subjects, the exhibit is not just about animals—it is about relationships.

A drawing of a dog park shows owners dragged in different directions by their pets, completely dominated by those whom they are supposed to master. One painting juxtaposes a human thumb with a colony of ants. Others, such as a young giraffe nuzzling its mother, are what Forman described as "humanistic, representational portraits" that evoke similar emotions as would a photograph of human subjects.

Because there are pieces made from ceramic, leather, and metal, the exhibit is also interactive and, as Moise said, "tactile."

One such tactile piece is an installation of two leather pieces against a 2-D mural background. The leather pieces, one shaped like a snail, one like a cluster of clouds, feature zipper closures and can also be used as purses. Moise called the piece "wild, so unexpected, very creative" and notes that it has captured special attention from the residents.

Forman said the gallery is part of United Hebrew's effort to "stimulate the minds" of its residents and provide them with "life enhancement."

The "Call of the Wild" exhibition is appropriate for its setting, as both art and animals play roles in the lives of United Hebrew residents. United Hebrew is expanding its Lifelong Learning Program, through which artists visit and do projects with residents.

United Hebrew also engenders a home-like atmosphere through the presence of pets—a tank of fish and a green bird named Princess.

The next exhibition at the Lazarus Gallery will be "Winter Wonderland."