Exhibit Opening: Jack Montgomery, Gretchen Halpert, and Hank Paper

Jack Montgomery
Maine Jewish Museum – Speigel Gallery
November 4 2022 – January 5 2023

When I was a boy, I had a lovely little sailing dinghy, no more than ten feet long. In the evening I took great pleasure running before the wind with the centerboard up, just skimming that surface between the bay and the beach, often scraping along the bottom ever so gently. As I grew older, I often found myself skimming between my dreams and my reflections while awake. The boundary between the two states has become porous, and it is in that space that my most satisfying images arise. What you see here are illustrations of the visions I find there. (Jack Montgomery)

Gretchen Halpert
Maine Jewish Museum – Fineberg Family Community Room
November 4 2022 – January 5 2023

Halpert is intrigued by connections, how one structure attaches to, or influences, another. Smilax herbacea (front) is the result of walking into her back yard and becoming fascinated with its twisting vines, attachments and tendrils, unfolding buds, developing flowers and fruits. She followed this plant’s development from May to October, sketching, researching, learning, and bringing portions into the studio to draw from life. That which captures our interest lures us to further examination. She invites you to look closely. Gretchen Halpert was educated in botany (Connecticut College), scientific illustration (RISD/CE) and trained in medical research. Her work appears in books and journals, and she has been featured in various publications, including Scientific American. Halpert received a solo exhibition by invitation at National Taiwan University; a visiting artist and educator position through the National Science Museum and NSTDA in Thailand; and has been awarded artist grants through NYSFA. She is past president of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and founding director of the Scientific Illustration Distance Program.

Hank Paper
Maine Jewish Museum – Jody Sataloff History and Art Pavilion
November 4 2022 – January 5 2023

The Blue Door: Israel’s Diversity and Dilemma — showing for the first time — speaks to Israel’s very current moment, especially where issues of democracy and annexation are concerned. It addresses the question of whether and how Israel might continue to define itself as both a democracy and a Jewish state. While each image stands on its own aesthetically, the story the exhibition tells is educational, inspiring, existential, and a tad mystical.