Riverside, Calif., January, 2002 -- The last venue of an exhibit traveling nationally for three years, by curator Judith A. Hoffberg, entitled, "Women of the Book: Jewish Women, Jewish Themes", will be displayed January 13-February 10 at the Brandstater Gallery of La Sierra University.

The artists reception will be Monday, January 14, from 6:00-7:30 pm, with several of the exhibit’s Southern California artists in attendance.

Hoffberg will speak to the University's College of Arts and Sciences Assembly, entitling her speech, "Spiritual Journeys, Universal Themes", on January 22 at 11 am in the University Church. Both the assembly and exhibit are free and open to the public.

The exhibit is composed of bookworks created by over 80 Jewish women, some of whom are nationally and internationally recognized artists from around the world and a number from Southern California.

Hoffberg, who has been involved in the field of artist books for over 30 years as a critic, collector and curator, writes describing the works, "I am not speaking about livres d'artiste or about books about art. These are works of art in book form created, for the most part, by visual artists." These bookworks attract both private and institutional collectors.

The books represent a number of themes from ritual and liturgy, the Holocaust and history, literature and myth to personal narrative (such as family relationships).

Hoffberg writes, "...the books in the exhibition demonstrate how Jewish women artists use the book form to establish their position within Judaism; they also explore the intimacy as well as the universality of the book within the Jewish tradition."

Hoffberg first learned about the bookworks through her friend, noted curator and critic Judith Stein, whose sister Linda Rubenstein had been involved in making bookworks. Seeing Rubenstein's bookworks moved Hoffberg deeply, she eventually put out a call on the internet asking Jewish women to respond via e-mail. Ultimately 90 women from around the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy, England, South Africa, Israel, and the United States were selected to display their work.

A venue to display the bookworks was found in West Hills, California about 18 months after the exhibit call. Since then the exhibit has toured the nation visiting many states and cities from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, Vermont, Missouri, Chicago, to La Jolla and others.

Now three years later the exhibit will soon be laid to rest. Hoffberg elaborates on her experience, "it has been a remarkable journey for this exhibit and for me. The women I have learned to know through the electronic and postal media have been "the other" for so long they do not even realize it. They first of all are women, secondly they are Jewish, and thirdly they are artists….

…The familiar form of book has been expanded to incorporate not only new technology but also the old structures. As a result, these women have created their own bridge, their own windows to their souls and to their spirits. I salute them as a catalyst for allowing a much larger audience to know and participate in their creativity."

Catalogs of the exhibit will be for sale at the Gallery.

Brandstater Gallery: 4700 Pierce St., Riverside, CA 92515

Gallery Hours: Monday - Thursday, 10-4pm, Sunday, 2-5pm, closed on Friday and Saturday

Telephone: (909) 785-2959

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by Kandi White