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Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art, located within Rodeph Shalom is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art that illuminates the Jewish experience. The PMJA was founded in honor of the late philanthropist Jacob S. Gutman in 1975. In addition to its special-exhibit gallery, the Museum features a permanent collection of important works by accomplished artists, including William Anastasi, Chaim Gross, Tobi Kahn, Joan Snyder, Shelley Spector, Boaz Vaadia and Roman Vishniac. The PMJA is a vital and engaging part of the RS Community.

We are grateful for the past 40 years of leadership of Joan C. Sall, Director Emeritus; Wendi Furman, Curator Emeritus; along with past Co-Chairs Gail Rosenberg and Janeane Sloane. We invite any RS member interested in the PMJA Committee to contact Robin Blumenfeld at rswitzenbaum@gmail.com.

PMJA Mission

Presenting contemporary art that illuminates the Jewish experience, the Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art (PMJA) has, since 1975, presented solo and group exhibitions of work in the broadest range of mediums by artists of diverse backgrounds. The PMJA is located within Congregation Rodeph Shalom.

Tikkun Olam: An Exhibition on Healing Our World

“The work is plentiful…It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” Pirkei Avot, 2:15-16

Open Call to Philadelphia Area Artists
The Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art (PMJA) at Rodeph Shalom has a long tradition of art exhibitions. Last year, with the reopening of our exhibition programming, we began with an open call exhibition, which turned out to be an overwhelming success, bringing a new vision for community, artists and attendance to our vibrant urban gallery. Our intention with this open call is to build on this momentum by inviting artists to reflect upon and give expression to the theme of “Tikkun Olam” – our duty to confront the challenges of repairing our world. We invite artists to submit works that give expression to this concept.

Jurors
A PMJA exhibition committee will be jurying the submissions and will select artworks that respond best to the theme and also work in dialogue as an exhibition. We are pleased to announce that our guest juror this year is Ruth Fine.
Fine was a National Gallery of Art Curator for four decades. She has organized dozens of exhibitions and written catalogue essays about several printmaking workshops as well as artists including Romare Bearden, Mel Bochner, Wendy Edwards, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Jasper Johns, Norman Lewis, Roy Lichtenstein, John Marin, Georgia O’Keeffe, Martin Puryear and, most recently, Frank Stewart’s NEXUS: An American Photographer’s Journey, 1960’s through the Present. Fine was awarded the College Art Association Alfred H. Barr Award for Museum Scholarship for the Norman Lewis Catalogue and The Archives of American Art’s Lawrence A. Fleishman Award for Scholarly Excellence in the Field of American Art History, amongst other honors. Fine chairs the board of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation and serves as a consultant to the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.

Criteria for Work

  • Work that has been completed within the last three years.
  • Work must be two-dimensional, and ready to hang on the wall with appropriate hardware. Works on paper should be framed.
  • The size must not exceed 48” in either direction, and not protrude more than 3” from the wall.
  • Accepted work must be delivered to the museum on Mar. 3 or 4 and picked up on June 23 or 24.
  • Artists will be expected to complete forms for loan and insurance purposes at drop off.
  • All works must be for sale and artists will retain 60% of the selling price of all pieces.
  • There will be a reception at the PMJA which accepted artists are strongly encouraged to attend.

Review Criteria
The arts invite us to a much-valued place to gain new insights and form new understandings with one another, which is consistent with the museum’s mission of illuminating Jewish values that embrace openness and inclusivity and establish strong community.
In offering a range of interpretations from artists of diverse backgrounds, we hope the exhibition will become a place for conversation and connections. A PMJA committee will review all submissions and select artworks we feel respond best to the theme and work in dialogue as an exhibition.

Submission Process
Please submit by February 1, 2024 to pmja@rodephshalom.org

  • Up to three (3) images in JPG or PDF format, 72 dpi, labeling each : #_Last Name_First Name_Title of Artwork (ex. 1_Doe_Jane_Hope Springs Eternal)
  • A document in Word titled : Last_First (ex. Doe_Jane) which in the text includes your name and address at the top, the title of each submitted piece, the year of execution, dimensions and medium, and sale price, with your artist statement (limited to 400 words) and your biography (limited to 400 words).

Fee: There is no fee to submit.



Permanent Collection

(located in the Gushner Gallery)

The permanent collection includes important contemporary artists such as Chaim Gross, Tobi Kahn, Boaz Vaadia, Siona Benjamin, and many additional renowned local and international artists. The permanent collection exists because of the generous philanthropy of our RS members who have contributed to the purchase of the pieces in our collection. The development of a permanent collection was initiated by Joan C. Sall, Director Emeritus, who, early in the museum’s history, along with her husband Hyman, purchased many works for the collection.

Please note that we do not offer tours during business hours, unless scheduled with a docent or RS staff member.