From the Fall 2018 issue of Skylight
Gestures to the Divine: Works by Hagit Cohen
Doug Adams Gallery, Center for the Arts & Religion
2465 LeConte Avenue, Berkeley
This fall, nature is on display at the Center for the Arts & Religion’s Doug Adams Gallery. In “Gestures to the Divine,” artist Hagit Cohen encourages us to focus on the world around us, presenting photographs that stretch the imagination. Images of seed pods, large in size but minimalist in aesthetic, draw us in with the detail of their textures and the mystery of their shadows. An altar, suspended in mid-air, provides a reality check by displaying some of the actual seed pods. Breezy silk panels bear the imprint of aspen leaves.
The effect of the exhibition is serene and spiritual—but with a scholarly angle, thanks to the many GTU faculty and students who work on topics related to eco-spirituality. Some of these experts have contributed essays to the exhibition catalog, Gestures to the Divine: Reflections on Eco-Spirituality. The essays vary in their perspectives, from theological to historical to political, but all enrich our experience and expand the art beyond the exhibition. The catalog is available for $25 + tax, or as a thank-you gift with a CARe membership ($100). Visit www.gtu.edu/care/membership.
The exhibition will be on view through December 13 in the Doug Adams Gallery, open Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-3pm.
Revelations: Across Borders
Jesuit School of Theology-SCU, 1735 LeRoy Avenue, Berkeley
This special exhibition features the creations of students from several GTU member schools who are currently enrolled in “Composing Sacred Spaces,” a course taught this semester by Dr. Kathryn Barush (GTU/JST). Inspired by both the liturgical calendar and the fall season, students created the artwork, then organized the pieces into an exhibition on the theme of crossings and transitions, both literal and figurative. The exhibition is on display in the Manresa Room at JST-SCU (open all day, Monday-Friday) through November 14.
Salma Aratsu: Seeking Oneness
GTU Flora Lamson Hewlett Library
2400 Ridge Rd., Berkeley
“Seeking Oneness,” featuring the flowing, graceful paintings and sculptures of Salma Arastu, is on display at the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library through January 11, 2019. Salma relies on a beautifully subdued color palette, often employing Arabic calligraphy and dancing figures to express her
message of human universality as inspired by Rumi’s poetry. While her work acknowledges the challenges to “oneness” in pieces such as the evocative “As if killed entire humanity,” Salma’s optimism shines through in “Home of Peace” and other paintings. “Seeking Oneness” is made possible by the Jane Dillenberger Fine Arts Endowment Fund, and is open during regular library hours.
To Everything There is a Season
Badè Museum of Biblical Archeology
1798 Scenic Avenue, Berkeley
Reflecting on the passage of time, seasonally and annually, this exhibition of artwork by Naomi Teplow is on view at the Pacific School of Religion’s Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology through December 17. Teplow’s brightly colored and finely detailed ketubot (marriage contracts), illuminated manuscripts, and paintings celebrate her homeland of Israel and her appreciation for Jewish tradition. The Badè Museum is open on Mondays, 10am-2pm.
For more on art at the GTU, visit www.gtu.edu/events/exhibitions