Introducing the Global Jewish Literary Alliance!

The GJLA is strengthening the international Jewish arts and culture ecosystem by inspiring authors and forging connections between Jewish literary artists.

Jewish Museums: Hidden Gems

Jewish Museums: Hidden Gems

With pandemic restrictions easing, many of us are thinking about traveling again. With that in mind, we thought we’d point out a few Jewish museums that you may have overlooked.

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Artists on Artists: Julia Vogl and Gabriella Willenz

Artists on Artists: Julia Vogl and Gabriella Willenz

“Artists on Artists” is one of our favorite things at the Compendium, when we turn over the keys to Jewish artists we admire so they can share the work of Jewish artists they admire. This week it’s Julia Vogl and Gabriella Willenz, two brilliant interdisciplinary artists. 

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Spotlight on Ukraine: What’s at Risk and How to Help

Spotlight on Ukraine: What’s at Risk and How to Help

CANVAS is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the field of Jewish arts and culture. We founded this newsletter to amplify the work of our grantees and highlight the creativity of Jewish artists and writers. This week, however, we’d like to expand that notion and focus on Ukraine.

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Asylum Arts: A Shelter for Jewish Artists

Asylum Arts: A Shelter for Jewish Artists

The name “Asylum Arts” draws inspiration from safe, nurturing spaces. In its creation, founder and director Rebecca Guber envisioned “a shelter for artists,” a welcoming environment at the cross-section of creativity and Jewish community. 

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Pow! Zap! Oy! (Jews and comics)

Pow! Zap! Oy! (Jews and comics)

A page, divided into panels, with drawings and word balloons: if you’re a reader of a certain age, you’ll recall a time when this was considered the mark of a lesser art form. It’s been really cool watching comic books and graphic novels mature into a genre that, at its best—such as Art Spiegelman’s Maus or Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis—stands shoulder-to-shoulder with other narrative forms like film and literary fiction.   And as with so many American art forms, Jews have played a crucial part...

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CANVAS Invests Additional $195,000 in Creative Communities

CANVAS Invests Additional $195,000 in Creative Communities

We’re doubling down on arts networks, the key to the arts and culture ecosystem, with a new round of funding. This week we’ve announced a new round of Jewish arts & culture grantmaking: $195,000 to nine emerging arts networks in amounts ranging from $10,000 to $25,000. This latest grant cycle brings our total commitments to the sector to over $1.6 million over the past 18 months. I want to briefly explain our philanthropic approach here and address the question: why are networks key to...

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Jewish Arts and Culture Highlights of 2021

Jewish Arts and Culture Highlights of 2021

We’ve heard lots of people bidding 2021 a not-so-fond farewell lately, and for many good reasons. But last year had highlights, and we should remind ourselves of all the remarkable creativity we witnessed. Despite the tumultuousness and uncertainty, the creative community kept us engaged, entertained, and hopeful. 

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Hanukkah-Inspired Art and Culture Selections from CANVAS

Hanukkah-Inspired Art and Culture Selections from CANVAS

As much as we love the holidays, it's a little much when Hanukkah is right on the heels of Thanksgiving. We're still dealing with leftover turkey, and it's time to start the brisket. With this in mind, we thought we'd provide you a little distraction with intriguing works of Hanukkah-themed art, including stories and music to listen to while shredding potatoes or scrambling for eight nights of presents. Let us know what you think, and if you have your own works to...

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The Financial Lives of Artists

The Financial Lives of Artists

The financial life of an artist is rife with irregularities. One bountiful month may be followed by a season of drought. A project that demands arduous work may offer “exposure” rather than earnings; a commercial venture may be lucrative but artistically unfulfilling. 

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Paper Brigade: Jewish Literature in Conversation with the World

Paper Brigade: Jewish Literature in Conversation with the World

One of the great things about running a Jewish arts and culture newsletter is that you get to spend a lot of time with, well, Jewish arts and culture. Some of my happiest hours so far have been spent with Paper Brigade, the Jewish Book Council’s yearly journal. (Buy it here.) As you likely know, the Jewish Book Council (JBC) is “the longest-run­ning orga­ni­za­tion devot­ed exclu­sive­ly to the sup­port and cel­e­bra­tion of Jew­ish lit­er­a­ture.” The JBC has...

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Artists on Artists: Susan Comninos

Artists on Artists: Susan Comninos

Born and raised in upstate New York, at the northernmost tip of Appalachia, Susan Comninos is a poet, writer, and teacher. Her hyper-observant poems explore themes of Jewish identity, family, and nature. She also experiments with verse forms, like the Persian ghazal. Since her debut collection of poems, Out of Nowhere, is forthcoming from SFA Press, we asked Ms. Comninos to share with us some of the poets who inspire her own intense and...

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