

“It’s Complicated”: Jews in Theatre, TV, and Film on “Jewface”
“Jewface,” or casting non-Jewish actors in Jewish roles, is an ongoing transatlantic controversy in theatre, film, and TV. We asked what Jewish people involved in casting—actors, artistic directors, theatremakers, and TV creators—think about it.

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.

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.

The Workshop: An Arts and Culture Fellowship for JOCISM (Jews of Color, Indigenous Jews, Sephardi, and Mizrahi)
The Workshop: a new arts and culture fellowship for JOCISM (Jews of Color, Indigenous Jews, Sephardi, and Mizrahi). Now in its first year, The Workshop is a program in which its seven inaugural fellows develop new work, study Jewish texts, and develop their careers.

The People of the Book Are Rethinking (and Remaking) Books
Jewish artists and writers are taking matters into their own hands by designing, publishing, and distributing new works.

“My Mind Is Swiss Cheese”: Jewish creatives on staying productive during the never-ending pandemic
Every week, as I put together this newsletter, I am astonished by the continuing creativity from Jewish artists and writers. In a time of political uncertainty and rising antisemitism, during a global pandemic, people keep creating, investigating their heritage and identity in interesting and meaningful ways.

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.

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...

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...

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.

The Things They Carried: “What Would You Bring?” Shares Refugee Stories Through Objects
The story of the Jewish people can be seen as one of repeated forced migrations, which is why organizations like HIAS and JDC continue to provide material help to victims. But there is also the salutary act of simply allowing refugees to tell their own stories.

“Interrogating my own contradictions”: Talking Family Matters with Gillian Laub
The artist was “devastated” as her family fractured during the Trump era. Family Matters explores their conflict with affection and insight.

Jewish arts and culture thrived in 2021. Here’s why we know.
Question for the CANVAS Community: If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one else around to hear it, does it make a sound?

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...

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.

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...

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...

Hard Truths About the Writing Profession
I am about to make a very public complaint about one of the best things that ever happened to me. This, I think it fair to say, is something very few authors would do. The risk of biting the hand that doesn’t feed you is not worth it for most, and the journey to actually being published is so arduous that writers will do virtually anything to appear grateful and willing. Believe me, I am a grateful and willing author with many more books in me. But I also have a day job, which...

Harnessing the Power of the Network: The Council of American Jewish Museums
In 1904, The Jewish Museum—the first American museum dedicated entirely to Jewish art, history, and culture—opened its doors in New York City. It's difficult to say exactly how many have opened (and closed) since then. What we do know is that the network of the Council of American Jewish Museums (CAJM) includes 70 institutions that regularly interact, collaborate, and share ideas. Some institutions educate the public about Jewish history; others celebrate and explore Jewish arts and culture....

Jewish Theatre Artists and Delta: Anxiety, Uncertainty, and Opportunity
The world of theater is simultaneously emerging and retreating, as the Delta variant upends a long-awaited return to normalcy. Comebacks have been replaced with setbacks, and artists have adjusted their expectations accordingly, anxiously bracing themselves for delays and backlogs. Broadway’s shutdown in March of 2020, with virtually all live venues around the country following suit, led to what the New York Times called a “Great Cultural Depression”: theatrical artists on unemployment,...

LABA: Global Artists Delve into Jewish Texts
The study session was online, 53 faces in little Zoom boxes. And yet the atmosphere was electric. For a special Rosh Hashanah session, Ruby Namdar, Torah teacher and acclaimed novelist, was taking LABA fellows from across the world through the "Big Bang of Jewish identity" (Genesis 32) — when Jacob, after a "dreamlike" wrestling match, is renamed Israel. "What does it actually mean to be God wrestlers?" he asked. "And if we are not theologically inclined, what is the modern, secular...

Artists on Artists: Sam Mogelonsky
Sam Mogelonsky is a Toronto-based artist, curator, designer, and arts professional with an indefatigable enthusiasm for Canadian art and Jewish culture. As an artist, Sam uses embellishment to speak to notions of craft and decoration, while also engaging in the dialogue between the mass-produced and the handmade. (Sam's photo above is actually a detail of one of her own sculptures.) Sam co-curated two recent exhibitions (with Ruth Jones). Glimmers of the Radiant...

Capacity Building: Entrusting Arts Orgs to Bring Themselves to the Next Level
Editor's note: This week's piece is part of our series on philanthropic strategies that elevate the world of arts and culture. We encourage you to add to the conversation with comments and suggestions. At the Double Edge Theatre in Ashfield, Massachusetts, every production draws on the collaborative talents of the company’s ensemble. “It’s the best way to create art,” says Founder and Artistic Director Stacy Klein. With an ensemble, “you build your craft over time. You also...

You’re gonna be busy. Make time for art.
Many of us are emerging from late-summer breaks to realize that the High Holidays are "early" this year (Jackie Mason, z"l: "the Jewish holidays are late or early. When are they on time?"). So here is a gentle reminder that you make time for art and culture. This week's Compendium highlights notable exhibitions with online components. As ever, we look forward to your thoughts. And remember, you can subscribe to the CANVAS Compendium newsletter here. He's your man. San Francisco's...

First Year, First Impressions
Who would be crazy enough to launch a fund supporting Jewish arts and culture in March of 2020? To our own amazement, we did.It’s been barely a year since we made our first grants to Jewish arts and culture networks. Since then, CANVAS has committed more than $1.4 million to the encourage and strengthen modern Jewish creativity in North America.We’re just getting started. But before we look ahead, we'd like to take stock of what’s happened thus far. Meeting a Need, Filling a Gap We founded...