“Jewish Life Cycles: Rites of Passage and Milestones” a Partnership2Gether project from the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey will be exhibited at the Belskie Museum of Art & Science. Sheryl Intrator Urman is curating the exhibit. The theme for this juried show draws attention to the rituals, used to mark rites of passage, which unite Jews worldwide.
Urman, the first JFNNJ artist representative to Israel in 2011, visited and worked with artists from Nahariya. When she returned she suggested that the JFNNJ and Nahariya have simultaneous art shows in which American winners would travel to Israel and Israelis would come to America.
In addition to being curator of the Partnership2Gether exhibit, Urman, an artist and art educator, curated a show for the “Salute to Women in the Arts” and has work in the Gallery at Riverside. She is the founder of Art for Learning LLC, now in its 17th year, offering classes and tours in drawing and painting to adults and children.
Urman’s interest in art was a constant in her life. But a child’s world is filled with dos and don’ts. To those small eyes life is frequently a strictly regulated place. When her artist dreams were first stirring, she knew with an unquestioning certainty that being an artist meant your work was exhibited in museums. She did not imagine that anything she created would land on museum walls. So her very practical career choice led her to become a paralegal. For years art was a dormant but actively churning presence in her life and one day, unexpectedly, it began to emerge and since then….
“When my first daughter was born I decided to make her a Jewish naming certificate,” Urman says. Such documents did not exist so she created and decorated her own. At the framing store, “people told me I should make these to sell.” The artist was emerging. Urman began to notice beautiful ketubahs and other types of Jewish art. “Then I knew that that was I wanted to do.”
Her naming certificates were sold in Jewish Museums and Judaica stores.
When her daughter started day school Urman’s creative drive was augmented by motherhood. “There were no afterschool art classes. I wanted my daughter to have art lessons with friends.”
Sheryl organized a class, procured a space and hired a teacher. But before the program began, providence provided unexpected guidance—the art teacher quit. So characteristic of the way Urman operates, she figured out how to teach an after school art class. Years of running backyard camps proved an invaluable aid, and so was her art education. As an adult she had studied art at the Art Students League and at the Bronx Botanical Garden. And the mothering piece added to the momentum.
“I loved having my daughter and her friends around me all the time.”
Other day schools became interested in the afterschool art program. She started to teach art enrichment in Moriah, Torah Academy of Bergen County, and Noam. This was not the pinnacle. Urman then decided to organize a vacation time ‘week of art’ for children based on the afterschool art enrichment classes.
“I knew I wanted to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” because it is so comprehensive, she said. To prepare Sheryl took tours and attended teaching programs at the Met. She developed an approach focused on the ages and the interests of the children.
“I love doing these tours—I love to be with these children—when we are in Central Park and the kids are sketching, and tourists come and take photos I actually get tears in my eyes.”
Urman expanded the tours into Arts for Learning, through which she offers intensive weeklong forays into fine arts, fashion, culture and local travel. She seeks out an eclectic, fun and informative combination of sites ranging from art museums to little-known Soho boutiques to giant corporations like American Girl Doll.
“I never had a mentor to guide me with regards to a career in art,” Urman says. Through her programs she provides direction and advice.
In her fashion tours she helps children realize “that their career goals can have many venues.” She discusses the diverse opportunities in the fashion industry. “You may not become a designer but you could find a place in that field as a buyer, or in marketing. I encourage them to not give up on their dreams.”
When the tours were not fully booked, Urman advertised in secular papers, which garnered a potpourri of participants from varied backgrounds.
“It’s been wonderful for yeshiva kids to meet other kids their ages. Usually all the children are very happy and excited. We only go to kosher restaurants—but nobody seems to mind. “
Attentive to her students’ interests, she frequently develops new programs based on buzz and feedback. “One of my daughters was interested in history, so I developed an art and history program. Some mothers told me what their children were interested in and I followed up on that. We’ve gone to visit mansions and they draw the buildings. We’ve gone to the Cloisters. We draw in Central Park.”
“I work closely with educational departments at museums. My programs grew to 26 including 7 levels of fashion.”
But why should children have all the fun? Sheryl decided to tailor programs to women’s groups and unaffiliated women looking for interesting activities. Lunch seemed like a perfect addition to the art component for adults.
“I am always thinking of things people would like to do,” she says.
Recently, Urman brought a group of women to the Metropolitan for an introduction to modern art.
“We were talking about Tiffany glass and a woman said ‘Why don’t you put together a program about glass?’” So Urman put together a new tour “All About Glass; History, Methods and Use.”
“I needed to figure out if there was enough glass in the Metropolitan.”
Fortunately, adequate amounts of glass were distributed throughout the museum and Urman got to work researching the items, and mapping out the route.
“For this tour in the Greek and Roman section I talk about glass and mosaics. In the Egyptian wing there is also some glass. We walk through the Medieval section and note the stained glass windows. We culminate in the American Wing where we focus on Tiffany glass.”
Although the tours have no Jewish focus, she will point out antiquities with Hebrew writing, and mention Jewishly relevant historical facts.
“For example in the German guilds—Jews were not allowed to be members. Whenever I can throw in any Jewish reference, I do. There are even some Jewish stained glass windows at the Met.”
In May, Urman founded Art League Defending Israel, LLC., together with other artists, dedicated to using art to promote support for Israel. There is an online gallery and juried exhibitions. Artists Calls are focused on current events and incidents that involve Israel. She says “We want to show Israel’s side of the story through Art.”Artists can create for “Tribute and Memorial to Remember Our Boys”, “Operation Protective Edge” and we will have an artist call for “Tribute and Memorial to Remember the Rabbis massacred in Har Nof” and “Je Suis Juif”. ALDI will provide a place for artists to show artwork about these issues. They will serve as an archive and to create art exhibitions in galleries and museums that will remind viewers about a place in time.
“I wanted to create a series that would help artists,” says Urman. “I wanted to make a series that would help Israel.”
Her childhood dream was to be an artist. Now she is. But she is also an art curator, Chair for the Federation Partnership2gether art task force, founder of Arts for Learning LLC, and more.
“I am meeting other artists, developing art for shows, I am all over the place but really happy. Teaching adults makes me very happy. Teaching kids makes me very happy. Everything I am doing makes me feel like I am helping people and enriching them.”
Entries will be accepted until March 25th for the exhibition: “Jewish Life Cycles: Rites of Passage and Milestones,” a Partnership2Gether project from the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, which will be exhibited at the Belskie Museum of Art & Science. Please contact Joyce Greenberg at the Jewish Federation (201) 820-3907.
All the entries of the “Jewish Life Cycles: Rites of Passage and Milestones” will be displayed at the Belskie Museum of Art & Science Inc. There will be a reception on Sunday, April 26th. The museum is located at 280 High Street in Closter. Call 201-768-0286 for additional information.
By Helen Weiss Pincus
