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The Art Center of Battle Creek was honored to host this exhibit in fall 2022. Along with an exhibit booklet, the Tree of Life Synagogue provided a recording of a previous reception for “From Darkness to Light: Mosaics Inspired by Tragedy” held at the Skirball Museum of Hebrew Union College. Michigan State University Library and Grand Valley State University's Kaufman Interfaith Institute will the display the exhibit during the winter holiday period.
The Art Center of Battle Creek was honored to host this exhibit in fall 2022. Along with an exhibit booklet, the Tree of Life Synagogue provided a recording of a previous reception for “From Darkness to Light: Mosaics Inspired by Tragedy” held at the Skirball Museum of Hebrew Union College. Michigan State University Library and Grand Valley State University's Kaufman Interfaith Institute will the display the exhibit during the winter holiday period.
Exhibition background
“From Darkness to Light: Mosaics Inspired by Tragedy” is the brainchild of Susan Ribnick, co-president of the Austin Mosaic Guild and founder of Vintage Mosaic in Austin, TX. Just days after the horrific mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018, where eleven people from three congregations were killed and six were wounded, Ribnick was inspired to use her skills and passion as an artist to help her outrage into action. She reached out to fellow mosaic artists and brought together 18 people from around the country and, eventually, the world to create a collection of mosaics. These pieces are a reaction and a response to the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States. The project From Darkness to Light was exhibited in Austin in 2019-20. The Skirball Museum of Hebrew Union College invited project organizers to send the originals to Cincinnati and From Darkness to Light became a traveling exhibit. When the pandemic took hold, and this exhibition was delayed, Ribnick expanded her reach, doubling the number of artists and works to the meaningful total of thirty-six—the numerical equivalent of double CHAI - or life in Hebrew. The mosaics in the exhibition evoke themes ranging from antisemitism and injustice to hope, resilience, and peace. This international project includes exemplary pieces created by artists from all over the United States and six countries. And it continues to expand with the invitation of more artists who feel compelled to respond to the issues of antisemitism and violence. The exhibition features works by two Michigan artists. Shelley Jaffe created Skyline of Pittsburgh and Joan Schwartz offers Everlasting featuring the Hebrew word for life, CHAI.
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