From The Shtetl And Beyond – Newly Opened Art Gallery To Display Chasidic Talent

by Sandy Eller

A new gallery featuring exclusively Chasidic art opened last week just outside of
Williamsburg, showcasing more than 40 unique pieces featuring everything from artfully
arranged sea urchin spines to a full-color painting of the Chofetz Chaim making his way
into the 1923 Knessia Gedolah in Vienna.

The Shtetl Art Gallery is located in a space that had originally served as the ballroom at
the Condor Hotel. The June 15th ribbon-cutting drew an eclectic crowd that included
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, City
Councilman Kalman Yeger, City Council candidate Lincoln Restler, local business
owners and members of the Chasidic art community.

The artists themselves were a diverse bunch, united by their love of their craft. Gallery
owner Zalmen Glauber’s sculptures featured sometimes unexpected touches in their
portrayal of Chasidic individuals, while an installation art piece showed the broad
spectrum of chasidus through a display of painted guitars and hats of all types. National
Art Foundation Annual Art Contest winner Rosa Katznelson’s broken brushwork teemed
with both color and movement, the fragmented images reflecting our dual existence in
both the spiritual and material worlds. Pinny Segal Landau’s pieces bridged the gap
between contemporary art and traditional subjects with images that were simultaneously
timeless and nostalgic.

The gallery’s opening marked the first time that Glauber’s
mother, Miriam Lefkovitz, ever displayed her art, her use of oils on canvas showing
depth and shadows amid beautiful bursts of color. Well known for his musical abilities,
Lipa Schmeltzer’s prowess as an artist were evident in his multi-hued compositions whose
emotional interplay of texture and subject brought his pieces to life.

Eschewing traditional mediums such as oil paints and charcoal for the timeless beauty of our surroundings, Yanky Waldman’s art was composed entirely of natural items, with tree
bark, porcupine quills, and precisely arranged rows of eggshells transformed into
uniquely beautiful pieces. Equally mesmerizing were Hillel Weiser’s watercolors, their
fluid shapes and vivid use of color giving them a sense of life and vitality.

Now open for several hours each week, the Shtetl Art Galley looks forward to hosting
events and giving more Chasidic artists a place to display and sell their work.

“Seeing chasidishe people doing art ignited a fire in me,” observed Lipa Schmeltzer. “It is
extremely validating to see Chasidim advancing in the world of art.”

Glauber noted that one watercolor painting was sold on the spot at the gallery’s
opening, with more than five selling in the days that followed. He hopes that the Shtetl
Art Gallery, which will present artwork made by Chasidim or depicting them, will
encourage those with talent to further pursue their passion.

“We see the gallery as a place that will take viewers on an exciting journey filled with
twists and turns and opening them up to the rich and mysterious world of Chasidim in
an imaginative and inspiring way,” said Glauber.

{Matzav.com}