JAM in Transition

We are in a transition!

JAM is moving away from the concept of "month", since we were never able to contain ourselves within a single month anyway!

We'll still call ourselves JAM...but now it will represent 

JEWISH ARTS MOMENTS!

We'll continue to focus on local artists in a variety of formats and venues....but you can look forward to the events being spread out through the entire year. We will happily promote arts events that are sponsored by various agencies in town and try to fill the gaps where we can!

ACTING OUT AGE- ENCORE PERFORMANCE!

JAM 2012 is in the works! Although we have plans to premiere a musical event in February (stay tuned!),
JAM '12 is pleased to announce an encore presentation of ACTING OUR AGE!


January 29th, 2pm at the Rose Schnitzer Manor in Zidell Hall!


The Portland Chapter of National Council of Jewish Women are sponsoring this performance as part of their annual meeting. We are thrilled that they have chosen to use Roe Schnitzer Manor for the venue. This will allow all the residents access!


The production will again be directed by Matt Zrebski. The actors will be announced shortly!


We'll post photos of the writers and more info about the plays soon.


Tomorrow I will post an update about plans for Acting Our Age 2012~!!!!!!

MORE MUSIC

Jewish Community Orchestra Spring Concert
Conducted by John Carter
The Jewish Community Orchestra provides enjoyable music for the Jewish and greater community of Portland. Join us to celebrate Jewish Arts month.

Beethoven Symphony No. 3
Bloch Baal Shem Suite 
       with Yvonne Hsueh, violin


Date: Sunday - April 10, 2011 Time: 3:00 PM Location: At the MJCC 
Cost: Tickets available at the door. $10 adults, $8 seniors, $5 students. Children under 6 free.

The week of March 14th

All Week Long: Art work in the lobby of the MJCC...Free admission during regular business hours!


Monday Night:  Part of JAM and Part of The Portland Pride Reading Series: Visiting Mr. Green
Location: The Sanctuary @ Sandy Plaza
                 1785 NE Sandy Blvd.
                 Portland, OR

One of the most produced plays in the world! 86 year old widower, Mr. Green is almost hit by a car driven by young corporate executive Ross Gardiner. Found guilty of reckless driving, Ross is ordered to spend the next six months making weekly visits to Mr Green. What starts off as a comedy about two people who resent being in the same room together develops into a gripping and poignant drama, as family secrets are revealed and old wounds are opened.

Starring Benjamin Farmer & George Fosgate.

http://www.pdxprideseries.com/


Shemaya Blauer
Touch Drawing Demonstration 
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Time: 6 - 8 pm
Location: Mittleman Jewish Community Center
              6651 SW Capitol Hwy
              Portland, Oregon
              503.244.0111


Art Spark featuring ORA
Regional Arts & Crafts Council

Date:  Thursday, March 17, 2011 Time:  5 - 7 pm  NO HOST BAR~ MINGLE, MEET, SCHMOOZE, ESS A BISSEL! RAFFLE FOR $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE, ART, MORE!!!!!!!! Location:  Urban Farmer Restaurant               (inside The Nines Hotel)                525 SW Morrison St                Portland, OR  97204                503.222.4900

POWFEST is Underway

Portland Oregon Women's FIlm Festival is happening NOW!!!!!!....through Sunday!

On Saturday afternoon two Jewish-themed documentaries will be featured:

"Return" and "Surviving"  @ Hollywwod Theater

A panel discussion will follow this!

For more info go to: http://www.powfest.com/2011-festival-schedule.html

This is a remarkable festival and one not to be missed! JAM is most proud to be associated with this set of events.....see you there!

FIND US ON YOUTUBE!!!!!!

Thank you  Lauren Botney for creating this special piece!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LMFuLRxUWo

enjoy!

PICTURE THIS!

A group of 6-8th graders will work with photographers Jo Grishman and Katy Weaver to create photo essays- about their jewish identity and how it is reflected in their daily and family lives.


This is very exciting stuff!  If you know kids then you know how creative they can be!


When they have finished their coursework there will be a one night gallery show. It should be pretty exciting. We don't have a gallery date set yet...so stay tuned. This will be on of several pop up JAM events.

David Biespiel reads @ Powells! Monday Feb 7 @ 7:30 pm

WOW.....David will share some of his writing at Broadway Books as part of JAM in April. Meanwhile, he'll be appearing this week at Powells  
 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (800) 878-7323 
Here's the announcement from Powells:
Every Writer Has a Thousand Faces

David Biespiel's Every Writer Has a Thousand Faces (Kelson) cracks open the creative process, inviting readers to take a fresh look at the mysterious pathways of the imagination. Beginning and experienced writers alike — as well as artists, musicians, dancers, and anyone else on a creative path — will benefit from this surprising and fresh perspective.

JAM: FEBRUARY

Jewish Arts Month should only be a month right?
WRONG!!!!
it should be as long as it takes to cover all the amazing opportunities a little shtetl like Portland can offer.
Okay...so we didn't plan to include February....but give a look at this wonderful set of events. How could we not adopt them?!    CHECK OUT THE EVENTS LISTED BELOW! We will soon post a link to a graphics calendar for those of you who want to check out the events in a more visual format.

FEBRUARY 2011

2/3-2/20  Charlotte Salomon: Life? Or Theatre? @ Disjecta 

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/141007

2/6     Ernest Bloch- Framing a Vision of the World, OJM 2pm

  rsvp at www.ojm.org   or call 503-226-3600
 
2/8   "The Impossible Spy",  Sephardic Winter Film Series

Congregation Ahavath Achim 3225 SW Barbur Blvd. Call for details call David at 503-892-6634.

February 8, 2011,  7:00 PM  “THE IMPOSSIBLE SPY” 

This riveting film tells the incredible but true story of Elie Cohen, an Egyptian born Jew and top Israeli intelligence recruit whose obsession with his mission as a double agent drove him to his death.  This is the story of the most famous Israeli spy of all time.

(96 Minutes, 1987, in color, UK, Directed by Jim Goddard, English)

Guest Speaker:   Adi Hoter, Major in IDF

2/12  "Human Resources" Ptld Intl. Film Fest (PIFF): Israeli film-        http://www.nwfilm.org/festivals/piff/

2/13  2pm? Community Orchestra Concert @ mjcc call

        503.244.0111 for more info

2/20  Burus @ PIFF: http://www.nwfilm.org/festivals/piff/

2/20  Dave Frishberg concert 7:30-9:30 at the Winningstad

     Portland Jazz Festival

http://pdxjazz.com/portland-jazz-festival/events

2/26 2pm Three Cohens and the AfroSemitic Experience 

@ the Crystal Ballroom

http://pdxjazz.com/portland-jazz-festival/events

  

2/27 2pm Klezmer Brunch featuring Klezmocracy @CBI-Please contact Elana at Congregation Beth Israel at 503-222-1069 to purchase your tickets

Nussbaum

FELIX NUSSBAUM 1904-1944


Once in a while it is worthy to focus on the art work of someone great.
The Jewish Museum in Paris currently features his work.


During JAM, Portland's Jewish Theater Collaborative will feature a production based on the life of Charlotte Salomon, a contemporary of Nussbaum. It will be interesting to compare HER work WITH NUSSBAUM'S!  Be sure you get tickets to this wonderful production Feb 3-20, 2010
http://www.jewishtheatrecollaborative.org/

The ezine Jewish Daily features a lovely look at a wonderful artist, Felix Nussbaum, whose life and talent were cut short by Auschwitz.

Here is a quote from the article written by Eunice Lipton:


And what is so horribly painful considering Nussbaum’s life is that he was all there before the Holocaust, and everything he was and did was a sign of life. But after he was killed, these qualities were turned into the traits of a victim—signs of desperation and hopelessness, imminent loss, passivity. That is the interpretive injustice I referred to earlier. But he didn’t die, he wasn’t dead, until he was killed. It is his life that one experiences at the Jewish Museum in Paris and why the exhibit is not depressing.

Take a look at what else she has to say. It is a wonderful article. You'll want to fly to PARIS, just to see the exhibit!

http://www.jidaily.com/v6E/e

Children's Programming for JAM!!!!!

We are so pleased to have a committee of young teens developing programming for JAM this year!
Because they are minors, we don't want to print names or photos here.

What is impressive is their enthusiasm and desire to be involved in the community. They are doing "on the job" training...learning how to run meetings, brainstorm ideas, and the "art" of follow through!

They'll be writing their own posts HERE soon!

Stay tuned!

AVISHAI COHEN- comes to pdx!

Although it isn't part of JEWISH ARTS MONTH , this blog will attempt to post highlights of the Jewish Arts in the Portland community.


HERE'S THE SCOOP:

PDX Jazz, the presenting organization of the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by U.S. Bank, announces the October 23rd appearance by Avishai Cohen. The Israeli-born and Paris-based EMI-France recording artist is set to perform at the Winningstad Theater, an intimate 300 seat venue located within the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. This rare Portland area performance by the celebrated bassist will begin at 7:30 PM.

Cohen is a musician who has been called a jazz visionary of global proportions by DownBeat, and was declared one of the 100 Most Influential Bass Players of the 20th Century by Bass Player Magazine. Cohen is not only renowned around the world as an influential double bassist and profound composer, but also as a visionary bandleader that is following in the footsteps of Charles Mingus, Dave Holland, Jaco Pastorius, Ray Brown, Charlie Haden, Stanley Clarke, and even Sting.

*Note: Limited seating is available for this event.

Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.ticketmaster.com

or in person at the PCPA box office.

JAM 2011 Update

Last year JAM became a reality thanks to the generosity of The Oregon Arts Commison, National Endowment for the Arts and some individual donors.

We had numerous sponsors who will be identified in the next blog posting. Special thanks needs to go to The Mittleman Jewish Community Center (MJCC) who not only took on fiscal management responsibility but also donated space and staff time to make this possible.

A new grant has been written to the OAC and we hope that they might be willing to offer us funding one more time. This financial assistance will allow to concentrate on fine tuning our festival while looking for other financial resources.

Last year we developed a template for hosting a Portland area Jewish arts festival. Our planning team reviewed, studied and evaluated everything we did. We learned so much and we're determined to make year two more exciting - a festival that will reach more broadly across age groups and spread across the broader community.

Above all, we will need to find ways to financially support JAM. We can't become dependent on grants for our future.

Do you want to be involved as a planner? Write to us! jampdx@gmail.com or to eddy shuldman at  sparksofspirit@gmail.com.

Would you consider a tax deductible donation? Donations large and small are needed. Send your check to the MJCC but write in JAM donation on the memo line. Your contribution will be a statement of your support to building networks throughout our community through the arts.

Stay tuned for info re: JAM events. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

PLANS FOR JAM 2011- under way!

Yup, we're planning!
We've begun writing grants, looking at options, dreaming up possibilities.

Do you have an idea?
post it here!

Want to get involved?
write to jampdx@gmail.com and let us know!

Jewish Arts Month....Portland Oregon.....spring 2011

A perfect match!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT JAM?

We'd love to hear from you!

We're thinking about a poetry slam,  a dance, big name concerts......

REALLY.....what would you like to see?

We're writing  grants, dreaming dreams, and recruiting volunteers to help us make things happen.

Why not join us?

JAM 2010 IS OVER....Hello JAM 2011

We have begun the evaluation process for JAM 2010 and welcome any and all commentary that will help us reflect on our events....as well as assist us in planning for next spring!

WE WILL CONTINUE TO POST ANNOUNCEMENTS OF ART EVENTS AS WE BECOME AWARE OF THEM...so stay tuned!

Thank you Oregon Arts Commission for your most generous grant!

Thank you Mittleman Jewish Community Center: Lisa Horrowitz, Helen Gundlach, Jordana Levenick, Beth Germain, Marissa Brown, Rosanne Levi, and the amazing custodial staff!


Thank you ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists!


Thank you Team Planners: Esther Liberman, Eddy Shuldman, Abby Myers, Sharyn Schneiderman, Cantor IdaRae Cahana, Priscilla Kostiner, Barbara Steinfeld , and Ed Kraus!!!!!!!

Jewish Theater Collaborative closes out JAM

Happy Hour with Sholem Aleichem


Date: Sunday, April 25, 2010
Time: 5 - 7 pmLocation:
Food for Thought Cafe
Smith Hall, Portland State University
1620 SW Park Avenue
Portland, Oregon  97201

A storytelling and Klezmer rocking celebration of Sholem Aleichem’s yartzeit
Presented by Jewish Theatre Collaborative, and The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies

Admission: Free

Write to the Heart

Rose Schnitzer Manor Writers will demonstrate their skills in story telling Thursday May 22nd at the Older but Wiser Writers Cafe located in the heart of Rose Schnitzer Manor.


Cosponsored by Jewish Arts Month and Cedar Sinai Park in Portland, this will be a special evening.


Jazz pianist and KMHD radio DJ personality George Fendel will provide musical entertainment from 6:45 to 7pm (ish) and then our writers will take to the microphone and wow the audience with their poetry and stories. 


Refreshments will be available!
Bring a hankie or 2...you will laugh until you cry, and you certainly be touched by their more sobering memories.

OLDER BUT WISER CAFE-Thursday 7pm

Judge this book by its cover!
Five dutiful writers who are also residents of Rose Schnitzer Manor  have just assembled their first anthology. The group assembled in October and have been meeting weekly to write personal narratives, poetry and more!


The Older But Wiser Writers Cafe will be staged in the Zidell meeting room at Rose Schnitzer. Beer, wine, and other refreshments will be available to their eager audience. Will you be there?


This is one of the last events happening under the Jam "umbrella" for 2010.

COME SUPPORT THESE YOUNG AT HEART WRITERS AND LEARN A LITTLE HISTORY ALONG WITH HEARING SOME GREAT STORIES! YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!

LAST Week!...MUST SEE THEATER!