Things To Do in NYC: Scenes from the Collection

The Jewish Museum collection is a unique mix of artworks and ceremonial objects. In Scenes from the Collection, selected works are presented in thematic “scenes,” weaving together centuries of art and Judaica. Each gallery suggests a different filter through which we may approach and understand art.

Works in the collection are presented as distinctive creative expressions and as bearers of the stories of those who made, owned, used, preserved, and sometimes transformed them. The exhibition speaks of the vast range of Jewish experiences across the globe and over time, made tangible through artistic expression. It is both a mirror of Jewish identities and an inspiration for the formation of new ones.

In calling attention to the multiple facets of art and Jewish culture, the exhibition invites fresh responses from visitors and may resonate with people of many faiths and backgrounds. Themes change periodically, offering new dialogues among the works and proposing new interpretations of them.

Still on view are:

Accumulations spotlights an aspect of museum collecting: the accumulation of multiple examples of a given work. The current iteration features over 80 Hanukkah lamps representing four continents and six centuries of artistic production. The Jewish Museum’s collection of Hanukkah lamps is the largest in the world at nearly 1,050 pieces, and was amassed over the 114 years of the Museum’s existence.

In Contellations, many of the enthralling works in the collection express aspects of Jewish culture, history, or values, while also exploring universal issues of the relationship of art to society. When widely varied artworks are presented together, multiple meanings and conversations emerge. Some of the resulting dialogues revolve around the ways in which traditions are maintained, transformed, reinterpreted, or transcended. Others explore the ever-changing nature of identity and the pursuit of spirituality—whether in the performance of ritual, the study of mysticism, or the creation of an artwork.

The Jewish Museum: 1109 5th Ave at 92nd St