Gallery

The Gallery at the J

Three people look at photos hanging on a gallery wall Located in the Jacobs Lounge on the main floor of the Miles Nadal JCC, the Gallery provides a platform for both emerging and established artists to showcase their talent, share their stories and connect with the community through visual art.

Our exhibitions draw the viewer's attention to corners of everyday life, often challenging pre-existing opinions of culture, religious identity and social issues. Celebrate the powerful world of images and painting at The Gallery at the J.

Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 5:30 am - 10:00 pm; Saturday - Sunday 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

Gallery info: (416) 924-6211 x250

Gallery Coordinator Deanna Di Lello; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Call for Submissions

Looking for an audience? The Gallery at the J is searching for artists to participate in our 2020-2021 season. The selected artists will receive excellent exposure thanks to the 1,000 members and guests visiting the gallery each month.

The MNjcc strives to be an inclusive and welcoming hub for healthy and joyful community, anchored in Jewish value. We have found that many of those values are universal and the Gallery at the J is the perfect opportunity to explore them together.

FAQ

Q: What is the size of the gallery?

A: The gallery has 500 square feet of non-linear hanging space.

Q: How many people visit the gallery a month?

A: Our gallery doubles as our member’s lounge with approximately 1,000 members and guests frequenting the space.

Courageous Heart - Main Gallery

December 4, 2019 - January 1, 2020

Meet the Artist: Wednesday, December 11, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

By: Tamar Swartz

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

Courageous Heart is a series of paintings that explore the depth, power and connection of two friends as they navigate the joys and struggles of life. It is intended to shed light on the complexity of mental health challenges, and is positioned from the perspective of a carer, supporter and compassionate witness. It is a series about engaging with mental health in ways that both acknowledge the pain and struggle, while also coming from a place of love and support.

Courageous Heart gives voice to human experiences, rather than labels or diagnoses. It is about our ability as human beings to relate to feelings of love, fear, anger, sadness, surprise and joy. It is about our capacity to feel the darkness and the light, and to hold space for both to coexist. It is about all of our need for understanding, compassion and empathy.

Detroitus Masks II - Third Floor

Nov 2, 2019 – Jan 1, 2020

About the Exhibit

These masks are sculptural gesture drawings. By gesture I mean direct, without over-thinking. That doesn't mean they are quick--that flash of response saying this mask wants to have, for instance, a thinner exhaust pipe section requires cutting, bending and welding. Even when that alteration is complete, another may be needed--it may still not feel right. This face wants to be brought into the world and I have to be midwife with an angle grinder and a MIG welder.I work by response and not pre-conceived ideas. These car parts and shovels speak to me—if they stop speaking, I put them away until I find their voice again.

The impetus to use car parts springs primarily my belief that we’ve lost our landscapes to cars. There are too many of them. We need to wake up and see what we’ve done to our world. We need to ask ourselves if this car-centric world with its risks to our planet, our health and our society is the world we want. Also, because we junk over 12 million cars a year in North America, there are infinite multiples of parts for me to work with--parts that are incredibly complex and beautiful.

About the Artist

Jeff Mann received a BA in Fine Arts/Ceramics from Syracuse University and founded a wholesale pottery business with his wife which was their livelihood for twenty years. He then moved into sculpture and has had numerous solo and group shows in the Northeast and Ontario. He has recently been involved in the schools doing mini public art projects with the students. Jeff Mann lives in Kingston and works out of a shipping container at a local flea market.

www.jeffmannart.com
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The work of Jeff Mann is for sale. Support local artists. Bring art into your life.

Tweet about the exhibit @milesnadalJCC #thegalleryatthej

Storefront Stories

January 7 - February 3, 2020

Presented by The Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre

About the Exhibit:
Kensington Market is one of Toronto’s most distinct and historically significant neighbourhoods, Storefront Stories organized by the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, showcases former businesses that once thrived in the Market illuminating the Jewish history of the market and the larger immigration narrative. The Market, once the epicenter of Jewish cultural life in Toronto, nourished the culinary, intellectual, social, and entertainment needs of the community and offered a refuge to Yiddish-speakers arriving in Canada during the first half of the 20th century. This exhibition is adapted from a site-specific project from May 2019 when current-day stores hosted posters
with historical photos and content about the former Jewish businesses that once prospered in those locations. We hope you will join us to discover stories of family, food, entrepreneurship, and a commitment to community that lives on in Kensington today. The project was curated by Erica Chi, Casarina Hocevar, Amy Intrator, and Evelyn Feldman.