VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

From May 5 to June 3, the Jewish Community Center Deutser Art Gallery, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., will display 25 photographs of Israel by young photographer Talya Arbisser. Arbisser will speak about her artistry and this particular collection of photographs Thursday, May 5 at 8:00 PM in the JCC Kaplan Theatre, followed by a wine and lite bites reception.

EXTENDED through June 17. Guided tour with the artist  Wednesday, June 15 • 6:30 PM.

Named In the Footsteps of My Grandparents: A Photographic View of Israel, the exhibit is composed of photographs that were all captured in the summer of 2010, when Arbisser traveled to Israel with Taglit Birthright. Her trip was inspired in part by a desire to connect with the land her grandparents, Houstonians Raffi and Dvorah Arbisser, had fought for decades ago. The photos she captured reflect the stories she continues to hear of the Jewish state along with her own visual interpretation of modern Israel.

Matt Adams of Adams Imagery agreed to curate the exhibit because he “admire[s] Talya’s effective shooting style, including her use of color and, more importantly, her obvious ability to connect with her subjects.” Together, Adams and Arbisser conceptualized a unique feature of the series: a writable white space surrounding each photograph. With pens attached to every frame, the viewer is encouraged to share his/her thoughts and feelings regarding the photographs, and as the exhibit travels, it will accrue more and more written impressions. “I sought to provide the viewer with a directed, visual journey that reflected the personal journey Talya was experiencing,” Adams explains.

“A lot of the places in Israel filled me with a feeling of connection with my grandparents,” Arbisser added, “and the images that I took reflect this intimate, emotional process. I moved to Houston to be closer to my grandparents and this exhibit is a way for me to honor them and show them that I am truly interested in my history and want to know more.”

In the Footsteps of My Grandparents will be on display May 5 – June 3 in the JCC Deutser Art Gallery with an artist lecture and reception Thursday, May 5 at 8:00 PM in the JCC Kaplan Theatre, 5601 S. Braeswood. For more information about this and other Arts & Culture events, visit www.jcchouston.org or call 713-729-3200.

Photo Caption: One of Arbisser’s photographs featured in the exhibit. (Detail above, full image below).