If you are of the belief that the world is a canvas and if you know where to look, you’ll find strokes of art waiting to be appreciated, then let us point you in the direction of B’nai Amoona. The Art Gallery of B’nai Amoona is inviting all St. Louis art lovers to visit its newest exhibition featuring the work of five local artists.
“The shows we have presented are pretty eclectic. There’s no theme. What we’ve been able to do, though, is combine different kinds of art, and we like that for the show,” said Lester Goldman, who oversees the gallery.
All the work on display will be for sale. The gallery is located in the Krupat Oberman Community Lounge and neighboring lobby area outside of the Guller Chapel.
This summer exhibition features an all-female cast of artists: Marianne Baer, Suzy Farren, Shirley Faintich, Marian Steen, and Elaine Unell.
Marianne Baer: Ceramic art
Baer has been a constant part of the St. Louis art scene for almost 40 years, showing her work in galleries, juried art fairs and teaching classes and workshops in her large home studio. She will be displaying examples of her work in clays and fibers.
Suzy Farren: Painter and Fabric art
Farren has been described as a mixed media collage artist, who loves to work with cloth — especially hand stitching pieces of cloth together.
Sheryl Faintich: Ceramic art
There is no other way to say it, Faintich loves dogs. Her ceramic art celebrates the bond between humans and dogs, capturing the universal joy dogs and their owners feel when they are together.
Marian Steen: Painter
In her artist statement, Steen writes, “I have a love for texture and an ongoing love affair with watercolor; its flow, its luminosity, and its spontaneity.” Her work has been described as abstract paintings, dominated by watercolor and inspired by nature.
Elaine Unell: ceramic Art
Unell creates ceramics that blend functionality with whimsical sculpture. She says she’s inspired by a love of color and humor. Each of her pieces is unique and ever-evolving to bring smiles to those who see it.
The art gallery
The gallery was established following B’nai Amoona’s major building renovation just before COVID. With the renovation and expansion, two new adjoining rooms had a specific issue that needed to be solved – blank walls.
“A few other people and I thought it might be a good idea to use that space for something a little different than just putting up plaques or static artwork. So we formed a committee to see if we could create a new gallery space,” said Goldman.
The committee was made up of Goldman, Paulie Rose, the wife of B’nai Amoona’s former rabbi Carni Rose, Carol Simon, a longtime docent at the St. Louis Art Museum, Sandy Kaplan, a longtime ceramic artist in St. Louis and Jan Baron.
The first exhibition in the B’nai Amoona Art Gallery took place featured the watercolors of Obbie Price and the paintings by Gary Kodner. Kodner, a past president of the Jewish Light board, was a consultant to the committee when the planning of the gallery began.
B’nai Amoona Art Gallery
Located in the Krupat Oberman Community Lounge, 324 S. Mason Rd.
Gallery is open during normal congregation hours.
