Winter can be the perfect season for exploring artistic pursuits. Its slower pace allows for the reflection and focus that creativity requires, and art adds light to the longer, darker days.
But it needn’t be solitary. TC Jewfolk and the Jewish Arts Collective have joined together to build community through a series of in-person meetups for all ages, free of charge, featuring art supply swaps and hands-on workshops led by local artists.
The next event is on Sunday, Jan. 18, from 2-4 p.m. at the Minnesota JCC – Sabes Center Minneapolis. Participate by donating or taking gently used art supplies, connecting with other creatives, and making art.
Whether you’re an experienced artist or just starting, everyone is welcome, and supplies are provided.
“It’s a space to share, exchange, and explore together,” said Robyn Awend, director of arts engagement at the Minnesota JCC. “All are welcome and encouraged to join in.”
Igniting Creativity Together
The Jewish Arts Collective is a membership program that creates meaningful opportunities for Jewish artists to connect, share, and learn.
“The Collective feels especially vital in these challenging times,” Awend said. “It offers a place where creativity, study and Jewish wisdom meet, where participants can explore their own voices while feeling anchored in tradition and community. It gives artists a chance to connect, to be nourished, and to find inspiration together. At its heart, the Collective creates a sense of belonging, resilience, and hope, reminding us that art can be a powerful force for healing, processing and deep connection.”
Multi-media artist Toni Glotter is the featured creator who will lead the January community drop-in collage workshop. She exemplifies how Collective participants share in the identities of being Jewish and creatives while also bringing unique perspectives, both in artistic expression and Judaism.
“I really like being a part of a group with similar interests and backgrounds within my community,” Glotter said. “I may not be as observant as many others, but the ‘Jewish’ part is important to me because there is so much to learn and it’s always changing. I’m always changing. Yet it is so much of who I am, how I was raised and how I relate to the world.”
The Collective provides valuable artistic inspiration to Glotter – and a way to beat an artist’s tendency to go it alone too much.
“If I didn’t work at participating with others, I would most likely work alone all the time,” she said. “I love my alone time. I just need to create. It runs through my veins. But when I’m around others it keeps me from getting stuck. It’s very easy when you work alone to keep repeating the same thing over and over. Just being able to bounce ideas around with others keeps me flexible in my thinking and appreciation for others and open to ideas.”
The proverb that “necessity creates innovation” applies to the arts, and the Collective brings artists together to face and overcome challenges.
“This past Collective session I was able to work with a group of creatives doing something I never did before but always wanted to try,” Glotter said. “It was a simple attempt at set design, and I had a blast. It had a budget of zero, so that immediately limited me to how this was going to happen. In the end my contribution was useful and I now have a great appreciation for how much work goes into performing live onstage. The support from the community was also lovely. We have a strong supportive Jewish Community for the arts. I am grateful for that.”
Finding Purpose In Repurposing
Swapping art supplies at the community event gives materials of all kinds a second life – and can serve as a rich source of creative spark.
Glotter is known for her expressive portraits using tens of thousands of strips from repurposed print materials. Whether the subject is a celebrity or a tiger, she constructs them from paper she folds accordion-style, then glues to a substrate.
Sometimes she uses publications rescued from the recycling bin. Other times the materials carry great significance. Sheet music formed part of Glotter’s portrait of Prince, and some of Jimmy Fallon’s image was created from maps of New York City.
“In my experience with my art, I find the materials first and figure out a way to make them into something new, maybe more beautiful and more interesting,” she said.” My use of magazines and other print materials are ephemeral and stand in for the times we are in. These too will change and my art is one way of preserving a moment in time.”
Glotter’s skilled depictions of human and animal eyes stand out.
“I find sometimes the eyes follow the viewer as they walk by,” she said. “There is probably an explanation for this, but I haven’t looked into it. Nor did I try to make this happen. Just a lucky stumble, I guess. That’s the most exciting part of creating art, when the ‘happy accidents’ happen.”
She encourages anyone interested to join the supply swap or drop-in collage project, including those new to art-making. Her own journey has been one of constant learning and experimenting, resulting in advice that applies beyond art.
“Everyone started at the beginning,” she said. “Never compare yourself to others, especially those who are further along in their journey. There will always be someone more or less experienced. This is where the learning comes from.”
Glotter aims to give to others what she has received from the Jewish arts community.
“It is a safe space to try new things, fail, succeed, learn,” she said. “The connections I’ve made have been priceless.”
