Ruth and Herb Aschkenazy donate Camnitzer woodcuts to OJM

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2009-06-11T00:00:00

Oregon Jewish Museum Executive Director Judith Margles reports the gift of four woodcuts by Luis Camnitzer.

Camnitzer is an internationally esteemed artist who has taught at State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, since 1969. A Jew, he was born in Germany in 1937 and emigrated to Uruguay two years later. He has lived in the United States since 1964.

In 1970 Caminzter created a portfolio of woodcut prints, based upon philosopher and theologian Martin Buber’s “Tales of the Hasidim,” a retelling of anecdotes of the Hasidic leaders.

Camnitzer’s work is represented in the world’s foremost art collections, including, in America, those of the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum and the Whitney Museum, all in New York, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

The woodcuts were donated to the OJM by Ruth and Herb Aschkenazy of Salem. Herb Aschkenazy is president of the Albany-based Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc.

In other OJM news, the museum has received a $30,000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation.

The OCF board approved the grant last month.

This was the eighth grant the museum has received from the OCF since 2006 and the largest in that time period.

The funds will be used to support the work of OJM Director of Development Richie Andler who joined the museum last October.

The largest previous grant for OCF to OJM was for $20,000 in 2008, also in support of development activities.

Andler joined the OJM in May 2008.