First Light exhibition image: Kamila Mróz, Well Done—What Was the Cost?, 2023.
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 | 5–8pm
ADMISSION: Free with advance RSVP
Come together with community to celebrate First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art, an exhibition by She Bends, at The CJM. Enjoy an evening of drinks, conversation, and two live glass bending demonstrations while exploring light, spirituality, and craft through awe-inspiring glass and neon artworks. Plus, experience Radiant Practices: Illuminating Jewish Traditions, a new exhibition exploring the significance of light in Judaism through a collection of ritual objects. We invite you to get ready for Hanukkah by exploring the rich role light plays across cultures, and the many ways in which it can offer us spiritual experiences, inspire awe, and inform our traditions.
Advance ticketing is now closed. Walk-ups to the event are welcome.
Questions? Please contact rsvp@thecjm.org or call 415.655.7881.
5–6pm
Enjoy conversation, complementary wine, and special Hanukkah sufganiyot from Loquat Bakery.
6–6:20pm
Discover the craft of bending in this live demonstration.
6:30–7:15pm
Hear from the artists whose work is exhibited in the exhibition.
7:20–7:45pm
Discover the craft of bending in this live demonstration.
8pm
An exhibition by She Bends
First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art explores mastery in craft as a devotional practice, presenting breathtaking works that connect both artists and viewers to spirituality, wonder, and universal questions of human existence. The exhibition features artworks in neon, glass, and plasma, large-scale sculptures, and installations that invite you to learn about fascinating scientific processes while inspiring deeper contemplation of the role of light in our quest to understand our place in the universe. Experience awe, make spiritual connections, and discover the science and craft of neon and glass artwork.
First Light exhibition image: Kamila Mróz, Well Done—What Was the Cost?, 2023.
Radiant Practices: Illuminating Jewish Traditions traces the foundational role of light in Jewish life and ritual, both historically and today. Journey through a collection of Jewish ritual objects, from menorahs to memorial candles, that offer insights into practices that draw on light to mark Jewish holidays, lifecycle moments, and spiritual spaces. Presented in The CJM’s Stephen and Maribelle Leavitt Yud gallery, the exhibition brings new meaning to the presence of natural light within this symbolically rich gallery while offering new reflections on the forms of light that illuminate Jewish ritual.
Hanukkah and Sabbath lamp, c. 1875. The Peachy and Mark Levy Family Judaica Collection, Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life.
Major funding for First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art is generously provided by Grants for the Arts, Dorothy Saxe, Anita Wornick, Carla and David Crane, and David Saxe. In-kind support is graciously provided by Loquat Bakery.
Header image: Mollie McKinley, Sunrise Over Resting Body, 2022.