Scenes from the Collection

January 21, 2018-May 27, 2024

Deborah Kass, OY/YO, 2016, produced 2017, painted aluminum mounted on a polished stainless steel base. Purchase: gift in honor of Norman Kleeblatt, Susan and Elihu Rose Chief Curator of the Jewish Museum from 2005-2017. Artwork © Deborah Kass / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Kehinde Wiley, Alios Itzhak (The World Stage: Israel), 2011, oil and enamel on canvas. The Jewish Museum, New York, purchase: gift of Lisa and Steven Tananbaum Family Foundation; gift in honor of Joan Rosenbaum, Director of the Jewish Museum from 1981-2011, by the Contemporary Judaica, Fine Arts, Photography, and Traditional Judaica Acquisitions Committee Funds, 2011-31. Artwork © Kehinde Wiley.
Eva Hesse, Untitled, 1963-64, oil on canvas. The Jewish Museum, New York, purchase: gift of Helen Hesse Charash, 1983-234.
Mel Bochner, The Joys of Yiddish, 2012, oil and acrylic on two canvases. The Jewish Museum, New York, purchase: gifts of The Muriel and William Rand Collection, by exchange and Hyman and Joan C. Sall, 2012-22a-b.
Trenton Doyle Hancock, Step and Screw: The Star of Code Switching, 2020, Acrylic, faux fur, graphite, plastic tops, and paper collage on canvas. The Jewish Museum, NY. Purchase: Arts Acquisition Committee Fund.
Arlene Shechet, Travel Light, 2017. Gypsum, resin, and wax. 24 7/8 × 23 3/8 × 9 1/2 in. The Jewish Museum, New York. Contemporary Judaica Acquisitions Committee and Judaica Acquisitions Committee Funds

Next Previous

Deborah Kass, OY/YO, 2016, produced 2017, painted aluminum mounted on a polished stainless steel base. Purchase: gift in honor of Norman Kleeblatt, Susan and Elihu Rose Chief Curator of the Jewish Museum from 2005-2017. Artwork © Deborah Kass / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The galleries on the Third Floor of the Jewish Museum feature a rotating collection exhibition with nearly 450 works from antiquities to contemporary art.

Elinor Carucci, South African Collar: Ginsburg's favorite collar, worn in her official portrait, 2020. Archival pigment print. Framed: 10 1/2 × 10 1/2 × 1 in. (26.7 × 26.7 × 2.5 cm). The Jewish Museum, NY. Purchase: Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund

The Jewish Museum’s Third Floor features installations focused on its collection.

Some of the most powerful works in the collection are those that express aspects of Jewish culture, history, or values, while also reflecting universal issues of art and its relationship to society. In “Constellations,” nearly 50 of the most significant works in the collection are exhibited as individual gems but with thematic connections to one another. Works by such artists as Mel Bochner, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Eva Hesse, Louise Nevelson, and Kehinde Wiley are included. Hanukkah lamps and other ceremonial objects drawn from the Museum’s renowned collection—from the 3rd to the 21st centuries, and Europe, North Africa, Asia, and the United States—are also on view.

Other installations featuring works from the collection include two dozen photographs of former US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collars and necklaces taken by the contemporary photographer Elinor Carucci; a gallery that explores artists’ portrayals of other artists and themselves; and a selection of works by the French painter James Tissot that come from a group of more than 350 paintings related to the Hebrew Bible, among others.

See below for more information about each installation.

In-person and virtual tours available, click here for more information.

Exhibition design by Calvin Tsao | Tsao & McKown; design and installation consultant, Daniel Kershaw; graphic design by Topos Graphics; lighting design by Clinard Design Studio; and exhibition fabrication by South Side Design & Building.

Scenes from the Collection is made possible with leadership support from Amy and Jeffrey Silverman and the Eugene and Emily Grant Family Foundation, and through gifts from Audrey and Zygi Wilf, Jane and Mark Wilf, Debra Fine and Martin Schneider, Tracey and Robert Pruzan, Monica and Andrew Weinberg, gifts in honor of Regina Gruss, Jonathan and Darcie Crystal, Neubauer Family Foundation, Dr. William Pordy, Rhoda, Nolan and Harriet Rothkopf, the Knapp Family Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, Betty and John Levin, the Malinsky Family Charitable Trust and the Ira Waldbaum Family Foundation, Sara and Axel Schupf, the Stern Family Philanthropic Foundation, UOVO, the Gottesman Fund, and other generous donors.

Coney Island

Through May 27, 2024

Coney Island showcases photographs of the famed amusement park from the late 1930s through the late 1950s by Martin Elkort, Morris Engel, Sid Grossman, Sidney Kerner, Arthur Leipzig, and Leon Levinstein, along with two “Coney Island” style carousel horses created by master carvers Charles Carmel and Marcus Charles Illions.

Charles Carmel. Carousel horse, c. 1914. Carved and painted popular wood and horsehair. Gift of Larry and Gail Freels, 2020-62.
Martin Elkort. Merry Go Round (Riding the Lion)., Coney Island, 1951, printed later. Gelatin silver print. Gift of the Estate of Martin Elkort, 2020-17.
Martin Elkort. Grabbing the Brass Ring, Coney Island, c. 1951, printed later. Gelatin silver print. Gift of the Estate of Martin Elkort, 2020-16.
Sidney Kerner. Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island, 1938. Gelatin silver print. Purchase: Gift of The Paul Strand Trust for the benefit of Virginia Stevens, 2008-72.

Jim Dine: Hiroshima

Through May 27, 2024

Jim Dine’s (b. 1935) Hiroshima series (1982-83), recently acquired by the Museum for its collection, highlights the artist’s politically charged work and his endeavors to support anti-nuclear protests. The 11 works evoke the annihilation and despair unleashed by the atomic bombs the United States dropped in 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of World War II. Dine’s art is an intensely personal exploration of autobiography, often reflected upon through reoccurring, idiosyncratic motifs such as tools, hearts, robes (often considered self-portraits), trees, and a handful of other quotidian objects. The title, Hiroshima, transforms Dine’s familiar symbols into metaphors for the tragedy of weapons of mass destruction. Jim Dine: Hiroshima is the second in a series of installations that refer to the violence of war and its inevitable toll on innocents.

Jim Dine, Hiroshima, 1982-83. Enamel, charcoal and pastel over lithograph on paper. Gift of the Jim Dine Trust in memory of Alan Solomon. © Jim Dine/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Jim Dine, Hiroshima, 1982-83. Enamel, charcoal and pastel over lithograph on paper. Gift of the Jim Dine Trust in memory of Alan Solomon. © Jim Dine/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Jim Dine, Hiroshima, 1982-83. Enamel, charcoal and pastel over lithograph on paper. Gift of the Jim Dine Trust in memory of Alan Solomon. © Jim Dine/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Jim Dine, Hiroshima, 1982-83. Enamel, charcoal and pastel over lithograph on paper. Gift of the Jim Dine Trust in memory of Alan Solomon. © Jim Dine/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Jim Dine, Hiroshima, 1982-83. Enamel, charcoal and pastel over lithograph on paper. Gift of the Jim Dine Trust in memory of Alan Solomon. © Jim Dine/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Tissot and the Bible

Through May 27, 2024

Tissot and the Bible includes some 30 works by the French painter James Tissot (1836-1902) that come from a group of more than 350 paintings related to the Hebrew Bible. Spanning all of the books, from Genesis to the Prophets, Tissot’s watercolor illustrations are some of the most beloved and sought-after images in the Jewish Museum’s collection.

James Tissot, Abram's Counsel to Sarai, c. 1896-1902. Gouache on board, 6 x 8 1/8 in. (15.2 x 20.7 cm). The Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of the heirs of Jacob Schiff.
James Tissot, Jacob and Rachel at the Well, c. 1896-1902. Gouache on board, 10 3/8 x 8 1/4 in. (26.4 x 21 cm). The Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of the heirs of Jacob Schiff.
James Tissot, Isaac Bears the Wood for His Sacrifice, c. 1896-1902. Gouache on board, 8 3/4 x 5 7/16 in. (22.2 x 13.8 cm). The Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of the heirs of Jacob Schiff.
James Tissot, Joseph Distributes Bread in Prison, c. 1896-1902. Gouache on board, 10 1/2 x 7 3/4 in. (26.7 x 19.7 cm). The Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of the heirs of Jacob Schiff.

Artists on Artists

Through May 27, 2024

The Jewish Museum’s collection includes portraits dating from antiquity to the present, most either by Jewish artists or of Jewish sitters. The current installation Artists on Artists explores artists’ portrayals of other artists or themselves. Works by Alex Bradley Cohen, Ethel Fisher, Deborah Kass, Alex Katz, Nancy Lee Katz, Alice Neel, Chana Orloff, Larry Rivers, Andy Warhol, and others are on view.

Nancy Lee Katz, Maya Lin, 1998, printed later. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Michael S. Sachs
Nancy Lee Katz, Alex Katz, 1993, printed later. Gelatin silver print. Gift of Michael S. Sachs
Alex Bradley Cohen, Parents #4, 2022. Acrylic on canvas. Purchase: Milton and Miriam Handler Endowment Fund, 2023-7
Ethel Fisher, Portrait of Ilse Getz, 1977. Oil on canvas. Gift of Margaret Fisher, 2022-45
Chana Orloff, Self-Portrait, 1919, from the album Woodcuts of Chana Orloff. Woodcut on paper
Purchase: Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Olden, by exchange, 1994-705

RBG Collars: Photographs by Elinor Carucci

Through May 27, 2024

RBG Collars: Photographs by Elinor Carucci features two dozen photographs of former US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collars and necklaces taken by the contemporary photographer Elinor Carucci (Israeli, b. 1971) shortly after Ginsburg’s death in 2020. The installation also includes jewelry from the Museum's collection, reflecting freely on the expressive possibilities as well as the cultural and religious aspects of adornment.

Elinor Carucci, Dissent Collar (2012), 2020. Archival pigment print. Purchase: Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund
Elinor Carucci, Pride Collar (2016), 2020. Archival pigment print. Purchase: Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund
Elinor Carucci, Husband Marty Ginsburg's words, "It's not sacrifice, it's family," 2020. Archival pigment print. Purchase: Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund
Elinor Carucci, South African Collar: Ginsburg's favorite collar, worn in her official portrait, 2020. Archival pigment print. Purchase: Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund
Elinor Carucci, Majority Collar, 2020. Archival pigment print. Purchase: Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund

Taxonomies

Through May 27, 2024

Taxonomies is organized as a contemporary Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Wonders), a historical style of display first popularized during the Renaissance and recognized as a precursor of today’s museums. This scene is crowded with works of art and artifacts of various origins and materials, revealing interesting relationships between objects in the collection.

Installation view of Taxonomies. Photo by Jason Mandella.

Breaking the Glass: Jewish Weddings on Television

Through May 27, 2024

Breaking the Glass: Jewish Weddings on Television brings together excerpts from television and streaming programs from 1974 to 2020 such as Rhoda, Will & Grace, The Nanny, New Girl, and Unorthodox, among others, that illustrate the depth and the range of television depictions of this important life-cycle event.

This installation is inspired by the Museum's collection from the National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting (NJAB). With more than 4,000 holdings, the archive is the largest and most comprehensive body of broadcast materials on Jewish culture in the United States.

WILL & GRACE (NBC) season 5. Episode: "Marry Me a Little, Marry Me a Little More" (100th Episode), November 21, 2002 Shown: Debra Messing (as Grace Adler), Eric McCormack (as Will Truman). © NBC Photographer: Chris Haston. NBC/Photofest
RHODA (season 1) episode 8-9: "Rhoda's Wedding" (October 28, 1974) Shown: Valerie Harper, Harold Gould. © CBS. CBS/Photofest
SEX AND THE CITY (HBO). Season 6, Summer 2003 - Winter 2004. Shown from left: Kristin Davis (as Charlotte York McDougal), Evan Handler (as Harry Goldenblatt). © HBO. HBO/Photofest

Audio

Digital guide supported by Bloomberg Connects.

Video

Video by SandenWolff

Installation Views

Installation view of Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Jason Mandella
Installation view of Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Roz Akin
Installation view of Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Roz Akin
Installation view of Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Kris Graves
Installation view of Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Jason Mandella
Installation view of Coney Island in Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Roz Akin
Installation view of Taxonomies in Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Jason Mandella
Installation view of Taxonomies in Scenes from the Collection. The Jewish Museum, New York. Photo by: Jason Mandella