The American Guild of Judaic Art has chosen a piece by Portland glass artist Eddy Shuldman to include in their year-long online Karen Walanka Exhibition titled, “The Power of Responsibility and the Responsibility of Power.”
Beth Goldstein and Robin Atlas, Co-Curators shared the following curatorial statement:
Dictionary definitions tell us that responsibility is the state of having a duty to deal with something or someone, being required to render account and be answerable. Power is fundamentally the ability to control events and other people.
An overarching theme of today’s discourse is social justice, accompanied by the underlying bass line that social injustice is the norm. Class, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, gender are all markers: categories that segregate people for better or worse circumstances. Is there a moral imperative that should guide the exercise of power and responsibility toward the elimination of systemic inequality?
For this exhibit, we asked artists to explore responsibility and power in the realm of social justice as conjugations of each other. As each begets the other, moral metrics guide their exercise. Our participating artists have translated our topic from its abstract verbalization to visual representation with extraordinary vision and creativity. We are so honored to be able to present this work to you; visit, revisit, contemplate, absorb, share, and enjoy this event.
The fused glass piece of Eddy’s art is titled “DO NOT STAND IDLY BY…..” Afroamerikaner Blut iz Nisht Keyn Vasser African American Blood is not Water.
The description of the piece states, “The power of words: leading to action or inaction. Inspired by how to say “Black Lives Matter” in Yiddish, I selected Afroamerikaner Blut iz Nisht Keyn Vasser. By depicting the chalked outline of a body on a sidewalk, I wanted to communicate the anonymity of those who have died on our streets by violence, specifically out of hatred, racism, and ignorance. Stare at the outline and tell me about that body that bled out on concrete pavement. Male? Female? Black? White? Straight? Homosexual? Jew? Muslim? Christian? Atheist? Leviticus teaches us…”Do Not Stand Idly By While Your Neighbor’s Blood Is Shed!”
“I feel so honored. Please check out this exhibition. There is some remarkable art. I am truly humbled,” Eddy shares on her Facebook page.
