Peggy Guggenheim is well known as the collector who discovered and promoted many of the Abstract American artists. She is credited for bringing the first paintings by Jackson Pollock to Europe and introducing him at the Venice biennale in 1948. What is less known is that, in 1953, she donated 36 works by many of her gallery artists to the Tel Aviv Museum. The lecture will discuss Guggenheim’s immense influence on the art scene during the middle of the 20th century and her incredible donation that gifted to the Museum some of its most prominent art works by Jackson Pollock, Max Ernst and Yves Tanguy.

Since 2016, Sophia Berry has been working as an Assistant Curator of Modern Art at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (TAMA). Currently, she is on a two-year sabbatical in Denver, CO. Her position at TAMA includes responsibilities of managing exhibitions from our collections and external loans, researching the Museum’s collections, overseeing outgoing loans, writing catalogue texts, and leading restoration projects. Sophia also works with international and local donor groups, frequently giving lectures, aimed at supporting the Museum’s programs and maintaining and growing its collection. Sophia’s latest project was a special exhibition of works by Amedeo Modigliani in honor of the centenary of his death. Sophia has also curated a special display dedicated to Joseph Israel’s From Darkness and Light (1871), which was recently discovered to have been Jewish property before the War. Before entering my position at TAMA, Sophia studied Photography at the Art College at Beit Berl (2003), and later completed a certificate in Curatorial Studies at the Kibbutzim College (2007). Sophia has worked as an art educator at the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, as an Assistant to the Chief Curator at the Petah Tikva Museum of Art, and as a guide and workshop facilitator in the Education Department at TAMA.

There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is held virtually on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event. For more information, contact Program Director Ilene Tatro at itatro@cbisd.org.

CSP Partners: Beth Israel (San Diego, CA), Brotherhood Synagogue (Gramercy Park, NYC), Congregation Beth Shalom (Seattle, WA), Congregation B’nai Tzedek (Fountain Valley, CA), Congregation B’nai Israel (Tustin, CA), Jewish Collaborative of Orange County, CA, Shomrei Torah Synagogue (San Fernando Valley, CA), Temple Bat Yahm (Newport Beach, CA), Temple Beth El of South Orange County (Aliso Viejo, CA), Temple Beth Emet (Anaheim, CA), Temple Beth Ohr (La Mirada, CA), Temple Beth Tikvah (Fullerton, CA), Temple Beth Shalom (Needham, MA), Temple Beth Sholom (Santa Ana, CA), Temple Emanuel (Newton, MA), Town & Village Synagogue (NYC, NY), University Synagogue (Irvine, CA), Valley Beth Shalom (Encino, CA) & Walnut Street Synagogue (Chelsea, MA)