The Old City Jewish Art Center Presents:

Zena Kaplan Memorial Art Exhibition
September 4-23, 2009

To find out the artist and title, mouse over the slide show

Zena Kaplan passed away March of 2009 from Alzheimer’s disease after first being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease five year ago.        

Zena's career began in the late 1950's.  Her final works were with magic marker on paper.  She stopped working when she didn't know what to do with the markers - around 8 months before she died.  She used many mediums throughout her life time including fabric design and ceramics.

“I cannot live without color or good music.  The improvisations, unfamiliar tonalities, unexpected twists and turns, uncharted territories, inventiveness, exciting rhythms and varying moods motivate me in my work. I feel an inner excitement when I paint that results not in realistic representation, but in shapes and forms that appear in my search to express my delight in hearing classical music and most of all, live Jazz.   Thus what results is an intensely personal response, aware at the same time that I live in a world of conflict and turmoil. Although the process is difficult, I am most fulfilled when I paint.“

Zena exhibited in juried shows, galleries, and public spaces including the San Diego Art Institute.  She had a 12-year relationship custom designing fabrics for Henri Bendel’s (NYC).  Her artwork has been exhibited in Connecticut, New York, California, and Sweden, and she is the recipient of innumerable awards during 50 years of her career.

Biographies for the artists are available here.

Gallery hours:  Tuesday-Thursday from 1-6 PM excluding religious holidays, or by special appointment
The “Zena Kaplan Memorial Art Exhibition” will run September 4th -23rd excluding religious holidays. All artists are invited to submit images for review for future exhibitions at OCJAC to:  submissions@ocjac.org .