Peter Shire
American, born 1947
Menorah #2
1986, steel, anodized aluminum, brass, chrome, enamel
Gift of funds from Tamara and Michael Root and the Eloise and Elliot Kaplan Endowment for Judaica 2011.4

CHUTZPAH! Contemporary Judaica at the MIA

Saturday, July 14, 2012—Sunday, July 21, 2013
Harold and Mickey Smith Gallery of Jewish Art and Culture (G362)
Free Exhibition

In The Joys of Yiddish, author Leo Rosten defines chutzpah to mean, "gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, incredible 'guts,' presumption plus arrogance such as no other word and no other language can do justice to." Breaking with Jewish tradition in ritual art certainly requires some chutzpah, but for contemporary artists and designers the risk can result in exciting new forms of Judaica.