Bringing a Personal Vision of Jewish Beauty and Art to Communities
David Moss has developed his artist/scholar in residencies into a powerful means of conveying Jewish ideas, texts and values through captivating artistic programming. His visits (from two days to a week or more) energize all members of the community as he draws them into the world of his unique artistic vision. His surprising syntheses of tradition with creative artistic expression have proven to be a delightful way to educate and inspire. His presentations, talks, teaching, and projects provide a wide menu from which you can customize a residency specifically for your needs. Typical residencies may include some of the following:
- Large public slide lectures, or intimate, interactive classes or parlor meetings from original works:
- The beauty of Jewish Love and Marriage through Moss’s revival of the art of the hand-made Ketubah.
- A guided tour through The Moss Haggadah – called by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, “A magnificent work of art, possibly the most beautiful Haggadah of all times…”
- The Tree of life Shtender – the organic, harmonious integrity of the Jewish heart, head and hand through the revival of this overlooked Jewish object.
- The books of Jonah, Lamentations, Song of Songs, The Alphabet of the Angel Metatron, reinterpreted through art.
- Transforming Jewish space. Moss’s latest work in reconceptualizing the places in which Jewish organizations live.
- Text teaching – A journey into the text of a Psalm or a liturgical poem to discover its creative and artistic potential.
- Hiddur Mitzvah – Learning the classical sources for the beautifying of the commandments—the source for Jewish ritual art.
- Hands-on, group projects. Moss works with children, teens or adults to creatively transform a text, a value or a space into a lasting, original work of art.
- Intimate smoozes – a personal sharing of a Jewish path.
- Intensive seminars for professional artists or others.
- Creative problem solving – How does the creative process work? Creativity can be taught!
- Demonstrations—calligraphy, papercuts, micrography, book making.
Some Comments on David Moss’s Artist-in-Residencies:
From a Texas Federation
David’s visit was an incredible experience for this community. No matter what setting he was in (day school, congregation, community) nor what group he was speaking with (youth, seniors, adults), he was universally appreciated for his beautiful presentations, for his wit and his kindness, and for the incredible creativity he has brought to the Jewish people. The way he weaves our traditions, and the learning about them, as he explains his exquisite works across many media, makes him a unique presenter for any type of setting or audience.
As the person responsible for coordinating and implementing his schedule, I can tell you he was also incredibly easy to work with, with absolutely no evidence of over-emotionality or ego issues. He is truly a mensch and a teacher, and it was a pleasure to get to know him as a new friend. I will look forward to seeing him again.
From a school in New York
It was a glorious 2 days with you. You breathed a new life into the school during your visit. The halls are still buzzing with the excitement of your visit. A student came and showed me some micrography they made after your visit! Parents, students and teachers were touched in so many ways by your work and your style of presentation. The positive responses from all levels of the school community were overwhelming!
There are so many aspects of your visit which were special to me (well– you know already how I love your explanation of the 4 children!!!) Aside from holding your artwork in great esteem I am most moved by your pedagogic style. Your genuine love for the creative process, your deep connection to Jewish texts, Jewish history and the Land of Israel all come together to engage your audience in a most meaningful experience. Your sensitivity to the individual styles of those you work with and your ability to bring out the best in people makes you a jewel among educators.
It was my great pleasure to bring this event to fruition.
From an Adult Institute in Florida
…I knew you were a talented artist but had no concept of the breadth of your artistic endeavors. Ketubbot, pottery, the Haggadah, the Shtender, amulets and now architecture…it is truly impressive.
You touched our hearts and souls in your teaching; you inspired our imaginations to soar far beyond…and you energized my (now your) students to deepen their love for and commitment to their own Jewish learning.
From an artist in Canada
The Artists’ Seminar was FABulous. It was a shaking all over, headache from overload, make you laugh, make you cry, make you stay awake spinning, make you sleep with meaningful dreams, make you jump out of bed in the morning, make you want to sneak into the next groups’ session, make you love the others in the group, make you want to just DO IT.
Let me replace the ‘you’ with ‘me’.
From a school in Connecticut
Your intensive, week-long work with the students was, we believe, among the most powerful experiences of their education. We watched our students, under your encouraging direction, plan, revise, research, consult, design, build, innovate, paint, cut, write, draw and then finally produce a truly magnificent installation for our school. We were awed, not only by the results, but also by the process. Your dedication, sense of humor, expectation of excellence, and belief in the students’ ability to create inspired and motivated them. From you our students learned lessons in real-life creativity and in the rich potential of collaborative work.
The teachers, who all pitched in as assistants, reported that the experience changed their understanding of individual students’ strengths and skills. Students who don’t always shine in the classroom bloomed during this project taking on leadership roles and earning respect of their peers for their contributions. We know your modeling was invaluable as our students prepared with your help for the guided tours they conducted of their new installation. An architect in the audience told us that he never could have imagined such depth and poise possible in teenagers and likened their ‘gallery talks’ to MFA presentations!