Art with a heart backs museums in Israel
AMERICAN ARTIST Rachel Feinstein has spoken about her Jewish family background to 200 supporters of art projects in Israel.
In conversation with Alan Yentob at the Women in the Arts Lunch held by the British Friends of the Art Museums of Israel at a Knightsbridge hotel, Ms Feinstein said she was born to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother. Her grandfather came to the US from Vilnius speaking only Yiddish.
This autumn, the Jewish Museum in New York will mount the first comprehensive “survey” of her work and she expressed sadness that her father, who has Alzheimer’s, would be unable to attend.
Regarding the Manhattan showcase, she later told the JC of her excitement “to be part of a place that has the history of supporting people with their first show who go on to do super great things.
“The Jewish Museum has an incredibly long history in New York City of being quite revolutionary and I am happy they have the faith in me. It is pretty major mentally to consume all of this.”
She also revealed that she met her husband, the painter John Currin, after an acquaintance told him she resembled one of the women from his paintings. The New York Times has described them as “the ruling power couple in today’s art world”.
Last year, Ms Feinstein spent several months as the first artist in residence at Chatsworth House in a project sponsored by Gucci. The resulting sculpture was recently unveiled and will remain in situ for five years. “It is a special commission called Britannia, inspired by a piece of Royal Derby porcelain from 1765.”
Having been “a young person [growing up] with not a lot of cultural institutions in Miami back in the ‘70s and ‘80s”, Ms Feinstein was delighted to support Bfami.
“I know you can change the life of a child who does not have that kind of culture inside their house and I am happy to be doing that for the art museums of Israel,” she said.
A work donated by the artist was the top prize in the raffle and the £60,000 raised from the function will fund three educational programmes run by Israeli art museums.
Bfami leaders have paid tribute to lunch organiser Francine Peters, who has since died.
I know that you can change the life of a child ’