News
Out of the Narrows: The Artists’ Haggadah
Over 500 Haggadah copies sold!
We are thrilled to be in the fifth year of publishing Out of the Narrows. This collaboration was a yearlong project designed and managed by Carol Neiger along with Berit Engen (Content Curator and Editor) and Susan Dickman (Editor and Writer). Our Haggadah features contemporary artwork by 11 talented artists—members of Jewish Artists Collective Chicago (JACC), a community of multidisciplinary artists connected through common heritage and committed to sharing ideas, enriching practices, and creating a dialogue with the community.
How to order the Haggadah: Out of the Narrows can be purchased at two price points:
Fine Art quality book (heavier, glossy paper) Blurb $67.92
Economy version (lighter paper) at Barnes & Noble for $32.00
Video: JACC artists talk about their art and ideas in Out of the Narrows: The Artists' Haggadah
REVIEWS:
Jewish Book Council, review by Jonathan Fass
Times of Israel feature about Out of the Narrows
JUF News feature about Out of the Narrrows
current and recent exhibits
The Grove Gallery Evanston, IL, “Passport” Group Show
“International Scope” exhibition is showing the work of contemporary representational artists from their travels around the globe.
December 7th, 2024
A gallery exhibition and silent auction at Open Studio Project’s Gallery 901 in Evanston. Come Together feature works by a diverse range of contemporary artists based in the greater Chicago area, participating by invitation from co-curators Beth Adler and Rob Lentz.
November 2-23, 2024
I’m excited and honored that my submission, “Nymphaea” was selected by this year's jurors to be exhibited in the 12th Annual Bridgeport Art Center’s Art Competition.
Thank you to jurors Candace Hunter and Yvette Kaiser Smith!
May 17th – July 5th, 1200 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609
(Enter on the North side off of Racine Ave / 34th Place)
Free parking in the North lot
Hagaddot: Old and New
The holiday of Passover and events of the times have inspired the many ways in which the Haggadah has been presented and illustrated over the centuries. This exhibition features works from the recent Haggadah prepared by the Jewish Artists Collective Chicago in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled Out of the Narrows, the artists created artistic interpretations as a midrash on the text. Other contemporary Haggadot from the Heller Museum collection are also presented.
Third Cup of Wine, "I Will Redeem You"
Woodblock print with monotype
10" x 8"
January 8, 2024, to May 2, 2024, Bernard Heller Museum One West Fourth Street (between Broadway and Mercer Street), New York, NY 10012-1186
Memory
A juried exhibition at Christopher Art Gallery at Prairie State College of small-scale works by artists who utilize the concept of “memory” in their works. Multi-media works include images of nostalgia, memoir, dream-like imagery, and history.
NYMPHAEA, Oil on Canvas
30" x 30"
Jan. 2-Jan. 25, 2024, Christopher Art Gallery at Prairie State College
Artists’ Reception: Wed., Jan. 17, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Guardians of Hope: A Bouquet of Blessings
In the wake of the Israeli-Hamas war, where lives hang in the balance and suffering abounds, I created this painting as an artistic offering of protection and solace to all innocent souls in peril. Submitted for the global art project #ArtistsStandWithIsrael created by KakdelArt platform for artists and SVIVA art space. Works were projected on building walls in Israel. Read Artists Statement. You can purchase a print in my Gallery Shop with proceeds going to Magen David Adom.
Strings of Resilience: A Tribute to Violins of Hope
The Jewish Artists Collective Chicago, in collaboration with JCC Chicago, created this exhibit inspired by the violins in the collection and their accompanying stories through their creative mediums to testify to the strength of spirit of the musicians who played these violins and loved their instruments and their art.
April 12-May 23, 2023. Governors State University Center for Performing Arts
May 25-September 1, 2023. Elgin Public Library
Multi-media art exhibition created by the Jewish Arts Collective Chicago.
April 17-May 18, 2023
West Bloomfield, Michigan
October 23-December 7, 2022, Opening Reception: Sunday, October 23, 3-6pm
In this exhibit, members Jewish Artists Collective of Chicago (JACC) tell the Passover story using metaphor and ritual to address the themes of oppression and liberation, wandering and dispersion, slavery and Exodus, of topics as ancient and contemporary as racism and anti-Semitism, civil disobedience, freedom, and identity. This exhibit features art from Out of the Narrows: The Artists’ Haggadah a visual Midrash which was created by JACC. We responded visually to the Haggadah text to make sense of how Covid has affected our lives. Midrash means investigation, searching out. Our visual midrash is a way to draw new meaning from and renew the story.
Exhibiting works from the Portugal Series
September, Wednesday & Thursday 12-6p • Friday & Saturday 12-7 • Sunday 12-5p. 2022
Featuring painters from Evanston, Illinois.
Group Show
Opening April 19, 7 pm-8:30 pm
This exhibit, on display in the Rissman Kol Ami Collection through June 2022, features handmade silver ritual objects, paintings, woven tapestries, encaustic, collage, printmaking, drawing and digital photography from the new Haggadah, Out of the Narrows by the Jewish Artists Collective of Chicago. Meet the artists during a special reception in our museum gallery.
Shainberg Gallery Memphis Tennessee Jewish Artists Collective of Chicago
This exhibition of works is from a new artists’ haggadah, Out of the Narrows, a collaboration of visual images and text from the group Jewish Artists Collective of Chicago.
February 25–March 30
Opening Reception: Sunday, March 13 • 1:00-3:00pm
Each of the eleven artists contributed to the haggadah works that are meant to parallel the text, not illustrate it. My painting Iberleben, 24 x 36”, Oil and Gold leaf on Canvas and Third Cup of Wine: "I will redeem you", Woodblock print with monotype, 15.25 x 12.5” will be included in a group show at the Shainberg Art Gallery in Memphis, Tennessee
Art consultancy CNL Projects collaborated closely with Hillel to create a tailored art program that reflects the organization's mission, vision, and community, and they selected this 48” x 72” painting (oil and gold leaf on canvas) as part of the collection. I'm thrilled that Wisdom's Wandering has found such a fitting home.
My painting “Libera me” and monotype “Requiem” will be exhibited beginning June 13, 2021 and will run for one year.
Water Street Studios' 11th Anniversary Show
Create in Place
September 11th-October 4th, 2020 3-Day Closing Event: September 25th-27th
Join me at Water Street Studios for live entertainment, an artist market, and drinks celebrating the work of 60 talented artists. Friday, September 25th-Saturday, September 26th: 6pm-9pm | Sunday, September 27th: 2pm-5pm
Chicago Jewish Historical Society Exhibition and Discussion
Sunday, August 18 2:00 pm 2019
Members of the Jewish Artists Collective-Chicago (JACC) present and discuss their work and Jewish art in Chicago today. Presenting artists: Judith Joseph, Ellen Holtzblatt, Alan Hobscheid, Berit Engen and Carol Neiger.
CHICAGO —Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is presents “Dear Earth,” a group exhibition in partnership with Openlands, and Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods. The exhibition was inspired by Sibylle Szaggars Redford whose performance, The Way of The Rain, was created as a “love letter to Mother Earth.”
Expressions of Defiance
JACC Group Show
Ten JACC member artists participate in an exhibit in the Reynolds Whitney Art Gallery at NIU, entitled Expressions of Defiance. The exhibit coincides with, and relates thematically to the NIU presentation of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín. JACC artists’ media will include painting, printmaking, fiber art, sculpture and installation.
articles and interviews
Learning to See. A page from my sketchbook from Mr. Foster’s class at University of Cincinnati in 1977 as I looked for “the negative space” in my forest landscape.
The Art of Seeing Beyond the Surface
NeigerDesign Blog
An article about the power of art and design, and learning how to see beyond the surface.
“Seeing beyond” is being observant and then thinking critically about what you see. Our brains aren't meant to see everything. We focus on specific things, then filter out the rest. However, with a bit of practice and effort, you can tune your brain to pay attention to new things.
The Jewish Art Magazine Presented By The Jewish Art House Issue 2 Vol. 1
We (The Jewish Art House) are a nonprofit focused on creating opportunities for Jewish artists as well as creating a community for Jewish artists. (See pages 35-39)
VIDEO: Reinventing EDEN: The Garden of Eden represents unspoiled nature, the world before corruption
The JAS Open Studios Program Series is curated by Dorit Jordan Dotan and Judith Joseph.
In this recording of a live zoom session, we present three artists who express natural beauty in their work and the imperative of preserving the gift of our natural world: Hagit Cohen, Carol Neiger, and Beth Shadur. It is supported by Advisor Yona Verwer and team members Cheselyn Amato and Chana Wiesenthal Elias.
A fellowship of artists fuse Judaism and contemporary art
Jewish Artists Collective Chicago bring Jewish themes to new art by Michelle Cohen 10/26/2022
“Local artist Carol Neiger sees Judaism as "such a rich religion full of history, liturgy, and tradition—and when I sit in temple, I think about how I would express what I experience in art.”
Presentation and Conversation with SHELLEY WERNER of Art and Scroll Studio on 11/02/2022 — Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022, at 7:00 pm MDT / 9:00 pm Eastern 6:00 pm Pacific/ 8:00 pm Central
“Carol is a painter and printmaker focused on exploring the connection between memory and place. Each work is created with the hope of connecting to individuals through her art and evoking meaning in the viewer’s own memories. She has been led to wonder about how Judaism survived and how we, as Jews, relate to “place” and “home.” She explores these themes using a vibrant color palette and immersive images. View the video here
Alberta Jewish News by Shelley Werner 09/14/2022
“The beautiful image on the front cover of this month’s Edmonton edition of the Alberta Jewish News is entitled Mizrach by Carol Lezberg Neiger, a painter, and printmaker living near Chicago, Illinois. She will be featured on the November 2 show of Art and Scroll Studio at 7 pm MDT. Advance tickets are available at artandscrollstudio@gmail.com. Carol loves nature and being outdoors so she often works in her sketchbook as a catalyst for her paintings…”
Outdoor art competition under way this weekend by Jeff Hirsh, Evanston Now 07/17/2022
“The emotion tells you what you want to paint,” said Carol Neiger, who was looking out over Arrington Lagoon along Lake Michigan. Neiger said she was “not trying to be photographic” with her plein air paintings. Rather, she said her work is about “being in the moment,” with the hope that the pictures remind viewers of something, whatever that something may be.
Evanston hosts first ever Plein-air Fest By Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, Pioneer Press 07/18/2022
Artist, Carol Lezberg Neiger of Glenview participated in the festival. “If you love nature, if you get peace from nature, painting outside can be just pure meditation,” Neiger said.
Detroit Jewish News "Carrying On" by Suzanne Chessler 05/31/2018
“What We Carry” a themed group exhibit, reflecting both the themes that we carry as Jews and the individuality with which we live our lives, featured art from 11 JACC artists at the Janice Charach Gallery in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Neiger. read more
Review By Jonathan Fass
The Jewish Artists Collective of Chicago, founded in 2016, is a community of multidisciplinary artists “joined by a common mission of creating contemporary, engaging, and thoughtful work that reflects Jewish themes and values.” Out of the Narrows was born out of the desire to connect the themes of Passover with the realities of celebrating the holiday during the COVID pandemic…read more
Accessing the Haggadah through art by Yvette Alt Miller
A beautiful new Haggadah is bringing work by artists at the Jewish Artists Collective Chicago (JACC) to local families just in time for Passover. Out of the Narrows: The Artist's Haggadah includes both text and artwork to depict the Passover story in a unique way. read more
Creating the artists’ haggadah by Shelley S. Herbert
When the COVID-19 shutdown made the 'narrow place' more reality than metaphor, weavers, sculptors, painters, and more came together with a new vision of the ancient text read more
Fresh-Told Tales by Steve Lipman
This Haggadah, now in its second printing, was born out of the forced isolation caused by Covid, and created by the Jewish Artists Collective Chicago (JACC). True to the book’s title, its focus is visual, with artistic images in place of the written commentaries of the Haggadah. read more
A new Haggada from Jewish artists in Chicago by Mordecai Specktor
This year marks the second printing of Out of the Narrows: The Artists’ Haggadah — A Visual Midrash, created by the JACC (Jewish Artists Collective Chicago), which features over 75 pages of original artwork.
The beautiful Haggada “emerged from the plague of our time, COVID-19,” according to the JACC creators, which necessitated socially distanced Passover seders.
JACC member artists Carol Neiger, project director, designer; Berit Engen, content curator, editor; and Susan Dickman, editor, writer, set out to envision the manuscript that eventually became Out of the Narrows:The Artists’ Haggadah. read more