Upcoming Exhibitions
DAVID LABKOVSKI PROJECT
DOCUMENTING HISTORY THROUGH ART
March 7 – May 14, 2024
Get a Student-Led Docent Tour! Experience the remarkable journey through Labkovski's extraordinary artwork as our knowledgeable guides share insights, stories, and interpretations, offering a unique perspective on his life and legacy. Don't miss this opportunity to explore and engage with the profound artistic expressions of David Labkovski. Tours will be conducted by graduates of the David Labkovski Project Student Docent & Leadership Training Program from Torah High School of San Diego and La Jolla Country Day School.
Curated in partnership with the student leadership of Torah High School of San Diego, experience the narrative of Jewish survival and renewal depicted through the artistry of David Labkovski. This interactive exhibition provides a personal lens connecting each viewer to Holocaust Education, with stories brought to life by a team of Student Docents who continue Labkovski's lifelong mission of bearing witness.
About the artist
David Labkovski, born in Lithuania in 1906 and trained in fine art, created an extensive body of work in oils, pen and ink, pencil, and acrylic. His art serves as a documentation of his life—a Jewish life in Eastern Europe before, during, and after World War II. The collection reflects daily life in the predominantly Jewish town of Vilna, Lithuania, before the Holocaust; his time in a Siberian prison camp; post-war life in Vilna, discovering the decimated Jewish community; and the final period of his life after immigrating to Israel.
Educator, artist, and speaker Leora Raikin has dedicated herself to showcasing her great-uncle's artwork globally. She established the David Labkovski Project, an educational program immersing students in Eastern European life pre, during, and post-Holocaust through Labkovski's art. Using a multidisciplinary approach encompassing creative writing, art, history, and social studies, the Project empowers young people to curate Labkovski's work into exhibitions that convey life lessons, survival, and the Holocaust. The objective is to instill in students the significance of being witnesses to history and understanding the cruelties of 20th-century totalitarian leaders.
About the Gotthelf Art Gallery
Mission
The Gotthelf Art Gallery is part of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture and is devoted to expanding and enriching cultural life in San Diego by presenting the finest in Jewish artistic expressions, encouraging the preservation of Jewish culture and heritage, and nurturing new creativity in the arts.
Housed at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, this 1,000-square-foot space offers the opportunity for the community at large to explore the richness and diversity of Jewish culture through exhibits that feature contemporary artists and a wide variety of visual media.
