CHAP Presents "Representing the Divine"
Independent art historian and curator Rachel Schmid will explore the presence of ancient art and ritual in Jewish worship practices during the Porterville College Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) presentation of “Representing the Divine: Late Antique Jewish Art and Ritual”. The event will take place on Thursday, December 5th at 7:00 pm inside the Porterville College Theater.
For centuries, the prohibition against graven images in Jewish tradition has led to the misconception that Jewish places of worship were always devoid of figurative art. However, recent discoveries have revealed a stunning array of beautifully decorated synagogues dating back to the 3rd-7th centuries CE.
Join us for a journey through this fascinating period of transition, when Judaic art began to embrace figurative imagery under the influence of Christian and polytheistic neighbors. Explore the rich world of synagogue mosaics, with a particular focus on zodiacal depictions and the figure of Helios. Discover how these symbolic elements, along with textual references and material culture, provide insights into the magical thinking and practices prevalent during this time.
Disclaimer: Figurative images of gods will be displayed during the presentation.
About The Speaker
Rachel Schmid is an independent art historian and curator living and working in Los Angeles. Previously, she worked for nine years at California Lutheran University as curator of the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art and the Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture, where she helmed the permanent collection and taught courses on Arts Management and Museum Studies.
She received her B.A. from UCLA in Art History, and completed her M.A. in Art History at the University of Notre Dame, where she re-evaluated ancient synagogue mosaics through the lens of popular magic culture, astronomy, liturgy, poetry, and agricultural practices of the 4th-6th century Levant. She is currently a Cultural Studies doctoral student at Claremont Graduate University, where her research considers museum visitorship trends and constructs of power dynamics.
This presentation is free, and all are welcome. For more information on this event or PC CHAP, contact Leslie Keele-Pelon at 559-791-2247.