it’s also tells a story that’s universal, that someone from any tradition can identify with at least a piece of it,” he says. One of the most successful recent exhibitions, Coerver shares, tells the story of the Oznowicz family’s escape from Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II and their use of puppetry as a form of resistance. The centerpiece of the one-room show is a never- before-exhibited marionette caricature of Adolf Hitler. Intended to lampoon the dictator during his alarming rise to power in the late 1930s, the marionette was hand-carved by Dutch-Jewish puppeteer Isidore (Mike) Oznowicz and costumed by his Flemish-Catholic wife Frances, the parents of prolific American actor, film director and puppeteer Frank Oz. “The Oznowicz’s use of puppetry demonstrates how creativity and humor can be used to critique circumstances that feel too big to counteract — a world out of our control,” Coerver says. “Puppeteering, for example, can be a tool to confront seemingly insurmountable difficulties.” In October, the museum opened “Gillian Laub:
Family Matters,” a solo exhibition featuring more than 60 photographs capturing the emotional, psychological and political landscape of the artist’s family. The series follows Laub’s family for 25 years and reflects the polarization of the nation, as the artist and her parents find themselves on opposing sides of a political divide. Coerver explains that the deeply intimate photographs resonate with viewers of all backgrounds. “The exhibition asks each of us, ‘What are you willing to do to hold onto your family at a moment of profound discord?’ We can all identify with that question.” Coerver says, particularly after the tumult of the past two years, museums offer a special opportunity: They are venues to bring people together in physical spaces to confront traumas and find common understanding. The Contemporary Jewish Museum, he says, looks to be that kind of space. “We’re a welcoming place for anyone who wants to learn about contemporary art and Judaism — and, in particular, about the unique character of Judaism in the Bay Area today,” Coerver says.
calbanktrust.com/ inyourcorner
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