Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
Nine years ago, Marlyn Cheshes was among the first on the scene of Ground Zero with her husband, Ambassador Martin Cheshes. An artist, sculptor and photographer, she began capturing haunting images of the site in the aftershock of unimaginable devastation. One poignant photo, “Lost Rider,” is of a bicycle patiently waiting in vain to be peddled safely home.
Marlyn, who now lives in Nederland, will display and discuss her work at the Boulder JCC this week. In addition to her Ground Zero series of 23 photographs, she will show her sculptures, paintings, lithographs and photographs.
When it came time to retire after decades living in far-flung corners of the globe, Martin told his wife it was her turn to choose where they would live. Wanting to live where she could be inspired by nature, Marlyn picked Nederland, where her sun-filled studio windows and deck look out on a serene forest vista.
Marlyn has been creating art her entire life, but in 1990 went back to art school and began a mid-life professional transformation as a serious artist. One of her sculptures, a life-size bronze, The Last Butterfly, dedicated to the children who perished in the Holocaust, is on display at the Jewish Museum of Belgium, in Brussels. Another collection of photographs, Reflections Without a Voice, and a bronze sculpture, Shoah, are in the possession of The Florida Holocaust Museum in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Marlyn’s Ground Zero photographs have been shown by the Mizel Museum in Denver.
On Sunday, September 19 at 6 pm there will be a free wine and cheese opening reception for her retrospective show at the JCC. The reception follows a 5 pm talk by Professor Zach Levey on Israel and Gaza over the course of the last 10 years. At 7 pm, there will be a screening of the Academy Award nominated Israeli film, “Ajami.”
Also, on Wednesday, November 15 at noon, Marlyn will discuss her work and art, which ranges from photographs taken in Africa to oil paintings of the Italian countryside. Reservations are appreciated for the $8 talk and
For information on any of these Menorah programs, contact Kathryn Bernheimer at Kathryn@boulderjcc.org; 303-998-1021. Or register at www.boulderjcc.org.
