Milwaukee artist Barbara Kohl-Spiro is one of three University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni exhibiting artworks at the Hillel Foundation University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Kohl-Spiro said her works are “Shiviti Fabric of Prayer.” Shiviti are contemplative artworks usually placed on the eastern wall, both to mark the direction of Jerusalem and to provide a focus for meditation. The idea was inspired by Psalm 16:8: “I have set [shiviti in Hebrew] God before me always.”
In a telephone interview, Kohl-Spiro said she became intrigued by fabric shiviti made by Sephardic Jewish women. “I’ve always loved what women have done,” she said, and these works “integrated a religious belief into the patterns. So it wasn’t art for art’s sake.” She began making some herself, and about 16 of them that she created over the past two years are featured in the UW Hillel exhibit.
The other exhibited works are photographs by Jerry Rudman and Antonic Galvan. The exhibit began in September and will run through the fall semester. For viewing times and more information, call the UW Hillel, 608-256-8361.
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