Jewish Artists Exhibition in Milwaukee – Olia Polovneff will be one of the artists featured

GLENDALE – Olia Polovneff – who painted in a bomb shelter on Oct. 7, 2003, who loves natural beauty, and who believes people have a need to be closer during disaster – will be one of the featured artists at an upcoming exhibition. 

It will be the third annual Jewish Artists Exhibition, with a wine and cheese buffet, at Chabad of the East Side, 3030 East Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee. This year’s theme is “Neshama: The Jewish Soul.” The event, Feb. 16, 3-5 p.m., is hosted by the Shul Center and Chabad of the East Side. Admission is $18. For more information, visit ShulCenter.org/artshow. 

Polovneff will be one of many artists displaying their work at the exhibition. She teaches art, sells her paintings, loves pilates, and is an early childhood educator. She also lived in Israel for about a decade. She was able to be close to her father there, before he passed away. After the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, she came to Wisconsin, where she is close to other family. 

In Israel, Polovneff lived in Ashkelon, which is less than 15 minutes from Gaza. The city was the target of a heavy rocket barrage from Hamas in October 2023. 

One piece in Polovneff’s local studio is painted on a canvas her father bought for her, before he passed away. She painted a scene from the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa on it, then brought it with her to Wisconsin from Israel.  

She loves the Bahá’í Gardens and that the Bahá’í faith views beautiful, natural surroundings as a way to be closer to God. “This is one of my favorite paintings. It really makes me happy,” she said.  

Another painting, one that she started on Oct. 7, 2023, in an Ashkelon bomb shelter, features two people embracing at the end of a corridor. It represents what she felt, that people wanted to be closer. She feels people need one another during a disaster.  

“There were sirens all the time,” she said. “Siren, explosion, Siren, explosion. Siren, explosion. We couldn’t leave our bomb shelter. Painting really kind of kept me sane, somewhat.” 

“I spent maybe four days in the bomb shelter. And during the first break I brought my paints and canvas there.” 

You won’t see the painting she’s bringing to the show on this page. It’s a work in progress. If you like, you can see it at the show. 

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3rd Annual Jewish Artists Exhibition 

• Theme is Neshama: The Jewish Soul 
• Chabad of the East Side, 3030 East Kenwood Blvd. 
• Feb. 16, 3-5 p.m 
• Admission is $18. 
• ShulCenter.org/artshow