In the Artist’s Studio, featuring…
The Workshop of Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein and The Violins of Hope
January 24 - April 26, 2020
Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein in their workshop
This unique exhibition developed in partnership with Music at Kohl Mansion Burlingame, producers of the Violins of Hope San Francisco Bay Area Project, presents a virtual experience of the Tel Aviv violin workshop of Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein where the Violins of Hope are restored. The installation will share the story of the Weinstein family and the inspiration behind the Project, and highlight one of the 70 historic instruments in the collection. The Violins of Hope is a rare assemblage of string instruments played by European Jews before, during, and after the Holocaust. Fully restored by father and son Israeli luthiers, Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, these priceless historic instruments are touring the world, bringing together people of all faiths, nationalities and beliefs, in remembrance, musical celebration, and community discourse around issues of peace, justice, human dignity, and common understanding.
The Workshop of Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein and The Violins of Hope is the latest installation of In the Artist’s Studio exhibition series at NUMU that supports the museum’s mission to share stories in new ways. Through it, NUMU offers insight into studio practice and shares with the community, the ingenuity, intelligence and empathy that go into the creative process.
NUMU will also host a rare performance on instruments from the Violins of Hope collection by internationally acclaimed violinist, Hannah Tarley on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. The performance will be supplemented by a presentation of instruments and a talk by the Weinsteins. This event is co-sponsored by Congregation Shir Hadash, Los Gatos. Attendance is by invitation-only and seating is limited. Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public pending seating availability after the close of the RSVP date in late December. For updates, please return to visit this page.
Presented in association with a larger exhibition at the Veterans Building in San Francisco titled ,A Journey of Heroism, Healing and Humanity featuring 20 restored violins and their stories, The Workshop of Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein and the Violins of Hope will expand on the exploration of how music can inspire and elevate individuals and communities to resist, speak truth to power and survive.
Additionally, the exhibition will focus on identity and personal symbols and iconography, whether in terms of nationality, religion, ethnicity or a combination thereof, and how these influence power structures and historical events. And, an interactive element in the exhibition invites visitors to make a violin using symbols, words and decorations specific to them, and to explore the many ways their identity is communicated. The exhibition will also be supported by an APP that creates an intimate listening experience for each viewer, and includes supplementary content, both historical, and to create an intimate listening experience for each viewer.
In anticipation of the San Francisco Bay Area residency of The Violins of Hope, Avshalom Weinstein shared, “It will be the first time the Violins of Hope collection will be on the West Coast of America, and we very much look forward to this important occasion. Each city we have visited has discovered new interpretations and new ways to showcase these instruments.”
In The Artist’s Studio featuring The Workshop of Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein and The Violins of Hope is made possible by the generous support of The Borgenicht Foundation. The Borgenicht Foundation works to promote the understanding of secularism as the way and hope for establishing peace in the world. In addition, the Foundation supports social justice, conservation and historic preservation, the arts, health, and education.
Violins of Hope: A Journey of Heroism, Healing and Humanity on view January 16- March 14, 2020 at the Veterans Gallery, 401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco was curated by Lisa Coscino.
About The Violins of Hope San Francisco Bay Area
From January 16 through March 14, 2020, Burlingame’s Music at Kohl Mansion will host Violins of Hope San Francisco Bay Area, an immersive eight-week celebration of the remarkable resilience of the human spirit. Through a series of concerts, exhibitions, films, lectures, community conversations, and educational programs collaboratively presented by more than forty diverse Bay Area organizations in eight counties. Visit: violinsofhopesfba.org
The Bielski violin, a Kleizer instrument with a mother of pearl Star of David. A German made instrument, ca. 1870.
