RUACH may be a Jewish arts education and performance organization — indeed, its name is the Hebrew word for “spirit.”
But its 2011 Milwaukee Jewish Arts Festival will reach beyond simply Jewish things, according to executive director Joshua Richman.
“There are a few thrusts” to this festival, which will run March 27-April 3, said Richman in an interview in The Chronicle office. “One is to examine the ties that bind the Jewish artistic tradition.”
Therefore, the festival “is not just about Jewish artists on Jewish themes,” he said. “It will include every combination you can think of” — Jewish artists on Jewish and non-Jewish themes, and non-Jewish artists on Jewish and non-Jewish themes.
For example, the great 20th century Hungarian composer Bela Bartok was not Jewish and did not compose music on any Jewish subjects; but because he was so deeply influenced by Eastern European folk music, “there is something very Jewish-sounding” about his work, some of which will be featured, said Richman.
In fact, Bartok music will be included in a preview of the festival. This will take place on Sunday, March 6, 2 p.m., at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee.
As part of the noon-to-4 p.m. opening event in JMM’s exhibit of artist Marc Chagall’s Bible Series etchings, RUACH will present Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra violinists Ilana Setapen and Margot Schwartz in a program of violin duets that will include Bartok’s set.
The festival proper will take place at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 W. Walnut St. in Milwaukee.
It will begin with a concert on Sunday, March 27, 2 p.m., featuring the Prometheus Trio — pianist Stefanie Jacob, cellist Scott Tisdel, and violinist Setapen temporarily replacing trio regular Tim Klabunde. The program will include music by Ernest Bloch, Dmitri Shostakovich, John Williams, and others.
Other festival events will include concerts, an art exhibit, workshops for school groups, plus other theater and dance programming, some of which has not yet been finalized by Chronicle press time.
This festival — sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wisconsin Arts Board and The Helen Bader Foundation — is the first such festival that RUACH has organized. As such, it marks a stage of new growth and development for the six-year-old organization.
Development has included a recent change of offices. RUACH is now located in the Helfaer Jewish Community Services Building, 1360 N. Prospect Ave., which is also home to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle.
Richman said that a full schedule of festival events will be posted on RUACH’s Web site www.ruachmilwaukee.org around March 1. For more information, see the Web site, or call 414-367-4890.
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