It’s no secret that art can be an enjoyable and fulfilling activity. But what about an activity centered around helping people? Recently, after returning to art-making after a long pause, I shifted my thinking about the purpose of creating art. I wanted to make art again but to help people as a primary function of the art.
So how can art help people? Isn’t it just a pretty picture on a wall? In Judaism, there are so many art objects that are used to support religious practice. For example, take a ketubah, or a certificate to mark an important religious occasion such as a wedding, baby naming, or bar mitzvah. These objects look pretty, but they also serve the important function of marking and recording the details of a significant life event.
DarnovArt.Etsy.com
Art can be used to help our communal organizations fundraise while spreading moments of joy. For this Hanukkah season, I created greeting cards. A congregation in Morris County, New Jersey, acquired many of these cards to sell as part of their sisterhood Hanukkah sale. Their sisterhood will benefit by raising funds and congregants will be able to give Hanukkah cards to family and friends to increase the joy of the season.
The transmission of the Jewish religion and civilization from one generation to the next is a critical imperative of the Jewish people. In our own New Jersey communities this is important to keep our local Jewish community strong into the future. Art supports this goal through images that communicate our practices, stories, values, and aspirations for the future. In years past, I created a comic book that illustrated the story of Hanukkah in a format meant to appeal to younger readers. One of my new Hanukkah greeting cards centers on the aspiration of peace in a depiction of doves, olive branches, and the word Shalom.
Adar Darnov is an artist and illustrator living in Red Bank, NJ. He creates Jewish art for book covers, comic books, calendar art, certificates, greeting cards, ketubahs, and more. More of his work can be seen at AdarDesigner.com. His Hanukkah greeting cards are available at DarnovArt.Etsy.com. To discuss a project send him an email at adardarnov@gmail.com. Artwork Copyright Adar Darnov 2024, used with permission.
