Bee,:defy the law of impossibly. Resilience and purpose. Represent transformation. Japanese Maple Tree: symbolize Peace, Longevity, Abundant Blessings.Clouds: Symbolize the Divine presence, balance between light and dark. Serve as reminder of life's transient nature.

Artist: Gwen Crawford

The question, "Are you wearing the mask or is wearing you?" gave me another opportunity to explore. Much thought and deep reflection gave me my truth, I am the mask, sometimes visible.. sometimes concealed. I give, I receive. I am.

This mask is constructed from completed letterpress prints that were cut apart into fragments of English and Hebrew letters and partial words. Once carriers of clear language, the text has been disrupted and reassembled into something unreadable, yet newly expressive. In their fragmentation, the pieces form a layered narrative of Hope and Light, suggesting that even when meaning feels fractured, something luminous can be rebuilt from what remains. It reflects how we move through the world wearing many pieces of ourselves, each fragment hinting at a hidden wholeness beneath the surface.

Artist: Robyn Awend

Robyn Awend is a Minnesota-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice weaves together visual art, language, memory, and Jewish cultural exploration. Working across letterpress printmaking, mixed media installation, and creative writing, her work reflects a deep engagement with words as both material and meaning.

Across mediums, Awend’s artistic practice is rooted in curiosity and connection. She creates work that honors complexity while remaining accessible, transforming language and material into spaces of reflection, belonging, and shared meaning.

Artist's website: www.robynsawend.com

LECH LECHA, I was called to leave my home and go to Colorado, and also to go inward to nurture my inner Spiritual life. This nature scene combines Louisiana landscape and Colorado mountains. While painting it I meditated on leaving and becoming, the seen and the unseen.

Artist: Claudia Trevithick

PROFESSIONAL ARTIST: Claudia has an MA in Art. Art work exhibited in Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, The National Women's Museum in Washington, and in Copenhagen at the UN Mid-Decade Conference for Women.

Private Practice, 1989-2026 -Claudia is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Art Therapist in Denver. She was the first art therapist in Private Practice in Louisiana. She created Art therapy programs at several hospitals, special offerings include expressive art workshops, art therapy groups, SoulCollage(r)Facilitator, art therapy bereavement groups, art therapy program at Battered Women's Shelter, Colfax Center for LGBTQ, and nursing homes.

Artist's Website: www.trevithickcreativetherapy.com

The quote by Ranal Currie, "The Masks we wear will never fool God" serves as a reminder that while we hide behind appearances, our true selves are always seen. This piece reflects themes of honesty, faith, self-reflection, and the courage to live authentically.

Ken Reed is a hairdresser and self-taught artist whose creativity extends beyond the salon chair. With a passion for color, texture, and self-expression, Ken transforms everyday inspiration into meaningful art.

A gold mask typically symbolizes high social status, divine protection, and immortality. It signifies wealth, power, and the "flesh of the gods," bridging mortality with divinity.

My current piece is based on the Kabbalah experience itself. Covering the mask with dried stalks from my winter garden signifies our earthy connection as well as a protective portal for surrendering to sacred teachings entering through the senses with meditative eyes. The 10 divine glass emanations live in the available future and traveling through the mask are 18 paths of pearlescent, well rounded droplets of philosophical stardust appearing to chart our desirous journey, through confusion, and heartbreak. The bowl of an ancient lapis blue can bring us to the limitless azure sky or water’s quiet reflection - yet the cosmic glass drop of knowledge remains.
This piece emerges from a deeply personal vision of our individual transformations, absorbing energy that hints of becoming a sacred ally of internal divine light and integrating new spiritual growth that our natural world beautifully exemplifies.

Artist Susan Davis Churches:
Susan has shared her fine art work in juried shows, solo woman exhibitions, galleries and many private collections. She provided paintings for Hong Kong movie productions, press conferences, corporate exhibits as well as stage designs. She also helped develop the Visionary Scholar Award with the University of Denver specifically for students in the Liberal Arts.
Susan has completed intensive language and cultural studies in France, environmental studies in New Zealand, earned a BFA in fine art /design from Colorado State University, and a certificate of studies in calligraphy while living and working in China.
Living in the mountains near Boulder, Sue is absorbed in her creative endeavors, excited to show her most recent work, and continues her education through both hosting and participating in various art events and workshops.

If interested in viewing other works of art - contact her at The Studio at Nederland: PO Box 3180, Nederland, CO 80466 or [email protected]

Inspired by the deep rooted connection with my silver maple tree, that is called Willow. This mask is to symbolize the extension of myself with Willow and vice versa.

Jenn Merz graduated from Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia PA with a BFA; a minor in 3D Fine Art. After relocating to Colorado from New Jersey she established her brand Jenn Merz ColorQueen, truly began to pursue her dream of exhibiting in art galleries. Her art career flourished after her first solo exhibition “Undisguised”, which later led to being a Co-Founder of “RISE” annual art exhibition with The Blue Bench of Denver. Her multiple roles within Women’s Caucus for Art CO chapter (WCACO) opened up many opportunities to exhibit her works in a multitude of galleries in different art districts throughout Colorado, including the State Capital. She is an active member of D’art 360 and 40West as well.

https://www.jennmerzcolorqueen.com/ @jennmerzcolorqueen

Words have power, but how much we internalize them or let them “stick” to us determines their impact. We may feel that some of them are more truthful, some are reflections of others placed upon us, or some are mismatches altogether. This mask asks the questions, “What words do we wear and what words do we inhabit as part of us? How does this shape our sense of self over time?” The combination of these words - representations of identity, expectations, affirmations, roles, and milestones - form a portrait that is both protective and revealing. Some are intentionally contradictory, depicting the Kabbalistic teaching of “holding opposites.” Despite the challenges of navigating these words and their stories, we continue to collect and expand our unique vocabulary as we move through life, building a collage of ourselves that is both complex and beautiful.

Morgan Sicklick is a choreographer, performing artist, and dance teacher from Woodcliff Lake, NJ, who has called Denver home for the past 11 years. She graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Marketing from Butler University. In August 2013, Morgan became an inaugural member of Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company, and in 2015, joined Wonderbound, Denver's premier contemporary ballet company, under the leadership of Garrett Ammon and Dawn Fay. Since joining Wonderbound, she has originated 20+ roles in works by Garrett Ammon and Ballet Master/Assistant to the Artistic Director Sarah Tallman.

As a choreographer, Morgan has created works for Wonderbound, Kansas City Ballet, independent artist collectives in Denver, and various dance schools in the Denver and Kansas City Metro areas. Most recently, her choreography was featured at the 2025 Regional Dance America Mid-States Festival, and she was selected as one of 4 choreographers for the prestigious National Choreographers Initiative in July 2025.

Morgan’s choreographic approach is greatly influenced by her long-term study of modern Kabbalah and its spiritual framework. Beyond serving as a resource for profound inner growth, its teachings have become an artistic catalyst. Through movement, she strives to explore both seen and unseen dimensions of the self while cultivating an enduring sense of connection and community. One concept that has shaped much of her work is “holding opposites”—accepting and welcoming the lightness, darkness, and grayness of being human.

Outside of her artistic career, Morgan has enjoyed taking classes at Kabbalah Experience over the last 8 years and serving on the Board of Directors. She currently serves as Board Secretary for New Paradigm Dance Theater, a youth, adult, and adaptive performance company in Westminster, CO. Morgan loves exploring the local food scene, staying connected with family and friends, taking a walk in one of Colorado's beautiful parks, and spending time with her cat, Berry.

https://morgansicklick.wixsite.com/morgan-sicklick, www.instagram.com/msicklick, www.instagram.com/msicklick.choreography

The text is a basic bracha opening by Ed Towbin, z"l, 1937-2021 (my father), who was, among other things, a liturgist and a kabbalah enthusiast. Ed liked to use words like "connected energy" and "all life" to name divinity. In this case, the blessing to be present here and now ("This!) overwhelms and even obliterates the mask. When we recite Dad's brachot in our family, we clap on the "This!".

Risa Aqua is an artist and calligrapher who specializes in artwork that tells a story or sets an intention, especially ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts). Her whimsical art has been commissioned by individuals and organizations nationwide.

Website: www.RisaAqua.com

This mask holds two truths in one face. One side carries sorrow- quiet , heavy, inward.
The other shines with light and joy. We often present brightness to the world , even when we are walking through our darkest moments. The smile is a shield, a glow, a disguise. Both sides are real.
This speaks resilience, to survival, and to the quiet bravery of showing up with light even when we feel heavy inside.

Creativity has been the thread running through my entire life. From the moment I first picked up a pencil as a child, I was drawn to making and creating. My father recognized that I had inherited his artistic talent and encouraged me to pursue art in college, where I earned a degree in fashion design and began my first career in the fashion industry .
Over the years, life and careers evolved, leading me into another artistic path- Interior Design . I spent 25 years working in that field , while always continuing to paint , draw, and explore many creative projects whenever time allowed.
After retiring 5 years ago , I discovered silversmithing and found a new way to express my creativity through jewelry making. Today , creating jewelry is my primary artistic outlet, though I continue to explore painting and mixed media as well.
For me, creating is not simply something I do- it is essential to who I am . It makes my life feel complete.

Facebook : Ellen Cooperstein-Zerah

We are each a unique collage of our experiences, our joys and hopes, our pain and confusion, our past and our futures. When we let our true selves be seen, we portray the beauty of our inner lives to the world.

Mackenzie Schmidt is an abstract artist living in Denver. She has always loved story telling in all its various forms. After many years in communications and graphic design, she is now fully committed to painting, exploring the human experience through color and mark making.

Artist Website: mackenzieschmidtart.com

Creating Queen Esther's Mask-Kabbalah

I am not wearing the mask, My intention when creating this covering was to relate to the Purim festival the Persians and Jews alike enjoyed. The Holiday of Purim began as a Pagan carnival. The people wore costumes and masks; making "ruaach" singing, dancing, and swinging noisy greggors. The story of the beautiful Queen Esther revealed her keen perception, She spoke pearls of wisdom, and listened to her wise uncle Mordecai, and his teachings. Esther fearlessly pleaded for the Jews to be saved from the vicious Haman; whose desire was for the Jews to be

slaughtered. It became Esther's moment. She stood up for her own identity. Her heroism is honored as the Jewish people were released.

The triangles I placed on my mask on Queen Esther's cheeks are statements of Haman's Hat. The symbolic pastry Hanmantash, a three cornered sweet; carries on the tradition today, in yesteryear, Haman was burned in effegy. A war is now raging in the Middle East. For those of us living in a peaceful place, we have to advocate, pray, be grateful, fearless, and above all understand our Jewish history. This is not a time to be complacent.

Essie Perlmutter, a Denver native, has expressed herself through art and creative projects her entire life. She was educated in Denver Public Schools. After graduation from

North High School in 1952, Essie attended the University of Colorado, Denver University, and Arapahoe Community College where she received certification in Interior Design.

After marrying young and raising four children, Essie, matriculated to Loretto Heights University, was awarded a Bachelor of Arts. She did Post graduate studies at LHC.

She also studied at Denver Jewish Community Center, The Art Students League, The Aspen Arts Center, and presently under the tutelage of Boris Shoshansky. Always creative, and designing, Essie used various medias for her projects, Oil and acrylic paints, gouache, charcoal, also incorporating the needle arts in various works. Essie Perlmutter studied sculpting, { at age 65 ) using plastilene, (an oil based clay), before finishing the required mold and the final bronze firing. Ms. Perlmutter was very diligent as a sculptor for about 20 years-.appreciating this new challenge of creating to a another dimension, having the privilege of models. Her present paintings are stylized renditions of love, loss, freedom, and activism relevant for today. "I am an observer and an activist". I am grateful and astonished, at age 91 to continue to exhibit. Many local galleries have shown Perlmutter's paintings, including four one-woman presentations. Essie Perlmutter is proud to be represented in many personal and corporate collections. The most rewarding achievement in my nine decades on this earth is to have loved and been loved by an incredible individual - Jordon Perlmutter. their four children, and spouses, rewarding the Perlmutter's with eleven grandchildren, and their loved ones, and at the present time-fourteen great-grandchildren. Admittedly, not a talmudist, Essie Perlmutter's values consist of these prime values. "The world is judged by the majority of its people, and, an individual by the majority of his or her deeds." Happy is the one who performs a good deed: that may tip the scale for him or her and the world." Talmud

Sky Within - drifting clouds and horizon held in quiet expression.

Maria Hannon is a Colorado-based painter inspired by the shifting moods of sky and land. Her work captures fleeting moments—light, weather, and memory—inviting a slower, more reflective way of seeing.

www.mariahannonart.com

Dimensions: 8” x 12”
Media: acrylic paint on carved wood

Fay is a visual artist and songwriter/musician who’s been based in the Bay Area for the last 30 years but is delighted to recently have returned to her home state of Colorado…
www.faysara.com

Romi Bean is an Emmy-winning Lead Sports Anchor and Reporter at CBS News Colorado, making history as the first woman to hold that position in Denver TV history (2023). She covers major Colorado sports, including the Broncos, Avalanche, and Nuggets. Bean previously served as a Denver Broncos Cheerleader and transitioned into broadcasting via iHeartRadio, bringing a unique, conversational style to sports media.

Romi's mask was designed by artist and Cherry Creek HS senior, Jackie Newman

This mask reflects the teaching from Rabbi Tirzah Firestone's teaching- We carry not only the wounds of our ancestors, but also the resilience, creativity and strength. Through the gold surface and elevated cracks laid with gold flakes, we see growth and healing.

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Ph.D., is an author, Jungian psychotherapist, a leader in the international Jewish Renewal Movement, and a renowned Jewish scholar and teacher. Widely known for her groundbreaking work on Kabbalah, depth psychology, and the re-integration of the feminine wisdom tradition within Judaism, Rabbi Tirzah lectures and teaches internationally about spiritual and ancient wisdom practices that are honed to assist us at this critical time in world history.

https://www.tirzahfirestone.com/

Designed for Rabbi Tirzah Firestone by Melanie Gruenwald

by Rabbi Jamie Arnold and Ellen Arnold

This design is replete with kabbalistic symbolism in form and color. It weaves the three primordial mother letters and a three word Hebrew phrase into a Tree of Life. If you look closely you can see the ten sephirot of the tree connected by subtle lines. On the brow you’ll find the word כתר, meaning crown. The first mother letter aleph, א, is tucked into the ת , the last letter of the alphabet.
On the cheeks of hesed and gevurah (unbounded and bounded love) are the other two mother letters, shin and mem, spelling שם.
Between the lips is the word tov. The phrase ‘keter shem tov’ means ‘crown of a good name.’ In pirkei avot, the Talmudic collection of first principles, Rabbi Shimon reminds us that of all the masks garnering attention and attachment (e.g. scholarship, prestige, wealth and power), there is one mask that exceeds them all in true, enduring worth. That is the mask or “crown of a good name” a good reputation that earns respect by extending respectful love to others.

For more than six decades Ellen Arnold, EdD has been a teacher’s teacher and an advocate diversifying instructional strategies to honor multiple intelligences and the unique learning strengths of every learner. This project suited her strengths as a visual learner. Her son, Rabbi Jamie Arnold, has been a members of the Kabbalah Experience since 2013. This project invited him to play with his love of symbols and from those letters weave words and colors into the start of a sacred story - left for you to finish.

https://rabbijamiearnold.substack.com/

This is the face that my Ruach | רוח wears. They are a dynamic equilibrium between the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine. She is made of symbols and patterns and perturbations, just like our universe. He yearns to be seen and be known, performing for love and acting out of wounds. When you look into their eyes, may you see the beauty of your own soul. When you look into her eyes, may you remember the stuff you are made of. When you look into his eyes, may you embrace yourself with Love.
The Path of Ratzon: Divine Feminine. Mother Letter Mem. Water. Moon. Silver. Pluto. Night. Darkness. Double Letter Bet. The Standard Model Lagrangian.
The Path of Emunah: Divine Masculine. Mother Letter Shin. Fire. Sun. Gold. Mercury. Day. Lightness. Double Letter Gimmel. The Beatles.

Luke Colaciello | ישעיהו is an assistant professor of chemistry by day and spiritual practitioner and teacher by night. Peering into unseen realities, he creates art emerging from the intersection of Kabbalah, quantum physics, mathematics, astrology & other esoteric traditions, seeking to remind us all of the beauty of our shared, collective inner Light. He is queer, Jewish, & a little bit mad.

thesoulmanifold.substack.com

This mask embodies the sacred journey of

transformation-the movement from

fragmentation into wholeness, from

concealment into light. The gold line that runs

down the center recalls the mending of what was

once broken, honoring the beauty within repair.

Like the ancient wisdom of vessels shattered and

restored, the face becomes a meeting place of

opposites: sky and earth, stillness and becoming.

The Aleph rests within the quiet blues and

clouds, a breath of divine oneness and infinite

potential. Opposite it, the Shin ignites through

wings of red and green, symbolizing fire,

transformation, and the soul in motion. Together,

they speak of the human experience-rooted in

unity, yet constantly evolving. The eyes, holding

inner worlds, invite the viewer inward ... to

witness not just a mask, but the living process of

becoming light.

ARTIST: Mindy Wolpa

One would think that these are all broken pieces of abandoned jewelry and china. Not so. These are bits of the seemingly broken that come together to make a beautiful mosaic. Broken is just not yet whole.

While locked down during covid i wanted to find a way to use my creativity and tools to become an artist. I took a class on mosaics and decided, i can do this at home. Since 2020 I have created dozens of mosaics. My favorite works are those made of the items left behind when someone dies. I take all the bits and pieces and create a Tree Of Life. Taking what might be left discarded and turning it into a piece of art to be enjoyed for many years.
Art is my therapy and a great way to preserve memories. I often have folks in my studio to work on their memory pieces. Reach out if you want to hear more about that.

My mask is a deliberate collection of words that reveal in part what is meaningful to me. The torch on the top with the blue mask is hiding a picture of a ladder going up to heaven conveying that while G-d is hidden, we can seek Him and come closer to Him through study, intentional pursuits, acts of kindness and prayer.

From the time I was a young child I have loved making art. During the 70s into the 80s, I spent most of my time painting and collaging. I enjoy utilizing both mediums to create my art.

My work was accepted into the Northern Colorado Invitational (juried exhibit,1978), the Jewish Community Center Collectors Mart, juried exhibit (1976-1980), and the Mizel Museum Jewish Women in the Arts Show (2005, 2006, 2007). A number of my pieces sold at these exhibits as well as at some private showings.                                                                                                                             In 1980 I became involved in community service and for the past 46 years I have assumed many leadership roles which led to my becoming a professional volunteer.  It has been an awesome journey that has enriched my life immensely.  I am still actively connected.                                                    

While this mask project was quite challenging for me, I feel it is the inspiration I needed to propel me forward to re-engaging artistically and creatively.

Be careful the protective shell you wear on the outside does not eventually devour the colorful creature on the inside.
Acrylic and Epoxy Sculpt

Brandon Sopinsky is a Los Angeles–based artist and design director known for creating psychedelic, highly detailed paintings and illustrations of creatures that inhabit his imagination. His work blends vivid color, surreal character design, and imaginative storytelling into striking, otherworldly visuals.

Instagram @bsopinsky

The painting is a metaphor for the masks we wear. Leaves are what we show the world and necessary for survival. They can be beautiful, complex, intricate, and showy. But they aren’t truly who we are. The roots are who we are at our core. If we stripped away the leaves or looked deep into the earth and uncovered our roots, who would we be? Who are we really?

Lisa is a self-taught metalsmith and is influenced by her love of nature and patterns and deep spiritual metaphors. Her work can be found in local gallery shows and markets as well as on her website.

Website: www.vinnikdesigns.com

Instagram: @vinnikdesignsstudio

By Carrie MaKenna

Exterior: The royal blue ground represents sky and water supporting and nourishing the growing golden vines that represent the many paths our lives take.
Interior: A galaxy of silver stars shine in the dark. At the Third Eye the Universal Circle forms integrating and unifying All that Is. It is flanked by the constellations Ursus Major (the Big Dipper) representing the Universal Feminine, and Orion representing the Universal Masculine. Separate yet aligned throughout time and space.

I make artwork to remind people of their interconnection with each other, Nature, and the Universe.
The primary materials I use incorporate texture, a select palette of 20 colors of liquid acrylic paint, and found object to create more dimension.
I’m a Colorado-born artist, co-founder of D’art Gallery, and President of the Colorado Women’s Art Museum.
My professional art career spans 30 years. It includes hundreds of solo and group exhibitions, participation in arts organizations, and arts education.

www.ArtsCarrieMaKenna.com

IG: @ArtsCarrieMaKenna

FB: CarrieMaKenna

The mask represents symbols of the garden of Eden

Throughout my life, I have managed to incorporate art I have relied on pen and paper for personal expression and reflection throughout my education, parenting and travel. My primary field was as a health educator and that has allowed me a great deal of freedom with opportunities to incorporate, creativity, and developing teaching materials and social marketing campaigns.

https://www.Etsy.com/shop/Mystoryline

This piece is an homage to my Russian, Polish, Jewish roots, inspired by the Matryoshka doll, often called Babushka, a symbol of lineage, motherhood, and generational memory.

A metaphor for venturing into our roots and lineage as a pilgrimage, not fully known, but deeply felt in our bones, in the stories we carry and those still waiting to be revealed.

It reflects the layers we hold through lineage, memory, and lived experience. The women who came before me, the ones I feel in my bones, the ones I have never met, and all that has been lost, hidden, or buried along the way.

Beneath these layers is the smallest version of us, the inner child, the divine spark, the part we reach by moving through each layer as it reveals itself over time, and the part we are here to create from.

Through bold color and expression, this mask becomes a vessel for healing, repair, and ancestral remembrance and wisdom, a responsibility we carry as part of our tikkun.

Honoring where I come from while allowing myself the freedom to express, create, and be fully seen.

This piece is an invitation to return to our roots, to reconnect with what lives within us, and to remember what we are here to carry forward.

We each have an opportunity, an initiation, to explore the layers within, a process only we can move through, one layer at a time.

We are not meant to do it alone.
We are here to witness and hold one another as we find our way deeper within.

Elana Merzin is a Macro Social Worker, Jewish Artist, and Founder of The WildHERness Co. (TWC), a creative and spiritual ecosystem, and evolving movement, for women navigating burnout, transition, and reclamation.

With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and social impact sector, her work lives at the intersection of creativity, healing, and systems change, rooted in the belief that inner work is essential to repairing the world (tikkun olam).

After years of experiencing burnout and vicarious trauma within the nonprofit sector, Elana found her way back to art as a means of processing, healing, and reconnecting with herself.

Shaped by movement, transition, and a raw navigation of liminal spaces, her path has been defined by in-between moments where she reclaimed her identity as an artist and now shares her journey openly to support and inspire others to reclaim their own.

She supports women in reclaiming their voice, lineage, and creative expression, especially in moments of in-between and becoming.

Elana sees and experiences the world through color, using creativity as a lifeline for transformation and integration.

She is the creator of Counting the Omer Within (CTOW), a 49-day journey between Passover and Shavuot weaving Kabbalah, embodiment, and art.

Her work invites all of us into a deeper exploration of the layers within, and what becomes possible when we listen to the emotional ache that calls us there.

https://www.instagram.com/tikkunelana/

Shapes, lines, and dots offering a simple and decorative face.

I am an encaustic painter and graphic designer. I love making art that is shape- and color-driven, often with heavy texture and layers.

onelmichele.net

@michele03messenger

Hannah Rojas is a multidisciplinary artist whose creativity spans sculpture, painting, digital art, sewing, music, and design. She began creating at the age of three and has developed a versatile and expressive style shaped by curiosity, individuality, and joy. Her work reflects both her personality and her world-playful, bold, and deeply connected to community. For the Kabbalah Experience, Hannah created a mask inspired by contemporary identity and self-expression, incorporating elements of drag artistry, including dramatic makeup and applied eyelashes. She opened the eyes of the mask, transforming it into something that sees and is seen. Hannah approaches art as exploration-of self, of others, and of belonging. Her work is a reflection of the communities she engages with and the freedom to express them authentically.

This mask plays with the ways that people are made, molded, and shaped by their physical environments.

Yael is a dilettante who is inspired by the mountains, deep philosophical questions, and Torah. She lives with her family in Lafayette.

Joe Rojas is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores identity, duality, and emotional

release. He began sculpting at age 11, working first in wax before evolving through clay,

wood, and mixed media. Today, he creates primarily in Sculpey, oil pastels, and acrylic.

For Joe, art is both process and expression-a way to move through feeling and into clarity.

His work invites viewers to see themselves, offering a moment of reflection, catharsis, and

connection.

Influenced by both Eastern and spiritual philosophy, Joe's pieces often merge symbolic

systems. His mask for the Kabbalah Experience brings together the yin-yang concept of balance with the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, reflecting a core belief: that the divine exists in all things, and through art, we remember that connection.

At its core, Joe's work is about people-and the shared human experience within us all.

Mother Nature mask incorporates elements found in nature- a ladybug, flowers, feathers, a butterfly and moss becomes her hair. Her face is textured like a tree. The mask represents the contrast between how humanity sees itself and the reality of our impact on the planet. We often wear the mask of harmony with nature, yet behind it there may be consumption, environmental damage, or neglect. The mask invites viewers to question whether we are truly living in balance with the earth.

Following a 40-year career in marketing, I have committed myself to the exploration of various art mediums, with a particular emphasis on clay and acrylic paint. I have made art my second career. Through my art, I hope to offer viewers a fresh perspective on their favorite animals and birds, highlighting the need for their protection in today's world.

Rosemaryhanratty.com

Materials for mask- sculptamold, paper, ink and colored pencil I built up the features with sculptamold, collaged brown paper and added symbols of hope.

Susan Lisbin is a mixed-media abstract artist living and working in Catskill, New York. Her work

explores how the relationships people form shape identity. Lisbin maintains a ceramic studio at

Foreland Campus in Catskill and a painting studio on Iyfain Street in Catskill.

She studied at the School of Fine and Applied Arts at Boston University from 1968 to 1971 and

received her B.A. in Painting from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 1975. She earned an M.A. in

Painting from Montclair State University in 1980. Lisbin has exhibited extensively throughout the

New York metropolitan area in both solo and group exhibitions.

Notable solo exhibitions include the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts at William Paterson

University, the Carter burden Gallery in Chelsea New York and the Susan Eley Gallery in Hudson,

NY. Presence, a ceramic sculpture done by Lisbin is permanently displayed on the outdoor campus

of Columbia Greene Community College in Hudson, NY.

www.susanlisbin com

instagram @Susan_Lisbin

Abstract acrylic painting rimmed with wood beads and a sterling silver heart

Carbery Morrow is a clay artist working in her home studio in Parker, CO. Since about 2000, she has practiced the art of working with stoneware coils and slabs to create curvy, playful sculpture. She embraces the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which values imperfection, asymmetry and simplicity. Carbery’s latest sculptural work incorporates her love of abstract painting with the use of colorful glazes to create a painterly effect on clay.

carberymorrow.com

@carberyclayart

The phosphorescent glow of marbleized paints evokes the kabbalistic teaching "There is Always Light in Darkness." I hold this intention through the toughest of times, even when the light is hard to see.

Melanie Gruenwald serves as the Executive Director of Kabbalah Experience. She enjoys teaching and exploring creative interpretations of transformative kabbalah.

www.kabbalahexperience.com

A native of Chicago, Ira Sherman studied biology and chemistry in college, minoring in sculpture. Upon taking his first jewelry course, Sherman was motivated to drop out of school and pursue a metalsmithing career. Sherman soon found success as an award-winning jeweler and then a sought-after designer of sterling silver Judaica. His knowledge of Judaic art and tradition led to a position as guest instructor at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, Israel. Today Sherman maintains a multi-faceted studio practice, creating jewelry, Judaica, liturgical architectural pieces, large-scale sculpture, and conceptual kinetic wearable works.

“I am an artist who uses mechanical technology and biomorphic aesthetic to invent sculpture that blur the definition of useful achievement; making daydreams into plausible realities.”

Sherman has been featured in numerous publications, including The Huffington Post, Wired, Popular Mechanics, and Metalsmith.  He has exhibited widely throughout the United States and abroad, and his work is in the permanent collections of the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum; Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis: Spertus Institute, Chicago; and the Denver Public RTD Art Collection. Sherman is a founding chairman of the Colorado Metalsmithing Association, and a longstanding member of Society of North American Goldsmiths.

More about Ira Sherman

www.irasherman.com

720-900-7557

303-72-2001 Studio (no text)

Acrylic multi media

Reawakening artist after years of juggling between being a wife and mother with a successful career. Majored in studio art in college and was one of few selected to understudy with acclaimed "photorealisti", American artist Alfred Leslie. Other early influences were pop artist Peter Max, and surrealists Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte.

Focus has been working in oils, portraiture. and exploring creating other imagery.

Beneath our masks, we are light. My mask is an interactive piece - inviting the viewer to stand and peer through from the light-filled gold of the inside of the mask into the mirror reflection of the outer mask. The mirror is an invitation to "reflect" on the masks we wear - What masks are you choosing to wear? Are you wearing the mask or is the mask wearing you? How connected are you with the incredible pure light that you are and how are the masks dimming your light?

Michelle Joy Wecksler is a self-taught, intuitive abstract artist living and working in Denver, Colorado. She was born in Queens, New York and grew up in Connecticut.

Michelle’s art is about being present and authentic in each moment. Art for Michelle is about play, permission and expression. It is a way for her to take in life as she is feeling and experiencing it. Art is how Michelle survives and connects; a way of honoring experience and sharing it with others.

@michellejoywecksler

Oil paint with mixed media

Reawakened artist after dedicating my life as a wife, mother, along with a successful career. Majored in Studio Art in college and was one of a small few selected to understudy with Alfred leslie, a photorealist whose paintings were renowned as representing American Artists in the 70's.
Othe rearly influences were Peter Max, Salvador Dali and Magritte.

We often take things at face value and then realize, aha, it was a mask. Kabbalah study starts with words, symbols and numbers. What those ciphers reveal is an inside out world which surfaces when one digs below.

David has been learning and teaching about masks and how they reveal our inner life and light. His art is the mask of words and how, with awareness, words take us below and beyond the surface.

[email protected]

We all wear masks—forms shaped by the stories we tell about ourselves and the roles we inhabit. Mine became “The Bagel Dude,” a name that carried meaning, community, and pride. But over time, it also became a layer I mistook for my essence.
When the pandemic threatened to take that identity away, I was left with a quiet and unsettling question: Who am I without this mask? In that space of uncertainty, something deeper began to emerge.
Kabbalah teaches that what we present to the world is only a garment—levush—that clothes the soul but is not the soul itself. This mask represents that garment. It is textured, familiar, and real—but it is not the core.
By confronting the possibility of losing what I thought defined me, I was given the opportunity to rediscover a self rooted not in title, but in intention, compassion, and presence. Now, I strive to wear my roles lightly—to let them express who I am, rather than contain it.

Joshua Pollack is the founder of Bridge & Tunnel Restaurant Group in Denver, where he brings the flavors and stories of New York’s immigrant food culture to life. An East Coast native, Joshua was shaped by the delis, bagel shops, and neighborhood institutions that define New York’s culinary identity. After moving to Colorado, he set out to recreate not just the food he missed, but the sense of connection, heritage, and community behind it.
Since opening Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen in 2012, Joshua has grown BTRG into a collection of concepts that honor tradition while fostering belonging—from classic Jewish delis to old-world Italian markets and New York-style pizzerias. Rooted in the belief that food carries the stories of those who came before us, his work reflects a commitment to preserving heritage, nurturing people, and building a more compassionate, human-centered world through hospitality.

@thebageldude

Water is the nectar of life on this planet—found in oceans, lakes, ponds, streams, waterfalls, and rapids. In the mask I have created, you will see a wave crashing against the rocks. It is a symbol of our urgent need to protect water in all its forms, so that future generations may continue to thrive from its bounty. Without that care, we risk losing not only its life-giving power, but also the beauty of the ocean surf.

Denis Ponsot 2026