Max Ferguson, "My Father in the Empire State Building," 1984, etching
RADNOR, Pa. (Jan. 15, 2013) – Cabrini College is proud present “The Eye of the Collector: The Jewish Vision of Sigmund R. Balka,” 16 pieces from a significant collection amassed by Balka over a 50-year period, from Jan. 31 to March 18.
The exhibit is on view in the Grace and Joseph Gorevin Fine Arts Gallery on the second floor of the Holy Spirit Library (610 King of Prussia Road, Radnor).
An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m.; Elliot Ratzman, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of religion at Swarthmore College, will speak at 4:30 p.m.
The works on display include photographs, drawings, and prints by Russian, European, and American artists such as Raphael Soyer, Philip Cheney, Herb Fichter, Karl Schrag, and Isaac Freidlander, and by notable Philadelphia artists Joseph Hirsch and Jack Bookbinder.
The exhibit at Cabrini is Part II of “The Jewish Vision of Sigmund R. Balka”; Part I runs concurrently at Rosemont College.
Balka was influenced by art at an early age by his mother, and has acquired a vast and impressive collection over the past 50 years. He has dedicated much time, energy and devotion to the arts, serving on the boards of and working closely with the Queens Museum of Art, the Advisory Council for Visual Arts at Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, and the Jewish Repertory Theatre, among others.
Balka recently gifted more than 200 pieces to Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion Museum in New York, N.Y. “The Eye of the Collector” exhibit appears courtesy of Hebrew Union College.
Making his collections available to the public is of key importance to Balka.
“Art is not of value if it is not presented so that people have the opportunity to interact with it,” Balka said. “The more public the opportunity to have it speak for itself, the better society is.”
Balka graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia, a school that also produced renowned artists such as Thomas Eakins, John Sloan, and Morton Livingston Schamberg, as well as one of America’s most influential art collectors, Albert C. Barnes.
After graduating from Williams College in Massachusetts, Balka obtained a juris doctor from Harvard Law School before beginning his professional career with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
About Cabrini College
Students do extraordinary things at Cabrini College, a residential Catholic college welcoming learners of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the College provides a transformational “education of the heart,” focusing on academic excellence, leadership development and a commitment to social justice.
Cabrini offers 1,400 full-time undergraduate students more than 30 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations and minors. Nearly 1,400 students are in graduate studies programs at the main campus in Radnor, Pa., and at 12 off-site locations. The College’s serene 112-acre campus is located 30 minutes from Philadelphia.