A “Tree of Life” from Rhode Island to Forest Hills: Art Exhibit To Raise Funds For Pittsburgh Massacre Victims’ Families

"The Tree of Life Exhibit” is coming to Forest Hills, NY on May 1st & will run for 3 months (or longer) at Red Pipe Cafe at 71-60 Austin Street. An opening reception will be held on May 1st from 6 to 9 PM. A unique collaboration of 9 Rhode Island-based artists will display nearly 40 works of art to convey peace and harmony and allocate a portion of the proceeds to help the families of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh; site of a mass shooting during Shabbat services on October 27, 2018, which led to 11 deaths and 7 injuries. The synagogue shared space with New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Hadash, & all three congregations lost members in the attack. In Judaism, such a humanitarian cause is referred to as a “mitzvah,” which translates as a good deed.

   Local historian Michael Perlman said, “On a trip to Newport, RI last fall, I am proud to have met artist and gallery owner David Chatowsky, coordinator of The Tree of Life Exhibit, and I later arranged to bring Rhode Island-based artists to Forest Hills for a highly beneficial cause. The arts are universal and can serve as a platform for committing good deeds, particularly in memory of the victims of the Tree of Life synagogue.” Joining artist David Chatowsky will be artists Anthony Chatowsky, Mary Chatowsky Jameson, Mary Johnson, Matt Kieron, John Klippel, Elizabeth O’Connor, Scott Moran, and Sarah Seaman, who are his family and friends. All works of art are for sale and will be presented to the buyer on the day of purchase. The gallery will then feature a similar work of art ASAP.

   Chatowsky explained, “My mission is to bring people together through art to create a better future. When I heard about the Pittsburgh massacre, I felt compelled to help. It is my belief that we are all part of a human family, and when a part of this human family is hurting, I feel it is everyone’s responsibility to help. It is very important to use the gifts we have been given to bring peace and harmony into this world. I truly hope the Forest Hills community can lend their support, as the success of this exhibit and fundraiser depends on them.”

   The oil paintings that Chatowsky will showcase are images of his memories of the fields and forests that he would explore in his youth. He said, “I started this series of paintings four years ago to bring the peace and harmony I felt as a child back into my life.” For example, one painting is the “Tree of Life” and features a large oak tree by a pond with golden fields as the backdrop. 

   “It is my hope that the exhibit’s guests and patrons will feel the intrinsic connection which the artists have to nature, and this feeling will help them cultivate a personal relationship with the natural world,” said David Chatowsky, who feels that the collaboration between Rhode Island artists and the New York cafe and gallery “signifies the willingness of people working together to create a better future.” 

   Red Pipe Cafe attendees will take note of several types of media, where some art techniques are produced by David Chatowsky’s family. His sister, Mary Chatowsky Jameson, focuses on marine botanical prints, where her works are created by pressing seaweed into watercolor paper, similar to pressed flowers. His father Anthony Chatowsky creates art by printing fish on Japanese rice paper, which is a technique known as Gyotaku.

   For Laurie Zittrain Eisenberg, a Tree of Life congregation board member, the collaboration is symbolic of “the overwhelming support for the freedom of religion and right to worship free from fear” and “the use of art to communicate support for the victims and the common humanity of all good people.”

    She stated, “After witnessing first-hand the horrific nature of human evil, we are heartened by the ongoing evidence of how many wonderful, thoughtful people there are in the world. Tree of Life members are deeply touched by the generous decision to share a portion of the proceeds with the Tree of Life congregation. We are moved by the desire to support us and take great comfort and strength from it.”

  Red Pipe Cafe, owned by Rene David Alkalay & Ofer Kertes, has served Forest Hills since 2014. The charming and earthy ambiance offers a full line of organic & vegan dishes and drinks, in addition to an art gallery, game night, poetry night, and an open mic among community events. Alkalay said, “I am happy to provide a platform for the arts and to support artists at our venue, Red Pipe Cafe, as well as our holistic health center, Genesis Tree of Life in Forest Hills. At Genesis Society, we strive to continue the mission to support the arts by accommodating artists such as David Chatowsky, and look forward to The Tree of Life Exhibit.”

    David Chatowsky opened his first gallery in Portsmouth, RI in 2016, followed by a second in Newport last year. His third gallery is scheduled to open on Block Island in May. His diverse accomplishments also include permanent mural installations at the Florida Museum of Natural History, owning art galleries in Florida and New York, and having humanitarian art exhibits in Los Angeles and Boston.

To view photos of David Chatowsky’s paintings & the upcoming exhibit, visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmbMy9NF