Where Art lives, not just hangs
Walk through the doors of the JCC Denver on any given day and you’ll see something that rarely happens in a museum or gallery. Children hurry toward ELS classrooms. Teens gather for rehearsal in the Elaine Wolf Theatre. Families and friends gather in the lobby. Members head to the fitness center. Conversations unfold in every corner.
And quietly, all around them, art lives alongside these moments. The JCC is a living, breathing organism, not a museum, but a place where art becomes an essential rhythm of the community itself.
Take the vibrant “Shofar” by artist James Michael Smith, … which greets visitors in the main lobby. People don’t stand silently studying it the way they might in a museum. Instead, it becomes part of life at the JCC. Families take baby-naming photos in front of it. Camp Shai groups gather beneath it. Donors meet beside it. Children ask what the curved horn means.
Collector and donor Michael Staenberg, who has placed many of Smith’s works in Jewish communal institutions across the country, believes that is exactly where art like this belongs.
“I eventually realized I couldn’t and shouldn’t keep this art to myself,” Staenberg explains. “I felt it would be better served in public spaces where it could breathe and inspire others.”
Smith approached the shofar with deep curiosity, studying Jewish tradition and speaking with rabbis before creating the piece. For Staenberg, the work holds universal meaning.
“Smith came to see the shofar as a beautiful, universal bridge something anyone, regardless of background, could encounter and find meaning in.”
That sense of connection continues throughout the building, where other works of Jewish art tell their own stories.
One of them is the ceramic landscape of Jerusalem by Israeli artist Maud Friedland, recently donated by Sandra and Robert (Bob) Rhodes ז״ל. The piece evokes an aerial view of the ancient city, its textured surface recalling layers of history. Friedland’s life story—fleeing Austria in 1938 and later shaping Israeli ceramics at the Bezalel Academy—echoes themes deeply rooted in Jewish history: resilience, tradition, and renewal.
Friedland’s striking work is also a tribute to the late Bob Rhodes, the visionary behind Denver’s beloved May-Daniels & Fisher holiday window displays and city traditions like the Parade of Lights, Zoo Lights, and Blossoms of Light. The connection between Rhodes and Friedland dates back to 1973, when her work was featured at May-D&F for Israel’s 25th anniversary and reflecting Bob’s lifelong passion for bringing art and culture to the Denver community.
Down in our Mizel Reception room hangs another important work in the building’s artistic narrative: “Three Rabbis” by Denver artist Lillian C. Goldberg. Goldberg, who moved to Denver as a child in the early 1900s, became an important figure in the city’s artistic community.
In a place filled with Jewish learning from Jewish Baby University to adult classes the Rabbis in Goldberg’s painting feel less like distant historical figures and more like quiet guardians of the conversations happening every day. It’s a reminder that the JCC doesn’t only display Jewish art—it creates it.
Through JudaicArt classes and workshops, artists and community members come together to explore Jewish symbols and creative traditions through a contemporary lens. People of all generations experiment with materials while learning the meaning behind the art they are making.
In many ways, these JudaicArt workshops do more than teach technique they extend a creative lineage.
JudaicArt at the JCC: Create, Connect, Belong
JudaicArt classes at the JCC Denver are more than art-making—they’re an invitation to explore Jewish identity, ritual, and creativity in a space designed for connection and inspiration. Whether you’re picking up a paintbrush or working with clay, each class is rooted in tradition while encouraging personal expression.
Upcoming Highlight:
Paint Your Own Birkat HaBayit with Annie Aqua
Sunday, May 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
From ceramics to painting, participants create meaningful pieces tied to Jewish life—like handcrafted apples & honey sets for Rosh Hashanah—while building community along the way.
“As a Jewish artist, it’s incredibly impactful to find a space that not only embraces our culture, but fuels it with creativity… we left with something practical to use for years to come.” — Katelyn Skeen
Instructor Penny Nisson shares that JudaicArt begins with Jewish texts, holidays, and values—serving as the foundation for creative exploration. Through a blend of teaching, guiding, and collaborative learning, participants gain both artistic skills and a deeper sense of connection.
Take a class and what you’ll take with you:
A piece of art, a sense of pride, and a stronger feeling of belonging within the JCC community
