HELENA — Artists can find inspiration in almost anything, through people, food, or nature, and one Helena artist is looking to fill his artistic vision with his religion.
Paul Blumenthal is a member of the Montana Jewish Project, which is hosting The Language of Landscape exhibit in the Temple Emanu-El on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
"Montana, like everywhere else in the United States, is experiencing a rapid rise in antisemitism. We feel like it's very important to show the broader community who we are, that we are people just like everyone else," said Rebecca Stanfel, Montana Jewish Project director.
Many pieces include landscapes in Montana and as far away as Israel, where Blumenthal lived during an artist residency.
He said, "I lived by the Berkeley Pit, the largest superfund site in North America, and then I moved to Israel for a year, and I lived by God's superfund site, the Dead Sea."
Blumenthal says the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, influenced him.
He printed out pictures of kidnap posters and hung them up around his office to remind himself and others about the horror of that day.
"What can I do? I'm an artist, so I convey these messages of Hebrew, unity, hope, and freedom," he said.
The Language of the Landscape exhibit is free and open to everyone on Friday night.
There will be food and drinks, and Blumenthal will give a presentation on his work.
Montana Jewish Project is asking people to register so they know how many people to prepare for and for security purposes.
You can do that by visiting this link.
The exhibit will stay open through the end of January, and you can schedule a viewing by contacting the Montana Jewish Project at (406)282-4706.
