Proverbs, Adages, and Maxims
August 18, 2025 – June 24, 2026
JUDY CHICAGO AND DONALD WOODMAN, We’re All in the Same Boat from Tolerance, 2000.
Every culture offers traditional sayings that articulate a perceived truth based on common sense or human experience. From the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible, Abraham Joshua Heschel’s philosophical writings, Sephardic and Judaeo-Arabic popular dictums, and Yiddish adages, to old English and Chinese aphorisms and African folk axioms, there is an abundance of poetry and profound or wittily succinct statements that provide insights into human nature and guidance for a moral and righteous existence.
Fifty-five artists of diverse backgrounds offer visual interpretations of familiar sayings and worthy shorthand advice. Ranging from representational to abstract approaches and a broad range of mediums, their art applies age-old maxims to explore interpersonal relationships, environmental concerns, gender stereotypes, Holocaust remembrance, and the impact of trauma on the human psyche.
DEBORAH MORAG, There is Hope for a Tree: If It Is Cut It will Sprout Again, 2023
Curator Phyllis Freedman notes, “Their works encourage us to deepen our understanding of the world and others, and to reflect on our own self-perception of our identities and values. From admonitions to consoling commentaries on the vagaries of life, they impart wisdom, empathy, hope, and healing.”
Visitor Information
Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College
Location: One West Fourth Street, New York
On View: August 18, 2025 – June 24, 2026
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
Tours
Information: 212-824-2218; hellermuseum@huc.edu
Exhibition
Free Heller Museum exhibition audio guide at bloombergconnects.org
Gallery
