News Release

February 26, 2002

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In 1937, a group of Chicago-area artists created a portfolio of woodcuts as a fund-raising project for Biro-Bidjan, the Jewish autonomous region in the Soviet Union.

In their varied responses to the social and political issues of the time-including the Great Depression in the U.S., the persecution of Jews in Europe, and the expectations for a Jewish homeland in Siberia-these 14 WPA artists shared a common theme: scenes of "new hope" and optimism among images of oppression and despair.

Oakton is proud to exhibit this rare portfolio of fourteen woodcuttings entitled, "A Gift to Biro-Bidjan: Chicago, 1937, From Despair to New Hope." The exhibit will be on permanent display at Oakton Community College's Ray Hartstein Campus, 7701 N. Lincoln Ave., Skokie. An opening reception and presentation will begin at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday March, 5 in Room A145.

At the time of the portfolio's creation, Germany's invasion of Poland had not yet occurred, though signs indicating its possibility were becoming apparent. In 1933, Hitler proclaimed a one-day boycott against Jewish shops, and by 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were enacted, thus revoking the German citizenship of Jews.

The story of how the woodcuts arrived at the Oakton campus is just as remarkable as the story of their creation. A few years ago, Karol Verson, a theater director and adjunct faculty member at Oakton, obtained the entire portfolio of woodcuts from a local community resident who had stored them in his basement for many years, unaware that the art was important beyond its obvious aesthetic value. Verson, though, recognized the significance of these remarkable works, and had them appraised at Chicago's Spertus Museum. When Verson became aware of the portfolio's historical and artistic value, she donated them to Oakton to be researched and displayed to the public.

The portfolio, an intriguing slice of both Chicago and world history, is extremely rare. Although the text page of the portfolio indicates that the edition was limited to 200 copies, the rarity of this work today suggests that this estimate was too high. Most likely, the woodcuts were inked and printed according to demand. Currently, the portfolio is included in only a few museum collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University and the Spertus Museum.

For more information, contact Nathan Harpaz, curator of Oakton's William A. Koehnline Exhibit, at 847-635-2633.

Media Contact: Gian Galassi (847) 635-1810

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