I co-curated this exhibition with the late New York-based fine art collector, philanthropist, and attorney Sigmund Ronell Balka. This permanent exhibition was mounted in the auditorium at Mr. Balka’s alma mater, the notable and historic Central High School in Philadelphia, in June of 2012, and represents a gift to the School from Mr. Balka’s fine art collection. The selected works gifted to the School were originally exhibited at the Galleries at Krasdale Foods in the Bronx, New York, in 2010-2011, in an exhibition entitled Rarely Seen Works from the Sigmund R. Balka Collection of Art.
Mr. Balka’s dedication to justice is seen through the eyes of tzedakah, which means both wisdom and charity, and tikkun olam, or repair of the world, which are the principles that have guided his legal practice. His interest in artists whose work he believed “should be widely disseminated demonstrates his view of aesthetics and social justice as the right path in this era of holocaust and destruction, which demands spiritual regeneration,” (quoted from the accompanying catalogue’s introductory text). Artists featured in this gift and exhibition include Al Blaustein, Samuel Chamberlain, Mia Chernin, Pierre Courtin, Sydney Chafetz, Janis Fisher, Richard Florsheim, Esther Grillo, William Gropper, Robert Ernst Marx, Judith Nelson, Clayton Pond, John Ross, Rosalind Schneider, George Stauch, Robert Yasuda, and Albert Sterner.
