Gotthelf Gallery friends host double art extravaganza

By Lonnie Burstein Hewitt

On July 15, a sunny Sunday afternoon, dozens of supporters of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center’s Gotthelf Art Gallery flocked to The Seville on Genter Street to eat, drink, socialize, and view the private collections of two art-loving couples who are Friends of the Gallery.

Karen Fox and Harvey Ruben showed off their array of eye-popping funk art, while Iris and George Goodman combined traditional African art with a selection of Dr. Goodman’s own paintings from the early 1940s to the present.

A kickoff for the upcoming season at the small but impressive Gotthelf, the event is an annual treat for gallery underwriters that offers an inside look at local art collections not normally on public display.

“This year’s two collections couldn’t be more different,” said gallery coordinator Ilene Tatro. “It just shows how much variety is really out there.”

The Gotthelf’s 2012-2013 season will begin with the Sept. 12 opening of “The Other Side of the Coin: Russian Roots on San Diego Soil,” an exhibit of local Russian-born artists who have made San Diego their second home and art their second career.

For more about coming attractions or to become a Friend of the Gallery, visit sdcjc.org or call (858) 362-1154.