Stuart Edelson: The Art and Activism of a Creative Hyphenate in New York

Derfner Judaica Museum + The Art Collection at Hebrew Home at Riverdale is pleased to announce a special talk in celebration of Pride Month, Stuart Edelson: The Art and Activism of a Creative Hyphenate in New York, which will be held on Sunday, June 8, at 1:30 p.m. Senior Curator Emily O'Leary will discuss New York artist Stuart Edelson's fascinating life as an artist, cultural worker, LGBTQ activist, novelist, playwright, and world traveler before his untimely death from AIDS in 1995. The artist’s family members will also be present to share memories of his life and career. The Museum is located at 5901 Palisade Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of The Bronx, and is free and open to the public. R.S.V.P. at 718.581.1596, art@riverspring.org, or register on Zoom at http://bit.ly/42U1lz8. Photo I.D. required for in-person admission.

The Museum will also be unveiling Edelson’s recently reinstalled abstract sculpture, Memory Object (1973), that has been conserved and brought back to its original high-polish, bronze finish with a grant from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network.* Before entering the collection, in 1993 it was included as part of a larger exhibition of Edelson’s work in the Cannon Rotunda in the Capitol at the invitation of the important LGBTQ rights advocate Congressman Tom Lantos. That show was sponsored by Congressman Barney Frank, the most influential openly gay member of Congress at the time. The sculpture was donated to the Hebrew Home in 1997 by the artist's sister, Marjorie M. Bolkin, and Edelson’s estate.

Museum hours: Sunday–Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Photo I.D. is required for all visitors to the Hebrew Home campus. Call 718.581.1596 or email art@riverspring.org to schedule in-person group visits or virtual tours, or for holiday hours. For further information, visit our website at www.derfner.org.

About Hebrew Home at Riverdale

As a member of the American Alliance of Museums, the Hebrew Home at Riverdale by RiverSpring Living is committed to publicly exhibiting its art collection throughout its 32-acre campus, including the Derfner Judaica Museum and a sculpture garden overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades. Derfner Judaica Museum + The Art Collection provides educational and cultural programming for residents of the Hebrew Home, their families and the general public from throughout New York City, its surrounding suburbs, and visitors from elsewhere. RiverSpring Living is a nonprofit, non-sectarian geriatric organization serving more than 18,000 older adults in greater New York through its resources and community service programs.

*The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Treatment Program is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has provided additional dedicated support for conservation treatment projects on Long Island and New York City.