November 9, 2025 — May 31, 2026
Steve Marcus, affectionately dubbed the “Top Dog of Kosher Pop Art,” brings a vibrant, “psychedelic” visual celebration to the museum. His beloved cartoon universe, created from his home in New York City’s Lower East Side, has been viewed by millions, appearing on five continents in print, fashion, and broadcast media. Marcus’ signature style infuses Jewish cultural motifs with playful comedy and exuberant color.
This new exhibition is “a combination of his psychedelic history, Hasidic knowledge, and essential drollness” (Up Magazine) and revels in humor, spirituality, and communal joy, offering a visual feast that invites laughter, uplift, and the transformative power of whimsy. Inspired by a fusion of the psychedelic hippie culture of the 1960s, Judaism, and Jewish Culture, Marcus’ hand-drawn works on paper and handmade objects are colorful and comical flashbacks.
Viewers take a mystical tour on the magic bus down an irreverent, fun, and insightful road that reveals his quirky sense of humor and passion for his own roots and culture. The new project seamlessly marries Marcus’ Jewish spirituality with his past involvement in the counterculture and the cannabis reform movement, putting a modern spin on Jewish subjects and life that form alternative culture classics for new generations of modern Jews.
Turn on, tune in, drop in, and enjoy, laugh, and space out on Steve Marcus’ kabbalistic Jewish artwork inspired by underground comics, Hasidism, and the psychedelic art of the free love era.
This exhibition is made possible by the Alice and Paul Meyer Exhibition Fund, with additional support from the Judy Margles Education and Culture Fund and the Craig E. Wollner Exhibition Fund.
About the Artist
Born in the month of August in 1969, also known as the Summer of Love, Steve Marcus takes the viewer out of this world with the artwork he creates in his studio on the Lower East Side, one of New York City’s most important and historic Jewish neighborhoods which was once the stronghold of the Yiddish Theatre, the Fillmore East and other popular and unpopular cultural and religious touchstones. Recognized in the 2015 publication, A Jewish People’s History of the Lower East Side, as one of the Lower East Side’s most illustrious and culturally influential residents, Marcus has developed an international reputation in the art world over the past 36 years.
Steve Marcus (aka smarcus) has received honors and awards from the American Society of Illustrators. He has several works in the permanent collection of the Oakland Museum of California, The Jewish Museum of Florida – FIU, The Yiddish Book Center, The Ludlow Santo-Domingo Poster Collection at the Harvard Library, The International Counterculture Archive at George Washington University, Galicia Jewish Museum, The Miami-Dade PLS, and private art collections in the United States and abroad. He’s exhibited numerous times at Art Basel in Miami, Florida, The Museum at Eldridge Street in NYC, and The Comics Museum in Krakow, Poland, The Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History in Vilnius, Lithuania, The Maine Jewish Museum, The Everhart Museum, The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, The Bernard Heller Museum in NYC, The Jerusalem Biennale as well as other prestigious institutions and art galleries. He has created art for and collaborated with Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, the Miguel Pinero Estate, The New Orleans Jazz Museum, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and created artwork and illustrations for the United Nations, The New York Times, MTV, High Times, The Cannabis Cup, Guitar World, Tattoo International, The Source, Condé Nast Publications, Esquire and Nickelodeon.
Exhibition Related Events
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Psychedelicatessen: Exhibition Opening
Join artist Steve Marcus for the public opening of Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art.
November 9 | 2 – 4pm | OJMCHE Auditorium | Included with museum admission.
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Psychedelicatessen: Artist Talk with Steve Marcus
Join artist Steve Marcus to learn more about his newest exhibition, Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art. Marcus will share about the inspiration behind his pop art practice and his unique approach to illustrating Jewish life.
November 12 | 6 – 7:30pm | OJMCHE Auditorium | $5 general; free for museum members | Purchase Tickets
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Death Trip: Book Talk with Seth Lorinczi
Join us for a talk with author and writer Seth Lorinczias he dives into his search for family history, healing, and ultimately himself.
February 1 | 2-3:30pm | OJMCHE Auditorium | $5 general; free for museum members | Purchase Tickets
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Public Docent-Led Tour of Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art by Steve Marcus
Join for a free guided tour of Steve Marcus’ artwork inspired by underground comics, Hasidism, and the psychedelic art of the free love era.
February 1 | 1-1:30pm | OJMCHE Auditorium | Included with admission, free for members. RSVP preferred but not required
March 1 | 12-12:30pm | OJMCHE Auditorium | Included with admission, free for members. RSVP preferred but not required
April 5 | 12-12:30pm | OJMCHE Auditorium | Included with admission, free for members. RSVP preferred but not required
May 3 | 12-12:30pm | OJMCHE Auditorium | Included with admission, free for members. RSVP preferred but not required