Sunday, May 31 | 2pm
Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month at OJMCHE!
In Part II of this series, artist and educator Jessica Rehfield will share about fun and surprising Jewish-American innovators and influences in popular culture. Notable mentions include: Harry Houdini and Emanuel Bronner (Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap); Fran Drescher (The Nanny), LGBTQ+ politician Harvey Milk and activist Brenda Howard (The Mother of Pride), celebrity entertainers Doja Cat, Paula Abdul, and Harrison Ford; Groucho, Harpo, and The Marx Bros; and the story of seltzer (bubble water) to name a few. Jessica will also dive into themes of belonging and the making of American identity in this one-hour talk.
About Jessica
- Jessica Rehfield (they/them) is a visual artist and educator who creates community programs to share information about Jewish and queer identities. Born in Alaska, their Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art is from University of Alaska Southeast and they hold an MFA in Craft from Oregon College of Art and Craft. Jessica has been a Fellow with Co/Lab:Art/Lab in Portland and a resident artist with The Arts Center (Corvallis), Eastside Jewish Commons (Portland), and Salem Art Association (Salem). They have created and curated exhibits Queer Love, The Art of Drag, and TWO SPIRIT: Indigenous Drag Perspectives on Climate Change in collaboration with queer indigenous drag artists and co-authored a 10-artist zine (Queer MIS/representation). They currently work with students at schools, universities and non-profit arts organizations. Visit jessicarehfield.com for their work. Fight for your communities’ rights and visibility wherever possible; it is always possible.