Sam Borenstein and the Colors of Montreal
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“While Sam Borenstein is well-known in Montreal and across Canada, his artwork may come as a great revelation to many New Yorkers,” says Dr. Jacob Wisse, director of the Yeshiva University Museum. “In addition to its aesthetic merit, the exhibition has great historical and cultural value as Borenstein was part of the remarkably vibrant scene of Jewish artists and writers in Montreal between 1930s and 1960s.”
Borenstein immigrated to Canada at a time when quotas had closed off the United States to eastern European Jews following World War II. “During a 40-year career, Borenstein painted richly colored portraits and vibrant scenes of the city’s streets and the Laurentian landscape,” according to the museum. “His intensely hued and emotionally charged views of the city and its surrounding countryside earned Borenstein the title of Canada’s only ‘authentic Expressionist’ of the mid-20th century.”
Sam Borenstein and the Colors of Montreal runs through May 8 at the Yeshiva University Museum, 15 West 16th Street, between 5th and 6th avenues, 212-294-8330, yumuseum.org.
Franklin Einspruch is an artist and writer.
