Annual art show to honor Jacob Landau
Exhibit to feature art
by Jacob Landau’s students
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

Priscilla Algava

Roosevelt artist Jacob Landau was not only an extraordinary artist, he was a masterful teacher. Born in 1917, he died almost two years ago, but his legacy continues in the many artists he has nurtured and the works of art he has left behind.

"Each time we create, we win a victory over decay," Joseph Landau said to Joanne Leone Corris, one of his students.

Landau died Nov. 24, 2001, and is buried in the tiny Roosevelt Cemetery in western Monmouth County near his friends and fellow artists, Ben Shahn and Gregorio Prestopino. He would have celebrated his 86th birthday that December.

His words of wisdom and encouragement are even more poignant now that he is gone. But is someone gone when he leaves behind so much life, on canvas and in new generations of artists?

Priscilla Algava

Rosa Giletti, curator of his body of works, keeps his gift of expression and willingness to share his talents alive through exhibitions of his and his students’ works. Rosa Giletti Fine Art, along with the Roosevelt Arts Project, of which Landau was a founder and first president, will hold the Second Annual Jacob Landau Studio Event on Oct. 18 between 5-8 p.m. at Landau’s dome studio, 30 Lake Drive in Roosevelt.

Landau was a music lover, especially of Beethoven’s music, which he played while he worked, so it is appropriate that the opening reception includes a concert by David Brahinsky and Sara Houtz that begins at 8 p.m. The event will feature the works of six of his students, Priscilla Snow Algava, Corris, Rhoni Groff, Jack McGovern, George Schorr and Myron Wasserman.

In his long artistic career, Landau generously shared his talents with countless students of the arts. According to Giletti, his teaching career was as prolific as his artistic venue.

Landau served on the faculty of the Philadelphia College of Art, after which he went on to teach at Pratt Institute in Philadelphia, where he became chair of the Department of Graphic Art and Illustration. He remained there until 1980 and held professor emeritus status.

Myron Wasserman

In 1975, he also became a faculty member at the Artist-Teacher Institute, an intensive 10-day summer residency program sponsored by the New Jersey Council on the Arts.

Giletti calls him master of the wood block and lithographic process, a watercolorist extraordinaire, as well as a master of pen and ink, oil, charcoal, pastels and pencil.

"His sense of conscience and moral responsibility was conveyed to all who saw his art and not more profoundly than those students fortunate to have come in contact with him throughout his long and distinguished career.

"His power as a teacher lay in the fact that he was the consummate student of life," she added.

George Schorr

Corris called him the most exhilarating teacher she has ever known, noting, "He led me to explore my philosophy, my dreams and my personal myths."

She added that it is because of Landau that she came to see herself as a professional artist. "I am honored to have had Jacob as my mentor and my friend," Corris said.

The exhibit will honor the importance of drawing in Jacob’s prolific career, and his students will present their expertise in various mediums. Corris uses oil and acrylic on canvas and explores the magic of color and design. Her compositions evoke the power that music and dance played in her artistic life.

Algava expresses her art in monotypes of delicate color and free form. She met Landau in the early ’80s when they were both members of the Arts Foundation of New Jersey. He inspired her with his incisiveness in critique, his profound vision and his supreme kindness.

Groff exhibits in various mediums, oil, watercolor and silk over canvas, which create an ethereal quality in her work; McGovern, who also uses various mediums, will show acrylic on board and paper, lithography and mixed media.

Schorr’s powerful use of composition, design and color can be seen in his wall hanging and freestanding sculptures and black-and-white lithographs, and Wassermann’s mobiles reflect his mastery of a myriad of mixed metals that express his striving for harmony and balance.

Schorr said as a teacher, Landau shared his wide-ranging intellectual, historic and graphic knowledge.

"He always emphasized personal expression and the obligation of the artist to be an observer, social commentator and participant in the world around him," Schorr said.

Wasserman, who was working as an art director, designer and illustrator when he met Landau in 1983, said it was a life-changing meeting. Landau helped him to move from the commercial world to the "unknown."

He explained that Landau encouraged his confidence and honest self-expression.

"Today, I live and work in my studio, making metal mobiles and sculptures. I feel fortunate to have known and worked with Jacob Landau. He was truly a gifted man," Wasserman said.

Landau’s works are in major museums here and abroad. Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pa., houses one of many commissions produced by the artist. His series of 10 stained glass windows reflects his study of biblical history.

Numerous commissions include NBC Sports Series, Columbia Records, Reader’s Digest, National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, Smithsonian Institution, N.J. State Council of the Arts, to name a few.

In addition to the studio event, a critique and conversation with Bernarda Shahn and the featured artists will take place the following Saturday at 1 p.m. Those who wish to take advantage of the opportunity to speak with Shahn should contact Giletti to make a reservation.

McGovern may speak for all of the artists whose lives Landau has touched in his assessment of the artist’s effect on his work: "Jacob’s influence on me as an artist transcends the fact of his parting this earth, for he is a welcomed voice in my creative subconscious."

The Jacob Landau Legacy Preservation Trust has been established to promote the continued visibility of Landau’s art. Donations help to keep The Jacob Landau Studio active and open for visitation.

Tours are available upon request. Contact Rosa Giletti Fine Art at (215) 368-2536 for an appointment.