TOBI KAHN BIO (part 2)
Much of contemporary art is detached from the meditative dimension of seeing. There are some exceptions, such as the Rothko chapel in Houston and James Turrell's light spaces. Kahn's fascination with the power of art for healing led to the creation, in 2001, of a permanent installation commissioned by the HealthCare Chaplaincy of New York: a meditative room consisting of nine sky-and-water murals and sculptural furniture made by Kahn. The room, in constant use, was conceptualized as a sanctuary for contemplation, to envelop those who enter it with the serenity of sky, sea and horizon. Kahn has also designed sets for Elizabeth Swados at The Public Theater, and for work by choreographers Muna Tseng and Gus Solomons.
In May 2003, an exhibition of his Sky and Water paintings opened at the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, New York. The catalogue includes essays by Dede Young, who curated the exhibition, and Donald Kuspit. An exhibition of selected paintings from this show traveled as Reflections: Tobi Kahn to the Brauer Museum of Art and two additional museums in 2004. The catalogue included an essay by David Morgan. Kahn's solo exhibition, Works from the Cape, opened in July 2003 at the Cape Museum of Art in Dennis, MA.
In 2004, Paradisus, a solo exhibition of Kahn's paintings of flowers, curated by Mark White, opened at the gallery of Oklahoma State University. The show then traveled to the Century Club in New York.
In 2008, Kahn was commissioned to create the art and ritual objects for the sanctuary of Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in Fall 2009, Kahn's work consists of 8 wall-scale paintings and the sanctuary’s ceremonial art, including the eternal light, mezuzah, and panels for the ark doors.
In October, 2009, “Tobi Kahn: Sacred Spaces for the 21st Century”, a solo traveling exhibition of Kahn’s ceremonial and liturgical art, opened at MOBIA in New York City. The book, Tobi Kahn, Sacred Spaces for the 21st Century, edited by Ena Giurescu Heller and published by the Museum of Biblical Art in New York in association with D Giles Limited, London accompanied the exhibition.
Among the awards that Kahn has received are the Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from Pratt Institute in 2000; the Cultural Achievement Award for the Visual Arts from the National Foundation of Jewish Culture in 2004; and an Honorary Doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2007 for his work as an artist and educator.
Kahn also communicates his vision through his passion for teaching. For twenty-eight years, he has taught fine arts workshops at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He also designed the art curriculum for several high schools in the New York area and co-founded and facilitates the Artists' Beit Midrash at the Skirball Center of Temple Emanu-El. Kahn lectures extensively at universities and public forums internationally on the importance of visual language and art as healing.