Gilah Yelin Hirsch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gilah Yelin Hirsch
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| Born | 1944 (age 80–81) |
| Nationality | Canadian-American |
| Education | UC Berkeley (BA), UCLA (MFA) |
Gilah Yelin Hirsch, born in 1944, is an amazing artist. She does many things like painting, writing, and making films. Her art often connects ideas from science, art, and even spiritual beliefs.
She helped start one of the first groups for women artists, called the Los Angeles Council of Women in the Arts (LACWA). She also taught art at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles from 1973 until 2020. Today, Gilah Hirsch continues to paint, write, and make films. She often shares her work at events around the world.
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Gilah Hirsch's Early Life
Gilah Hirsch grew up in Montreal, Canada, in a Jewish community during the 1940s. From a young age, she learned from the Torah in Hebrew and Yiddish. She also went to school where she learned in English and French.
As a child, Gilah faced many challenges at home. To help her through tough times, she read many books. Her parents had a huge library filled with books by famous thinkers, writers, and early feminists. These books helped her understand the world and cope with difficulties.
Later, Gilah wrote a book called Demonic to Divine: The Double Life of Shulamis Yelin. This book shares parts of her mother's diaries and stories. It shows the interesting contrast between her mother's happy childhood stories and her private struggles.
Gilah Hirsch's Career in Art
Gilah Hirsch was a key person in the art world, especially for women artists.
Helping Women Artists
In 1971, Gilah helped create the Los Angeles Council of Women Artists (LACWA). This group was very important for starting many other women's art organizations. She also helped with the Joan of Art Seminars. These seminars taught artists how to manage the business side of their careers. This kind of training is now a common part of art school lessons. Gilah noted that before these efforts, women artists were not often recognized in art history.
Sharing Art and Ideas
In 1974, Gilah introduced the work of Canadian artist Emily Carr to art experts in the United States. This helped more people learn about Emily Carr's art.
In 1978, Gilah organized an art show called Metamagic in Los Angeles. This was one of the first big art shows in the country to focus on spiritual themes in art. The exhibition became very famous and traveled to many places, including New York, London, China, and Mexico.
In 1979, Gilah was a visiting artist at Saint Martin's School of Art in London, England. She shared her paintings and ideas there. She also presented her theories at conferences, including the Menninger Foundation's conference on consciousness.
The Theory of Cosmography
In 1983, Gilah Hirsch first shared her interesting idea called Cosmography: The Writing of the Universe. This theory explores how the alphabet might have originated. She presented this idea at the Council Grove Conference.
Travels and Exhibitions
In 1985, Gilah received a special grant that allowed her to travel in Asia for a year. During this trip, in 1986, she met Ngawangdanhup Narkyid (Kuno), who was the official biographer of the Dalai Lama in India. This meeting became very important for Gilah.
Gilah Hirsch has shown her art in many places since 1968. Her work has been displayed at famous museums like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. She has also had exhibitions in Moscow, Budapest, Kraków, and Kyiv. Her important papers and artworks are kept in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
Gilah also has an interest in architecture. Over 35 years, she restored an old house in Venice, California. Her house was even featured in a book about homes in Venice.
Gilah Hirsch's Films
Gilah Hirsch has written and produced two documentary films.
- Cosmography: The Writing of the Universe (1995)
- Reading the Landscape (2019) – This film won a Silver Winner award at the International Independent Film Awards.
Gilah Hirsch's Books
Gilah Hirsch has written three books so far. She has also published many articles in different journals. She connects all her writings to her artwork.
- The Traveling Exhibition, 2005 – 2009: Gilah Yelin Hirsch (2010)
- Demonic to Divine (2015)
- Archaeology of Metaphor: The Art of Gilah Yelin Hirsch (2023)
Presentations and Awards
Besides being a Professor Emerita of Art at CSU Dominguez Hills, Gilah Hirsch has given many talks and presentations around the world. In 2010, she received the Alyce and Elmer Green Award. This award recognized her for "innovative blending of science and art."
Images for kids
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Demonic to Divine: The Double Life of Shulamis Yelin
