Richard McBee

682 Broadway, New York, New York, 10012

212 533 2836

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BIOGRAPHY

Richard McBee was born in 1947 in New York City.  He studied painting at the Art Students League of New York and has dealt exclusively with subject matter from the Torah and Jewish history in figurative narratives since 1976.  The subject matter of his paintings includes:                               

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife, Judah & Tamar, Moses, Exodus, Children of Israel in the Desert, Pinchas, Ruth, David, Ezekiel, Holocaust.                      

Painting Series: Akeidah (70 paintings), Sarah’s Trials (16 paintings), Esther, Shema Series, Haggadah 

Additionally he has made many figurative relief sculptures, unique ceramic menorahs and other Judaica. In 1991 he was one of the founding members of the American Guild of Judaic Art.  Since 2008 he has been active in the Jewish Art Salon in New York City. 

Since 2000 he has surveyed the Jewish arts scene in a weekly column in the Jewish Press. His art work is in many private collections throughout the country.

EDUCATION

New York University; BA Summa Cum Laude, Gallatin School 2000 – 2005

Yeshiva University (non-matriculated), New York; 1993 - 1994

Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem Yeshiva, New York; 1988 – 1992

Art Students League of New York, 1963 – 1967: Jean Liberte & Edward Melcarth

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 

Broome Street Gallery Invitational – December 2009 – January 2010 

Esther Series – Group Exhibition; Bronfman Center for Jewish – NYU – September, 2009

Imagining Sinai – Giving the Torah and Coercion – One-person exhibit – The Sixteenth Street Synagogue – May – September, 2009

Tzelem – Likeness and Presence in Jewish Art –  Jewish Art Salon - Group Exhibition & Panel Discussions – Stanton Street Synagogue – April 26 – May 17, 2009

Sarah’s Trials – One-person exhibition 16 paintings (ea 6’ x 5’) Brooklyn College Art Gallery, March – October 2009

God Passes By – One person exhibition, Chassidic Art Institute – January 2009

Scenes from the Bible - Group Exhibition; The Synagogue for the Arts, New York - September, 2007

Waldsee – 1944;  Hebrew Union College Museum, New York, August 2005

Bamidbar: Contemporary Paintings of the Biblical Wilderness Narrative;  55 Mercer Street Gallery, March 2005

Group Exhibition; Brooklyn Jewish Arts Gallery, Congregation B’nai Jacob, May, 2003

The Biblical Artists Group; Retrospective Group show; 55 Mercer Street Gallery, September 2000

The Binding of Isaac; Group show; Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska & Washington, D.C. National Jewish Museum at B'nai Brith; Ori Soltes, curator; 1997-1998

Abraham & Isaac; One-person show of 24 paintings derived from Genesis 22; 1-9;  Civic Center Synagogue Gallery; N. Y.; 1996

Halacha and the Graven Image; The Jewish Center, New York.  Group exhibition &  slide lecture by Dr. Shalom Sabar (Senior Lecturer, Art History, Hebrew University, Israel) (1996)

Ceremonial Menorah; Shomrim Society, New York Police Department. (1991)

International Jewish Festival 1990; Chicago, Illinois 

Jewish Crafts in America;  Abraham Goodman House,  N.Y. (1990)

Contemporary Artifacts 1989;  National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, Pa.

International Jewish Festival '89 & '90; New York (1989,1990)

Arts Judaica; Temple Shalom, South Plainfield, N.J. (1988)

Triumph and Faith; One-person show; Sculpture Installation Fifth Avenue Windows and Lobby,  838 Fifth Avenue; Union of American Hebrew Congregations, N.Y. (1988)

Menorah Presentation; Office of the Consul General, Israeli Consulate, N.Y. (1986);  Reproduced in Celebration, The Book of Jewish Festivals, 1987

Artists of the Alliance of Figurative Artists; New York Studio School, N.Y. (1984)

Sacred Discontent; Group Show, Gallery 120, N.Y. (1981)

Biblical Paintings; One-person show, Gallery 120, N.Y. (1980)

Artists in the Biblical Tradition; Hudson Guild Gallery, N,Y, (1979)

Biblical and Mythical Themes; 47 Bond Street Gallery, N.Y. (1977)

PUBLICATIONS & LECTURES 

Sarah’s Trials – PP Lecture on 16 large paintings of the life of Sarah;Temple Shalom, Succasunna, NJ; November 2009

Reimagining and Reconfiguring Jewish Art: McBee’s Akeida Series by Matthew Baigell: Ars Judaica, Bar Ilan University, Spring, 2009 

Jewish Art in America by Matthew Baigell; cited p156, illustration 7.4

Weekly Column of critical reviews on Jewish Art, The Jewish Press; 2000 – present 

Sarah’s Trials – PP Lecture on 16 large paintings of the life of Sarah; Jewish Art Salon; December 2008

Women, The Rabbis and Jewish Art – Lecture Series at Arizona State University; February 2008 

Why Jews are Afraid of Jewish Art – Panel, Yeshiva University/Stern College Arts Festival; April 2005

Menorahs: Intimate Spaces – Slide lecture, Congregation Ohab Zedek; December 2004

Visual Discourse as Torah Commentary: Binding of Isaac - Yeshivat Chovevei Torah; November 2004

Three Contemporary Jewish Artists – Lecture at Friedman Society, Jewish Museum; October 2004

The Golden Haggadah - A Preview of Pesach, A lecture examining the meanings and biblical references in a I5th century illuminated Passover manuscript.  Cooper Union Student Group; March 1998

Our Lights Through the Ages - Hanukiot - A slide lecture and survey of three hundred years of Hanukah menorahs. Young Israel of Fifth Avenue; 1997

Rabbis Look at Jewish Art - A slide presentation and dialogue with prominent orthodox rabbi Allen Schwartz on the issues raised in six works of Jewish Art; Congregation Ohab Zedek - 1997

The Binding of Isaac, Select Visions - Slide lecture.   An art historical survey of 40 works of art (Jewish and non-Jewish sources) covering 1800 years of representations of the Binding of Isaac; Congregation Ohab Zedek – 1997

Working with the Akeidah for 15 Years - Slide presentation reviewing 15 years of painting Genesis 22; 1-9, in conjunction with one man exhibition at Civic Center Synagogue Gallery - 1996

Idolatry-Torah's War Against the Image - Slide presentation in conjunction with presentation by Rabbi Richard Borah concerning the prohibition of idolatry as discussed in rabbinic sources; Congregation Ohab Zedek -1996

Jewish Art - Hersey or Decoration - A slide lecture at Jewish Art forum.  Young Israel of Fifth Avenue- June 1996

The Tabernacle - Palace of the Forbidden - Cooper Union Student Group; March 1996

Picturing God – Chagall’s etchings; 'The Bible' - Exhibition review;  Jewish Week,  August, 1995

ORGANIZATIONS

Jewish Art Salon – founding member; 2008 – present

The American Guild of Judaic Art – founding member; 1991 – 2000

Jewish Art Forum – Lectures at Young Israel of Fifth Avenue and Congregation Ohab Zedek; 1996-1997

Young Israel of Fifth Avenue (The Sixteenth Street Synagogue); President, 1993 - 1995;  1997- 2000;  2005 – 2009

Alliance of Figurative Artists; Educational Alliance, Program Director; 1976-1987.

CURATOR

Tzelem – Likeness and Presence in Jewish Art – (with Joel Silverstein) Jewish Art Salon Exhibition & Panel Discussions – Stanton Street Synagogue – April 26 – May 17, 2009

Shards Across Time: Holocaust Survivor Art; Brooklyn Jewish Arts Gallery; 2003