ABSHALOM JAC LAHAV (he/them) is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, parent, arts writer, children’s book author, and community organizer. Born in Jerusalem Israel with Iranian and Polish roots Lahav was raised in the United States and graduated with an MFA from Brooklyn College where they studied with Vito Acconci.
Lahav’s work focuses on traveling museum exhibitions revolving around large series of paintings that explore history, identity, and pop culture, often with educational content and experiential events. He is currently working on a large series of paintings inspired by vinyl record album covers, speaking to the connection between music and painting.
With solo shows at Richmond Art Museum Indiana, Longview MFA Texas, Saginaw Art Museum Michigan, Florence Griswold Museum Connecticut, Lahav’s work can be found in multiple public collections including the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Mount Holyoke Art Museum, Jewish Museum NY among others. Recent solo exhibitions include the Slater Art Museum, Norwich (Summer, 2023) and the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London (Fall, 2023) Lahav also has an active social practice over the past 10 years.
Lahav’s curatorial projects have been written about in Hyperallergic, New York Times, Gothamist, Artnet, among others. During the pandemic, Lahav expanded their social practice, becoming an advocate for foster parents and helping start the group Public Art For Racial Justice Education (PARJE). Through their community work, Lahav helps facilitate large-scale mural projects, hosts educational artist talks, and runs children’s art projects to educate about under-represented narratives and equity in America.
In 2023 Lahav started Creative Lattice, a free online resource to help marginalized professional artists develop sustainable careers.
ABSHALOM JAC LAHAV, PORTRAIT OF ARTIST 2020
CV
BORN: Israel, 1978
EDUCATION
2008 : Brooklyn College (CUNY), NY, M.F.A. – Painting
2005 : Cooper Union – New York, NY, 2005
2000 : Wesleyan University - Middletown, CT, B.A. – Psychology / University Honors Major
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024: Second Street Gallery, VA - Foster Paintings & Install
Norwich Public Library, CT - Foster Advocacy
2023: Slater Art Museum, CT - The Great Americans
2023: Lyman Allyn Museum, CT - Foster Paintings & Install
2023: Sugarlift Gallery, Saffron Thief
2019 : Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme Ct, The Great Americans
*Awarded a grant from Connecticut Humanities
(state affiliate of National Endowment for the Humanities)
2018 : LongView Museum of Fine Art, Texas, The Great Americans
2018 : Saginaw Museum of Art, Saginaw MI, Survey Show
2018 : 326 Gallery, NY NY, Recognition
2014 : Koslowe Gallery, Westchester NY
2011 : Richmond Art Museum, Richmond Indiana, The Great Americans
2010 : Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami Florida, 48 Jews
2009 : Oregon Jewish Museum, Portland Oregon, 48 Jews
2009 : Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin, Germany, 48 Jews: Selections from the Series
2009 : Gallery 532 Thomas Jaeckel, NY, NY. The Great Americans
2009 : Gallery 532 Thomas Jaeckel, NY, NY. Boundless
2007 : Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, McDaniel College's, Md
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
RISD Art Museum, RI, Kids Curate
A Very Serious Gallery, Chicago, Meshuganah
Rema Hort Mann Foundation, NY - What You Love
2023
SpringBreak NY : Vinyl Paintings (solo booth) with Michele Jaslow
Jewish Museum Milwaukee, WI, Women Pulling at The Threads of Social Discourse
Bravin Lee - NY, NY - Artist Books
Surprise Show, Spring/Break NY
Saffron Thief (redux), Gotham West NYC
Greater Gravity, Ice Cream Social, Portchester NY
2022
Black Ball Projects, Bushel Collective NY
Because | Why, Meantime Co, NY
Welcome To The Jungle - SpringBreak Art Show NY - NAVA Contemporary
MOCA Westport - Women Pulling at The Threads of Social Discourse
Los Caprichos: Inspired By Goya - CAMP Gallery - CT
Entanglement - Bravin Lee NY
Floral Flora: Plant Based Art - Affective Care NY
2021
Queens Museum : Year Of Uncertainty - Flushing Creek Walk by Sto Len
Bravin Lee, NY NY - If Tomorrow Comes
Field Projects - NY NY - Porous Modes (Online) - Curated by Marine Cornuet
Monira + KuBe Art Space, Beacon NY - Curated Ethan Cohen and Ysabel Pinyol Blasi
Getting Here, LES NYC, Curated by Eileen Jeng Lynch
Chromatic Vigils - Hudson Opera House, Hudson NY
Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme Ct : Social & Solitary
Jewish Museum NY, NY: Scenes From The Permanent Collection - 2019-2021
Field Projects, NY : Seasonal Repression
Black Ball Projects - NY NY - Shop
2020
Lyman Allyn Museum, New London CT: RBG/Justice In Memoriam
Cooley Gallery, Lyme CT: Art Off-Screen, Curated By Eileen Jeng Lynch (Curator of Visual Arts at Wave Hill NY)
Spring/Break Art Show, NY NY, Diet Coke
2019
Bravin Lee Projects, NY, NY, Instagram Artists Under 800
Bravin Lee Projects, NY, NY, Ho Hum All Ye Faithful
Cooley Gallery, Lyme CT, Holiday Show
601Artspace, NY NY, Self Portrait
SK ART, NY NY, Harriet Salmon and Jac Lahav - Two Person Show
2018
Cooley Gallery, Lyme CT, Holiday Show
Fort Point Arts Community Assemblage Sun Worship and Solar Machines, (Curated by Max Razdow and Kari Adelaid)
2016
Gavin Brown’s Enterprise - Debate Party, (curated by Jonathan Horowitz)
Governors Island Art Fair, Food Drawings
The Frank Institute @ CR10, The Sound Behind You II, (curated by Rachel Rampleman and Vanessa Albury)
Chashama, 1 World Trade NY
326 Gallery NY, People Places Things
Jaeckel Gallery NY, Winter
2015
Underdonk Gallery NY, Lesser Deities of the Summer
Spring/Break Art Show NY, Trash4Gold
Shandaken Project Retrospective, NY NY (Curated by Nick Weist)
2014 : Spring/Break Art Show NY, Sun that Never Sets,(curated by Rachel Rampleman and Vanessa Albury) 2014
2013 : Dorsky Museum of Art, New Paltz, NY, (Curated by Daniel Belasco)
2009 : Smithumenta, Brooklyn, NY, (Curated by Dan Parker and Jessica Shaefer)
2009 : Dean Projects, NY, NY, RoCoCo Pop
2009 : Ernest Rubenstein Gallery, NY, NY, Snippets Samplings Static (Curated by Cora Cohen)
2008 : Jewish Museum, NY, NY, Art, Image and Warhol Connections (Co-curated by Daniel Belasco & Joanna Montoya)
2008 : NYCAMS, NY, Brooklyn College (Curated by Archie Rand)
2007 : Derek Eller Gallery, NY, Ny, Neo-Integrity (curated by Keith Mayerson)
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
The Jewish Museum - NY, NY
Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, CT
Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich CT
Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, MA
Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme CT
Longview Museum of Fine Art, Longview TX
Saginaw Art Museum, Saginaw MI
Richmond Art Museum - Richmond IN
Jewish Museum Milwaukee, WI
Oregon Jewish Museum, OR
Jewish Museum of Florida - Miami, Florida
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES
CT Foster and Adoptive Families Community Partner Award, CT, 2024
Artist Respond Grant, CT Office Of The Arts, 2024
Community Foundation Of SECT (for foster care advocacy show at Lyman Allyn Art Museum) 2023
Cultural Coalition SECT, ARPA (for The Great Americans at Slater Art Museum) 2023
Community Foundation Of SECT (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education) 2022
Kitchnings Family Grant (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education) 2021
CT Humanities Quick Grant (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education) 2021
CT Humanities Operational Grant (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education) 2021
CT Humanities Grant, Middletown, CT, 2018
(a state affiliate of National Endowment for the Humanities)
Graduate Fellowship - Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY, 2007
GIP Travel Grant - Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY, 2007
GIP Research Grant - Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY, 2007
Graduate Fellowship - Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY, 2006
GIP Research Grant - Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY, 2006
Kimmel Harding Nelson Center – Residency, Nebraska City, Nebraska, 2006
Vermont Studio Center – Residency, Johnson VT, 2006
92nd st Y, Makor/SteinHardt Center – Residency, New York, NY, 2005
I-Park (Artist Enclave)– Residency, East Haddam, CT, 2004
ART WRITING
Joan Snyder at Canada Gallery, 2023
Richard Ziemann at New Britain Museum American Art, 2023
6th Dimension & Afrofuturism, 2023
Artspiel, Sara Jimenez at Rachel Uffner Gallery, 2023
CT Examiner, Bruce Museum Opening 2023
Two Coats of Paint, Lois Dodd Review 2023
CT Examiner, Slater Memorial Art Museum Reopening, 2023
Two Coats Of Paint, Kris Rac Home Gallery Review, 2022
ArtSpiel, Jodi Hayes Night Gallery Review, 2022
CT Examiner, Clarity Haynes At Aldrich Museum Review, 2021
ArtSpiel, Kumasi Barnett Interview, 2021
CURATORIAL
2022 - 2016
Ongoing Exhibitions At The 42 Social Club, Lyme CT,
(Solo Shows: Harriet Salmon, Rachel Ostrow, David B Smith, Rachel Rampelman, Kumasi Barnett, Jeremy Olsen, Aaron Alexander, David Howe, Julia Oldham, Alexandra Zsigmond, Max Razdow, Sue Kovach.)
2023 Spring/Break Art Show LA, Beloved Leader: David Howe
2022 Affective Care, Floral Flora - Plant-Based Art
2021 Spring/Break Art Show, Americas Dressing Room
2020 Instagram’s Shadow, Virtual Show / Visual Essay, 2020
2020 Spring/Break Art Show, DIET COKE, NY NY, 2020
2019 Spring/Break Art Show, David B. Smith, NY NY, 2019
2018 Spring/Break Art Show, Kumasi J Barnett, NY NY, 2018
2017 Spring/Break Art Show, Who Let Who Let The Dogs Out Out, NY NY,
2016 Spring/Break Art Show, Midnight Society Presents, NY NY
2015 The Sound Behind You, CatSkills NY
2014 Spring/Break Art Show, Trash4Gold, NY NY
COMMUNITY WORK:
Norwich Sister Mural - logistics and planning
Great Americans Project (formerly mini-murals) - lead artist
Community-based artwork & educational events with giant coloring book pages2021: Mystic Aquarium, Lyme Arts Academy, Rocky Hill School, Sikh Art Gallery, Norwich Got Talent.
2022 : Mystic Seaport Museum, Lyme Art Association, Mystic Aquarium, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, Florence Griswold Museum, MOCA Westport, Bruce Museum
2023 : Wadsworth Atheneum Museum, Branford Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Bruce Museum, Lyme Art Association, Norwich Juneteenth Celebration, Milwaukee Jewish Museum WI
2024 : Wadsworth Atheneum Museum CT, Mystic Seaport Museum CT, Jewish Museum Milwaukee WIArts & Advocacy Talks - curator and moderator
2021: Florence Griswold Museum, Lyman Allyn Museum, Old Lyme Library
2022 : New Media Caucus 3 part series - “Art Tech & Advocacy”, Bruce Museum “Contemporary Naturalists”
2023-2024 : Free Career Development for marginalized artists: 9 talk series. Goal of free full curriculum for emerging artists by end of 2024
PRESS
Jac Lahav’s art has been written up in Forbes, The Day, The Hartford Courant, Time Out NY, Artnet, and many more. Their curatorial projects have been written up in the New York Times, Artsy, ArtFCity, ArtNews, among others.
SELECT PRESS
Artdaily - Lyman Allyn Museum - Foster Paintings, 2023
Hyperallergic - Spring Break Surprise Show - Cat Sculpture, 2023
Artspiel - Saffron Thief & Foster Painting, 2023
CT Examiner - PARJE Great American Project, 2023
Curatorial Work - SpringBreak Art Show LA: Artnet & Hyperallergic & FAD Magazine
New London Day, Great Americans - Slater Art Museum, 2023
ArtNet - SpringBreak Art Show - Record Paintings, 2023
News4 Milwaukee - Feminist Flags - 2023
CAMP Gallery Blog - Great Americans at Slater Museum - 2023
Lymeline & Hartford Courant - Activism agains Book Banning - 2023
Observer - SpringBreak Art Show - 2022
ArtNet - SpringBreak Art Show - 2022
ArtSpiel - Entanglement at Bravin Lee Projects - 2022
New London Day (Activist) - 2022
FORBES MAGAZINE (Artist Interview) - 2021
ArtNet News (curatorial) - 2021
Wall Street Journal (fun ) - Crawfish - 2021
Artspiel (Curatorial) - 2021
Eyes Towards The Dove (Painting) - EarthTone Alchemy - 2021
The Day: New London (Painting) - Lahav’s RBG At Lyman Allyn Museum - 2020
ArtSpiel - (Painting) - RBG Portrait Interview - 2020
Antique + Arts Weekly - Lahav’s RBG At Lyman Allyn Museum - 2020
The Art Newspaper - Instagram’s Shadow - 2020
Eyes Towards The Dove - Instagram Censorship - 2020
ArtSpiel - Curator Interview - 2020
TimeOut NY - RBG Portrait - 2019
ArtNet - 13 Things Not To Miss In The Art World - 2019
The Day - The Great Americans - Florence Griswold Museum CT - 2019
Hartford Courant - The Great Americans - Florence Griswold Museum CT - 2019
Middletown Press - The Great Americans, Florence Griswold Museum CT - 2019
Antiques and the Arts - The Great Americans - 2019
Review Magazine - Portraits of Opposition - Saginaw Michigan - 2018
Longview News Journal - The Great Americans - LMFA TX - 2018
Title Magazine - www.titlemagazine.net, 2009
Zeek Magazine - Jewish Women, God, and the Next Generation, 2009
W Magazine - American Flags, December Issue, 2008
Carroll County Times, Masked reality, real portraits at Rice, by Pamela Zappardino, 2007
Neo-Integrity - Catalogue by Keith Mayerson, 2007
Arts For Healing - Catalogue by Mushroom Arts, NYC, 2006
“Notebook” – Creative Capitalism, Baltimore MD, 2006
ConArt – Wisconsin,, Annual Art Magazine , Contributing Artwork, 2005
Propaganda 101 – NYC Quarterly Political Magazine, Cover Art, 2005
