Ita Aber | |
---|---|
Born | Ita Herschcovich 1932 (age 91–92) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Education | Empire State College |
Known for | Textiles, conservation, curatorial |
Ita Aber ( née Herschcovich; born 1932) is an American feminist multimedia textile artist, art conservator and curator.
Ita Aber was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as Ita Herschcovich to Fannie ( née Zabitsky) and Tudick Hershcovich. Her grandparents were of German, Polish, Russian, and Romanian Bukhara ancestry. [1]
Her first exposure to feminism was by her grandmother, an early suffragette in Canada, and her mother, who founded the Milk Fund of Canada. [2] She took courses in Jewish history, archaeology, art and textile conservation at Queen's College, Columbia University, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and New York University. [3] [4] She completed a bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies from Empire State College [3] and carried out graduate-level studies at The Valentine Museum (Richmond, Virginia), [4] and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, [3] earning a master's degree equivalent in Jewish Art. [2]
In 1964, Aber became politically active, specifically in the Reform Democratic movement. [2] Through her early political involvement, she sought to abolish laws in New York restricting abortion. [2] She helped found Women Strike for Peace, and also became active in the environmental movement, speaking out against the pollution in the Hudson River. [2] At this time, she also became active in equal rights activism, minority and elder rights. [2]
Aber was a founding member of the New York Feminist Art Institute and the founder of the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework. [2] Starting in 1972, she taught needlework at the Jewish Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and other venues throughout the eastern United States. [2]
Aber's artistic-related archives are held at the Archives of American Art, [2] [5] with other archival collections being held by the National Museum of Women in the Arts. [2] Her family's papers are held at Yeshiva University. [6]
Ita Aber | |
---|---|
Born | Ita Herschcovich 1932 (age 91–92) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Education | Empire State College |
Known for | Textiles, conservation, curatorial |
Ita Aber ( née Herschcovich; born 1932) is an American feminist multimedia textile artist, art conservator and curator.
Ita Aber was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as Ita Herschcovich to Fannie ( née Zabitsky) and Tudick Hershcovich. Her grandparents were of German, Polish, Russian, and Romanian Bukhara ancestry. [1]
Her first exposure to feminism was by her grandmother, an early suffragette in Canada, and her mother, who founded the Milk Fund of Canada. [2] She took courses in Jewish history, archaeology, art and textile conservation at Queen's College, Columbia University, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and New York University. [3] [4] She completed a bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies from Empire State College [3] and carried out graduate-level studies at The Valentine Museum (Richmond, Virginia), [4] and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, [3] earning a master's degree equivalent in Jewish Art. [2]
In 1964, Aber became politically active, specifically in the Reform Democratic movement. [2] Through her early political involvement, she sought to abolish laws in New York restricting abortion. [2] She helped found Women Strike for Peace, and also became active in the environmental movement, speaking out against the pollution in the Hudson River. [2] At this time, she also became active in equal rights activism, minority and elder rights. [2]
Aber was a founding member of the New York Feminist Art Institute and the founder of the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework. [2] Starting in 1972, she taught needlework at the Jewish Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and other venues throughout the eastern United States. [2]
Aber's artistic-related archives are held at the Archives of American Art, [2] [5] with other archival collections being held by the National Museum of Women in the Arts. [2] Her family's papers are held at Yeshiva University. [6]