Proverbs, Adages, and Maxims

Heller Museum, NYC

August 18, 2025 – June 24, 2026

OPENING RECEPTION October 16, 2025

Every culture offers traditional sayings that articulate a perceived truth based on common sense or human experience. From the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible, Abraham Joshua Heschel’s philosophical writings, Sephardic and Judaeo-Arabic popular dictums, and Yiddish adages, to old English and Chinese aphorisms and African folk axioms, there is an abundance of poetry and profound or wittily succinct statements that provide insights into human nature and guidance for a moral and righteous existence.

Fifty-five artists of diverse backgrounds offer visual interpretations of familiar sayings and worthy shorthand advice. Ranging from representational to abstract approaches and a broad range of mediums, their art applies age-old maxims to explore interpersonal relationships, environmental concerns, gender stereotypes, Holocaust remembrance, and the impact of trauma on the human psyche.

Yona Verwer, Turtle Eats Plastic, Acrylic on canvas, 26 x 40 inches, 2025

My artwork Turtle Eats Plastic aligns with the proverb, "Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink." Taken from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, it evokes a sense of irony and desperation; being surrounded by water but unable to drink it.

Curator Phyllis Freedman notes, “Their works encourage us to deepen our understanding of the world and others, and to reflect on our own self-perception of our identities and values. From admonitions to consoling commentaries on the vagaries of life, they impart wisdom, empathy, hope, and healing.”

Visitor Information

Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College
Location: One West Fourth Street, New York

On View:  August 18, 2025 – June 24, 2026
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
Tours
Information: 212-824-2218; hellermuseum@huc.edu
Exhibition

Free Heller Museum exhibition audio guide at bloombergconnects.org