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November 27, 1998/ 8 Kislev 5759, Vol. 51, No. 10
White House to light artist's menorah
LESLIE KATZ
Jewish Bulletin of Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO - When the art show "A Different Light" opened Nov. 23 at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, one piece was conspicuously absent. Katya Apekina's ceramic menorah "Family" - which was slated to be in the display - has been selected to spend Hanukkah at the White House. Curators of the Emanu-El show got the news last week.
Each year, one menorah is chosen to be lit at a White House Hanukkah ceremony. Curators from the White House crafts collection spotted Apekina's menorah a few months ago at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. After considering other menorot, they decided Apekina's was the one for them.
After the lighting ceremony, it will become a permanent part of the prestigious collection at the presidential residence. The piece, painted in vibrant reds, blues, oranges and golds, shows a family of four sitting at a table on which the menorah's candleholders sit. Most prominent is the figure of the mother, the centerpiece of Jewish life.
According to the artist, the piece is intended as a tribute to Jewish women who have nurtured their families and preserved Jewish tradition. "The warmth and light of this menorah remind us not only of the miracle of the oil, but of the countless small miracles wrought by Jewish women and their families daily," reads a statement by the artist.
Born in Moscow, Apekina immigrated to the United States in 1986 and now teaches pottery at Radcliffe College. Her whimsical works have been shown in numerous collections nationally and internationally.
"Her things are very, very popular," says Sonia Melnikova-Lavigne, a curator of the Emanu-El show who has represented Apekina on the West Coast. "They always attract people."
Growing up in Russia, Apekina had no religious instruction. Only when she immigrated to this country did she begin to combine her heritage with her artistic talents.
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