Artwork of Aleksandr Manusov

Rider University Art Gallery will exhibit the paintings of the late nonconformist Russian Jewish artist Aleksandr Manusov November 3 through December 8 in the exhibition titled, "Tree of Life of Aleksandr Manusov: The Russian School of Painting at the end of the Twentieth Century."

Irene Etkin Goldman of Ewing Township is guest curator of the exhibition. Goldman, has been active for many years as an advocate for artists' rights. In honor of Manusov's work, an opening reception will take place November 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Gallery is located on the top floor of the Bart Luedeke Center (BLC). A concert at the gallery will be performed by the "The Franklin Strings," featuring faculty from Westminster Conservatory of Rider University, on Wednesday, November 16 at 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. Concert seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

On Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m. at the gallery, Dr. Janet Kennedy, professor and chair of the department of art history at Indiana University, will present her talk, "Earth, Air and Fire: the Elements of Aleksandr Manusov." Kennedy has published a number of works on nonconformist artists active in the period of the 1970s and 1980s, including Manusov and others who participated in the landmark "Gaza-Nevski" exhibitions of 1974 and 1975. Nonconformist artists were those working without official Soviet sanction who faced serious repercussions for their art.

"On first seeing Aleksandr Manusov's work in 1996, in the course of recovering a missing museum exhibit of nonconformist art, I was immediately drawn into his world and overcome by the powerful effect of his paintings on all the senses," said Goldman. "His use of color touches the soul. Manusov's compelling life story gives deeper appreciation for his creative source.

"He was revered by peers and colleagues as an artist, and as an advocate for fellow nonconformist artists. Since my first encounter with his work, I have felt compelled to find a way for others to experience his gifted vision. The responsiveness of Professor Harry I Naar (of the art department and Gallery Director) and the Rider community is heartwarming. The public will not be disappointed."

Manusov was born in 1947 in the Siberian city of Omsk, to which his family had been evacuated from Leningrad during World War II. In 1958, he and his mother returned to Leningrad where he studied art under the tutelage of such extraordinary instructors as Solomon Davidovich Levin.

In 1965, Manusov completed Art School No. 190, part of the V.I. Mukhin College of Art in Leningrad. From 1966 to 1972, he studied at the Mukhin College, graduating with a degree of Artist-Designer. Standing up for his artistic convictions, Manusov was an active participant in the nonconformist movement. His work appeared in the legendary exhibitions at the "Gaza" Palace of Culture and the "Nevskii" Palace of Culture in 1974 and 1975; and before his untimely death in 1990, he participated in many exhibitions in Russia and abroad.

Manusov was a founding member of the Aleph Group, which was formed in 1975 and became the first group of Jewish artists to exhibit together in the U.S.S.R. He was also both a founder and an active member of the Fellowship of Experimental Fine Arts, T.E.I.I. (Tovarischestvo Experimental'nogo Izobrazitel'nogo Iskusstva).

Over the years, his work has been exhibited at such places as The State Russian Museum, Museum of the History of the City, Central Exhibition Hall - Manezh, and Museum of Noncorformist Art in St. Petersburg; Museum of the Tsarskosel'sky Collection in Pushkin; National Jewish Museum of Lithuania in Vilnius; the National Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.; and the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. His work has also been featured in prestigious private collections in Russia, Lithuania, Israel, France, Austria and the United States.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. For further information, call (609)895-5588.