Looking In showcases a diversity of traditions that are carried out in our community, offering a glimpse into the lives of 18 different families. Although we can’t physically welcome others into our spaces right now, the windows provide symbolic entry to one another’s homes in a moment when many of us feel isolated. Stained glass and cut paper are both art forms that have long histories around the world, providing continuity across time and place. This display is part of a collaboration between the Museum of Fine Arts and the Jewish Arts Collaborative that has been happening in the museum’s space each year, Because of COVID, the project has been re-imagined to “bring the light of Hanukkah to 8 Boston-area neighborhoods through works of art in windows”. Looking In, hung at the Woburn Public Library December 9-19, 2020, is one of 8 light-themed installations across the Boston area. COVID has made it harder to do the kinds of collaborative projects that require shared materials and group activities, but it’s been a wonderful challenge to find ways to continue to engage community in safe ways. For this project I used video conferencing for initial conversations about traditions, good old-fashioned snail mail to move paper back and forth to some families who wanted to cut their own designs, and backyard gatherings to do some of the collaborative design for paper cuts.
