Today I finally took the time to walk inside a gallery I have been acquainted with in terms of their outdoor sculptures for a very long time but somehow or another never quite made it inside. Probably because being a true Yelper I was more focused on the nearby restaurants, of which there are many good choices.
What a lovely experience it was to break my pattern and discover this hidden in plain site gem of a gallery. I was mostly aware of this gallery because of the large beautifully rendered sculpture of "A Fiddler on the Roof" that I discovered outside the gallery many years ago. I frequent a French restaurant across the street from here and have admired the sculpture for many years now. I vaguely remember trying to go to the gallery previously but it was closed at the time. Today I got to meet the sculptor, Yaacov Heller, and see more of his other works of art which range from sculpture to paintings, and jewelry. It was a true treat and I treated myself to a uniquely designed Star of David that is artistically merged with the word love and elegantly hung from a curly choker in sterling silver. I have to admit that I was rather shocked to find that I could afford it. A very pleasant surprise indeed.
I was also stunned that the artist took the time to talk to us himself despite having a store clerk present, especially since he originally told us after coming out to greet us personally that he would be working in the back of the store. He gave us a tour of his store after we walked around and examined his vast collection of art by ourselves. He also talked to us about a documentary that was made about him and told us it would be airing very soon on Facebook, etc., and asked us if we would be interested in receiving an invitation. We are. He even played us a part of the documentary on a large screen in his store that told the story behind a particularly extraordinary sculpture of his that was of the hand of a surgeon holding an anatomically correct heart that the surgeon himself supplied input on. There is a very real and personal connection to Yaacov Heller and the story behind the piece itself.
In addition, he called our attention to a nearby park and memorial outside his store and asked us if we had seen it. He had a photograph of it inside his store near his bust of Benjamin Ferencz, the Nuremberg prosecutor, the original bust is now in the International Criminal Court in The Hague. We were not aware of the park and after leaving his delightful gallery we went to check it out. The park is called, "The Garden of Humanity" and is a memorial designed by Yaacov Helier as a memorial to the 6 genocides of the 20th century. There is a large sculpture made by Yaacov Heller in the center of "The Garden of Humanity." The garden also has 14 hand carved stone benches that have relevant quotes that have inspired and continue to inspire Yaacov Helier. A short film was made about Yaacov Helier and Ben Ferencz and the making of the bust of Ben Ferencz. It is entitled, "Two Heads are Better than One: Making of the Ben Ferencz Bust. It is accessible via Vimeo.
Last but not least, Gallery 22 has two dogs inside it which were a true delight to us dog lovers. They were friendly, entertaining and added to our enjoyment of our experience here.
There is something here for everyone and it is well worth the visit and checking out. I cannot recommend it highly enough. read more