Holding Space- An Artist's Exploration of Sons of Jacob Synagogue in PVD

Artist and Curator Zo Baker will present Holding Space, a documentary photo exhibition and presentation about the historic Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Smith Hill. The exhibition features original artworks by Baker and historical artifacts and documents from the synagogue.

Baker will tell the story of their own evolving Jewish identity and how that brought them to an immersion in Jewish communal life past and present. Sarah Zurier, Architectural Historian at the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission, will speak about the Jewish neighborhoods of Providence with a spotlight on the vibrant community in the North End with an accompanying slide show.

People who have ties to the Synagogue and what was then the Jewish "North End" are invited to share memories or family stories of that time and place in the history of Providence.

This is the second in a series centered around the Sons of Jacob Synagogue as a site for exploration of collective memory, migration, loss and renewal. The first exhibition and presentation took place at Smith Hill Library in April. The next stage of the project will feature an open call for artist commissions of site-specific live performances and installations that will take place inside the synagogue over the course of summer and fall 2025.

Zo Baker is an artist, curator, and educator exploring themes of memory, ritual, and Jewish culture through community-centered social practice. They are interested in exploring ideas about personal identity through objects, architecture, mining archives, and storytelling. Zo has worked for the last decade developing and facilitating arts-focused programming for non-profits, creating spaces that cultivate excitement for inquiry and a sense of play through making, talking, and often eating.

Zo currently lives in Providence and recently finished their term as the inaugural Artist and Curator in Residence at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. They currently serve as the Curator for the Rhode Island Jewish Museum. You can find their work online at .

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