FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MUSEUM PRESENTS
LAMP OF THE COVENANT
A colossal commissioned artwork by Bay Area artist Dave Lane
March 1, 2015–ongoing
(San Francisco, CA, December 12, 2014) This March, The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The
CJM) unveils a new commissioned artwork by Sacramento-based artist Dave Lane in its soaring
lobby space. The massive sculpture, entitled Lamp of the Covenant, will be a 90-foot-long, six ton work
suspended high over the heads of visitors. Attached to an enormous oval of steel are antique
objects: world globes, light bulbs, tools such as nineteenth century apple peelers and blow torches,
and various other objects that suggest the unfolding marvels of the cosmos.
Lane is known for repurposing antique steel farm and industrial equipment, transforming it into
graceful, exquisite sculpture. His colossal lamps are an earthly manifestation of the vast, roiling
system of the firmament. Lane is deeply interested in ideas of creation, how the lamp signifies the
presence of the divine, and how light embodies the human relationship with the cosmos.
In Jewish tradition, lamps are the visible symbol of the relationship between God and man, of that
covenant whose nature is also mysterious, deep and at some level, always changing and somewhat
unknowable. Ner tamid is the Hebrew phrase that refers to the permanently burning light in the
synogogue, both a place of learning and a sign of divine presence. By naming his work Lamp of the
Covenant, Lane gives us a tangible, very human sign of the presence of the miraculous as it penetrates
our mundane reality, utilizing the lamp as a sign of wonder, and the spiritual, that is always just over
our heads as we pursue our everyday lives.
Lane states, “Though I am not Jewish, I have some background in the Kabbalistic tradition. . .
mostly in the treatment of matter. It’s my understanding that if God wants to, He can ‘speak’ matter
into existence.” Lane’s sculpture is a breathtaking celebration of the things of the world and their
participation in the material that makes up the universe.
Chief Curator Renny Pritikin, who commissioned the installation for The CJM, says, “When I first
saw Dave’s work in 2006, I was blown away. I had never seen anything quite like it in my life.”
Executive Director Lori Starr adds, “This artwork really reflects The CJM’s renewed commitment to
living artists and innovation, and with it, we are taking an important step to feature contemporary art
in a public and free space. Whether you are coming to visit The Museum, just dropping in for a nosh
at Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen, or simply passing by, Lane’s stunning sculpture will literally light
up our lobby in an entirely new way.”
Dave Lane
Dave Lane is a self-taught artist from Sacramento who has had one person exhibitions at such
venues as the Kondos Gallery at Sacramento City College and the Nelson Gallery at UC Davis, and
also has showed at the di Rosa Art center in Napa.
Lane grew up in rural California on his family’s ranch outside of Tuolumne. As a child he was an
avid model builder. He attended college in Modesto and then at California State Fresno, majoring in
engineering.
After graduating, he moved to Sacramento and was hired as a map maker by a California state
agency. During this time, through Sacramento State’s Open University extension program, Lane
learned welding and other techniques, then refined and elaborated them through his own intense
practice, building ever larger, more technically challenging pieces.
He began entering his sculptures in the California State Fair’s art show in 1996, and has appeared
there every year since. His sculptures have repeatedly won recognition at the fair, including two Best
of Show awards.
About The Contemporary Jewish Museum
With the opening of its new building on June 8, 2008, The Contemporary Jewish Museum ushered
in a new chapter in its twenty-plus year history of engaging audiences and artists in exploring
contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history, art, and ideas. The facility, designed by
internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, is a lively center where people of all ages and
backgrounds can gather to experience art, share diverse perspectives, and engage in hands-on
activities. Inspired by the Hebrew phrase “L’Chaim” (To Life), the building is a physical
embodiment of The CJM’s mission to bring together tradition and innovation in an exploration of
the Jewish experience in the twenty-first century.
Major support for The Contemporary Jewish Museum's exhibitions and Jewish Peoplehood
Programs comes from the Koret Foundation. The Museum also thanks the Jim Joseph Foundation
for its major support of innovative strategies for educating and engaging audiences in Jewish
learning. Additional major support is provided by an Anonymous Donor; Alyse and Nathan Mason
Brill; The Covenant Foundation; Gaia Fund; the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; Grants for the
Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund; The Hearst Foundations; Walter and Elise Haas Fund; the
Hellman Family; the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and
Sonoma Counties; the Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies Foundation of the Jewish Community
Federation and Endowment Fund; Osterweis Capital Management; Dorothy R. Saxe; and Target.
For more information about The Contemporary Jewish Museum, visit The Museum’s website at
thecjm.org.
For media information or visuals visit our online press gallery or please contact:
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
Nina Sazevich
Public Relations
415.752.2483
nina@sazevichpr.com
Melanie Samay
Marketing and Communications Manager
415.655.7833
msamay@thecjm.org
Online thecjm.org/press
General Information
The Museum is open daily (except Wednesday) 11am–5pm and Thursday, 11am–8pm. Museum
admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens with a valid ID, and $5 on
Thursdays after 5pm. Youth 18 and under always get in free. For general information on The
Contemporary Jewish Museum, the public may visit The Museum’s website at thecjm.org or call
415.655.7800. The Contemporary Jewish Museum is located at 736 Mission Street (between Third &
Fourth streets), San Francisco.
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