So many things happening in the world right now, so many worries, so many unknowns, so many hopes: for hostages returned, ceasefire, a new way forward for everyone in that region, an end to gun violence in America, women's rights protected and expanded everywhere, more women leaders, peace...everywhere.

And yet, here I am in Northern California knowing there are many things out of my control, but I am focusing on channeling all these feelings into artworks I am making for upcoming fall exhibitions and an art event leading up to the election.

First is for my solo exhibition at Nancy Hoffman Gallery in Chelsea in New York which opens September 5. I am so honored to have her represent me and present my first NYC exhibition. During the time of the show, I am convening a big art activation for equality, women's rights and climate justice, NYC on Sept 21 with Women Connect4Good, the ERA Coalition, and other exciting partners. More info coming soon -- save the date. 

Next is Ken's and my joint museum exhibition for Getty’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative, opening at the Skirball Cultural Center on Oct 17 in Los Angeles.

Stay posted about my fall art events mentioned above by filling out this short form.

Right now in San Francisco, I have a new tree ring sculpture in the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s California Jewish Open exhibition called The Center Will Hold that I made after October 7. I highly recommend checking out the show. I loved seeing all artworks. 

The center dot says “EARTHLING,” because every single one of us is from the earth. It's what connects us all.

The next says “MOTHER,” because that is so core to who I am in the world. Ken’s and my daughters Odessa and Blooma drive so many decisions I make and keep my focus on equal rights for women and for all people in this world and protecting this beautiful planet we live on. 

The next line says “JEWESS.” I love being Jewish. I love the traditions and wrestling with ideas. Even with all that is happening now which is excruciating and scary, it is and will always be at the core of my essence and center.

“FEMINIST”: Looking at the world through the eyes of a woman and wanting to lift up women’s history, perspectives and rights however I can is a core compass of my life. I also truly believe so much of the world's ills right now are male driven. Let's bring on more women leadership. We need it.

Next is “AMERICAN.” I love our country. We have to keep fighting for what we want it to be. We need leaders that are able to fight for what we stand for. There is so much to be done in this messy experiment called democracy. We must fight for what we believe it stands for Every. Single. Day. 

When I made the piece last fall, I titled it The Center Will Hold, riffing on the line in the Yeats poem, "The center will not hold." Different from what Yeats was referring to, through all this tumult, my center feels magnified. What would be on your list of core identities?

I look forward to seeing you in NYC, DC, LA and Bay Area for all these good events listed below.

Love,

Tiffany

In this newsletter, great art shows at di Rosa, SFMoMA, the Guggenheim, the Tate, and ICASF; Amy Trachtenberg at Catharine Clark, Nova Exhibition, Ana Teresa Fernandez at Montalvo Arts Center, my brother Dr. Jordan Shlain's & John Battelle's new conference in Napa Longevity, Health, and Truth In Medicine, Gloria Feldt's Power Up conference, PopTech, and Outside Lands; amazing films including Sabbath Queen and We've Been Here Before at the SF Jewish Film Festival, Love to the Max produced by Tanya Selvaratnam, The Young Vote by Diane Robinson, Invisible Nation by Vanessa Hope, The Brat Pack, Remembering Gene Wilder, and Outcry, and a series Ken and I loved, Ripley; podcasts from Dan Senor and Alie Ward; fantastic newsletters from Maria Shriver, The J Weekly, Odessa Goldberg, and Tamsin Smith; books by Dr. Nancy O'Reilly, Miranda July, Ruth Whippman, Jeff Karp, Bill Maher, and the Giving List; and info on how to Flip the Vote, Amplify Freedom, Cinemalounge Tiburon, and rucking with JustBFitness.

...and those of you looking for a great content consultant, one of my best friends Rachel Lehman-Haupt's StoryMade consulting is amazing.  

Be sure to click on the "view entire message" to so you don't miss out on all the details for all these events listed below. It's a long and a good one:)

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My solo exhibition at Nancy Hoffman runs Sept 5 - Oct 19 and features new work that I can't wait to share with you soon and some of my sculptures including Dendrofemonology: A Feminist History Tree Ring, Roe v. Wade lightboxes, and more -- we're planning a big art event on September 21. Save those dates.

Stay tuned for an official invite, title of show, new artwork coming shortly.
Hope to see you there!

Ken and I are hard at work finishing the pieces for our upcoming show in Getty's PST ART: Art and Science Collide initiative at the Skirball Cultural Center. The exhibit will feature six new tree ring timelines that Ken and I co-wrote including The Tree of Knowledge. We'll also have an interactive AI element we're really excited about. More soon. Hope you can join us. Save the date of Oct 17.

So happy to have my piece The Center Will Hold in this show alongside so many great California Jewish artists. 

This fascinating show features work by Bay Area artists who were creating art as Silicon Valley arose nearby. Participating artists include Bruce Cannon, Therese Lahaie, Alan Rath, Sonya Rapoport, Stephanie Syjuco, and Lynn Hershman Leeson. di Rosa in Napa is such an art treasure -- highly recommend checking it out if you have never been there. 

Kara Walker's new show explores trauma, technology, and the possibilities of transformation. Her work is so powerful.

This show at the Tate in London featuring works by women from 1520 to 1920 showcases the amazing pieces often left out of history. Finally.

I saw Jenny Holzer's new show at the Guggenheim last month and loved it.    

Marin MOCA is a great institution. I went to their Inaugural Northern CA Open last weekend and it's terrific. They have an upcoming fall fundraiser ART FWD featuring an auction of juried works. They are having me do a studio visit in Sausalito as one of their auction items. So check out the show, come to the gala, and bid to come to my studio.  

This show is so visually sumptuous.

Amy Trachtenberg's compelling show features works combining found or reclaimed objects and materials with paint, ink, and printmaking techniques. She also has a great piece at the CJM Open. Have loved connecting with her.

This powerful show which recreates the site of the unfathomable Oct. 7 massacre, just spent two months in New York and will come to Los Angeles in August. It was beyond devastating and brought the horrors to life in an important way that sometimes only art can do. All of you in LA, please bear witness. When I was in New York seeing the show, hearing the story on a video from the mother of two daughters one age 21 and one 23 who were killed at NOVA broke me. As the tears flowed, I turned around, and there she was. The mother, Sigal, had flown in from Tel Aviv. I was so moved by her strength and courage. I asked her how she carries on. She said, "I am their mother. What else can I do but keep their memory alive."

I am looking forward to Gloria Feldt's gathering of women leaders in DC. I will be speaking and talking about the journey of the moveable monument, Dendrofemonology: A Feminist History Tree Ring. If in DC or near there, join us Aug 25-26. All info can be found here. 

Celebrate the past, present, and future of ICA SF with their second annual benefit. Inspired by current and future exhibitions and artists who brilliantly repurpose discarded materials, this year’s party is a Discard Disco. Learn more and get tickets here.

PopTech is always on the cutting edge of technology, science, and creativity. This year's gathering should be great.

I know many of you enjoyed all my brother's Dr. Dispatches during COVID. He is the best. He is working on a new conference with John Battelle called "Longevity, Health, and Truth In Medicine" that they describe as "inspired by the intimate, early days of TED (the Monterey era, when it felt like a salon) and Allen & Co, a small group of thoughtful, committed scientists and leaders have come together to animate a movement anchored in "truth in medicine." This is a highly curated, invite-only event organized by my brother, Dr. Jordan Shlain. A current list of faculty and program details can be found at www.doc.health, along with a sampling of the extraordinary people who are attending."

Jordan has reserved some tickets for my community - first come, first serve. Learn more here.

Ken, Odessa, Blooma, and I will be heading to Outside Lands this August. Line-up looks incredible.

This new show invites visitors to imagine futures built upon the ancestral wisdom of Indigenous heritages, and features work by Beatriz Cortez, Rayos Magos, Marie Watt, and one of my favorite artists Ana Teresa Fernández (one of her sculptures pictured). 

The 2024 SF Jewish Film Festival features an amazing lineup. I'm especially excited about the closing night event featuring Shabbat Queen, Sandi DuBowski's film about the fantastic Amichai Lau-Lavie. I flew out to NYC for its premiere at Tribeca and it's wonderful. Also looking forward to the 1922 silent film Breaking Home Ties on July 23 and the documentary about the punk fight against neo-Nazis in the '90s, We've Been Here Before on August 2. So many great films at the festival! It opens on Thursday night. I will be at many. Check it all out here.

One of my best friends Tanya Selvaratnam made such an amazing short documentary which is now streaming on The New Yorker website. The film follows the targeting of trans kids through the story of Max Briggle and his family in Texas. It's so good!!

This documentary by my friend Diane Robinson on youth voting couldn't be more timely or important!

Vanessa Hope's new documentary offers a backstage glimpse into the election and tenure of Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's first female president. We need more women leaders! Please watch in the theater to support independent filmmaking!

This documentary is required viewing for everyone who grew up watching John Hughes movies.

This new documentary is a wonderful tribute to a dearly missed actor. I saw it at the SF Jewish Film Festival and loved it. Gene Wilder is everything. (Hello Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka.)

This short documentary follows activist-artist Whitney Bradshaw as she travels the post-Roe United States photographing women mid-scream as part of a participatory art project. I experienced one of her scream experiences and it was so powerful. This compelling documentary just premiered Frameline. Check it out!

This series based on Patricia Highsmith's chilling novel blew me away. Ken and I loved it. It was one of the best series we have seen in years. If you have a series you absolutely loved, please let me know. We are looking for a new one.

I always look forward to reading Maria Shriver's weekly newsletter. Her insights in her intro essay always speak to the heart of what is happening in the world and feel like a balm to the soul. She is a fantastic writer and can both take the pulse of what's happening with insights and then offers up a plethora of books, podcasts and things to check out to inspire you. With everything dark going on in the world, I love her weekly newsletters. 

This newsletter from the Bay Area Jewish newspaper is a great read. They have a new editor-in-chief, Chanan Tigay, who is terrific! Love the way he is leading the publication and this weekly newsletter is essential reading if you are Jewish and live in Northern California. I also love the print version and read it cover to cover each week, along with the only other magazine we read cover to cover, The Week. The New Yorker we get each week too, but who can read that cover to cover;). You can sign up for the print newspaper here. 

I love reading Odessa's newsletter and encourage you to subscribe to hear her always-amazing recommendations and thoughts. It's a glimpse into the mind of a brilliant and funny 21-year-old. Of course I am completely biased.

Highly recommend checking out artist Tamsin Smith's new Substack. I was also so touched on what she wrote about me in encouraging her to start a newsletter.

Dr. Nancy O'Reilly is the expert and one of the biggest champions I know on female empowerment. I highly recommend her books on leadership.

Everyone I know is talking about this new book and I can see why. Couldn't put it down.

This new book explores new ways to raise boys in an age where that can be difficult. I don't have sons myself but have many good friends who do -- and was excited to hear this book was published.

Jeff Karp's new book is a must-read if you're looking for inspiration for your next project.

Bill Maher's new book is a smart and funny take on America today. He always nails it.

Always love Anne Lamott and love dipping into her latest before I go to sleep at night.

The Giving List Women Book is a great resource of philanthropists supporting women's causes. They put it all in one place! Thank you.

Call me Back podcast brings on geopolitical experts to explain current events, and is an indispensable source for understanding Israel-Gaza. Be sure to check out the episodes with Scott Galloway and Tal Becker.

Alie Ward's fascinating podcast explores science in a charming, funny, and approachable way. Of course I loved her episode on trees.

If you're starting to panic about November and want to do something, I recommend checking out Flip the Vote. They make strategic, well-researched recommendations about how and where to invest in winning critical elections. 

Check out this funny, disturbing ad from Amplify Freedom to engage disconnected voters. One of my BFF's was behind it, Julie Hermelin and her Gusty Media. Thank you Julie. 

Cinelounge is a such an incredible cinema! There was a special screening of my new film The Teen Brain there for Karma Club (Marin County's free after-school teen community space), and I loved the interior design, the seats, the screen. It's a filmmaker's fantasy spot. Anyone local, see a film there -- it's pretty dreamy.

Rachel was the editor on my TED book Brain Power: From Neurons to Networks and I loved working with her then and hearing about all the amazing work she and her team does for her clients. Here's the description of her services from her site "Enhance your content with StoryMade Studio's award-winning services. Founded by author and media leader Rachel Lehmann-Haupt, they produce web content, articles, newsletters, books, marketing materials, live events, and videos. Contact for a complimentary consultation."  Find out more here.

When everything is so serious, Jimmy Kimmel's "Unnecessary Censorship" is always so good and he recently did a segment featuring the woman I work out with 2x a week  "rucking" trainer (Bria Ruben) in Marin. Go to :51. It's worth it. Find out about her  outdoor workouts in a park in Mill Valley and her "Rucking" on Mt. Tam here.

Until next month,

xo

Tiffany

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