Shirah Rubin
Shirah Rubin is a multidisciplinary artist based in Boston. Through her artistic endeavors, which include installations, sculptural ceramics, and public art interventions, she invents three-dimensional worlds that explore memory and the challenges posed by its fragile nature.
She has participated in over 16 juried group exhibitions in the past 4 years including a recent solo exhibition; a forthcoming public art ceramics commission in Brighton, MA. She has worked in museums including being a Community Artist in Residence at the Museum of Fine Arts. She is currently is part of the Independent Artist Studio Program at Harvard Ceramics and a member of Artisans Asylum in Boston.
Raised in Maryland, she studied studio art and psychology at the University of Delaware with an MA in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. In addition, she has worked at Brown University’s and the Rhode Island School of Design’s Hillel and Gallery; and Gann Academy.
Artist Statement
I am a multidisciplinary artist based in Boston. Through my artistic endeavors, which include sculptural ceramics, installations, and public art, I invent three-dimensional worlds that explore memory and the challenges posed by its fragile nature. I believe that the past is caught between three discrete elements: its reality, our idealization of that reality, and the impossibility of recapturing that reality. By investigating these intersections I reclaim fragments of memory, defying the notion that reclaiming memories is beyond our grasp.
Another recurring theme of my work involves exploring how disparate objects, when combined, can become a new unified whole. I enjoy using repetition and variation to create visual echoes of interdependence, unifying distinct elements. This often manifests in a pattern of making and arranging “multiples.”
Conceptually I consider my sculptures, site specific works, and public art interventions as catalysts for social change. I am fascinated by researching a place and envisioning how a sculpture can animate a site into an intentional place that invites connection and participation.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
As a teaching artist, Shirah believes in the transformative power of the arts. With her energetic approach to teaching, she aims to empower each one of her students by teaching them how to use techniques and art materials such as hand-building and sculpting in clay; creating mosaics; and watercolor painting to name a few. Shirah encourages her students to develop and expand their visual vocabulary as she also supports them to express themselves fully and freely. Shirah’s positive and encouraging personality extends naturally to her teaching philosophy. She promotes multidisciplinary experimentation with art processes and visual observation.
Core to her teaching is igniting the flow of creative thinking. Shirah is committed to incorporating both contemporary visual culture and art history into her instruction. She employs the use of self-reflection to help students analyze their work and encourages documentation of the students’ processes including “gallery openings” for finished works.
Originally having trained in studio art (ceramics) and psychology, Shirah creates ceramics and sculptures inspired by emotion, expression, and abstraction. In addition to her own work, Shirah is a social practice artist who creates art with the collaborative contributions of different groups. She develops a creative process that gathers groups to work creatively on projects larger in aim, scope, and scale than they could achieve individually.
ART EXHIBITIONS
2026 Ceramic Mural for Brighton Main Streets, Brighton, MA
2025 Iterations, Artisans Asylum, Brighton, MA
2025 The Path: LAByrinth Hebrew College, Newton, MA
2025 State of Clay, Lexington Arts & Crafts Society, MA
-
Curator: Alice Abrams & Juror: Martha Grover
2022 - 2025 Harvard Ceramics Group Exhibition and Sale, Harvard Ceramics, Allston, MA
2024 October 18- 20, 14th Street, New York, NY - Art in Odd Places Outdoor Art Festival (AiOP) 2024: CARE
-
Curated by Patricia Miranda and Christopher Kaczmarek. Founder & Director: Ed Woodham
2024 March 29 - June 8, 2024, Second Time Around, Jamestown Art Center, Jamestown, RI
-
Curator: Erin McCutcheon, Juror: Dr. Ella S. Mills of the University of Plymouth, UK
2024 January 31 - February 25, Plus One, Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA
2024 January 26 - February 11, The Alchemy of Art and Play, the Piano Craft Gallery, Boston, MA
-
Curator: Claudia Fiks, Jurors: Sage Brousseau, Laura Petrovich-Cheney.
2024 January 19th - February 29, Hope Diaries Project, Hebrew College Gallery, MA.
-
Curator: Deborah Feinstein
2023 Spring, Emotional Thresholds, Art Fluent online, Boston, MA
2023 Awake: Mindfulness & Presence in Art, Unbound Visual Art, Overlook Gallery, Brighton, MA
-
Juror: Jack Energy
2023 Grace in Clay, Light and Space Gallery, Silver City, NM
-
Juror: George Rodriguez - Silver City International juried clay exhibition.
2023 Raw Emotion II, Jameson & Thompson, Boston, MA.
-
Curator: Tempo Gallery
2023 Layers, Site Brooklyn Gallery online, Brooklyn, NY
-
Juror: Bridget Donlon
2022 Family Portrait, Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY
-
Juror: Kukuli Velarde
2022 Wisdom Exchange Collaborative Installation, Brookline Art Center, Brookline, MA
2022 Raw Emotion, Jameson & Thompson, Jamaica Plain, MA.
-
Curator: Alison Judd
2022 Remember. Renew. Reimagine, Hebrew College, Newton, MA
-
Curator: Deborah Feinstein
2021 Lost & Found, Homage to the Great Elm, Boston Common, MA
-
Two hour public art activation.
2019-20 2Life, Restorative Mosaic Project Commission, Brighton, MA
-
With artists Emily Bhargava and Cecilia Kremer
2016 Do Business. Make Art, New Art Center, Newton, MA
2007 Installation Art Exhibit, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA
EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Community Artist and Co-Imagine Arts Consultant. Develop and create collaborative art projects with organizations and groups.
2025 Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Boston, MA
-
Art Can….Grant. Collaborative two part art workshop with developmentally challenged adults at Jewish Family & Children's Services.
2021 - 2022 Harvard Ceramics, Allston, MA
-
Facilitated monthly art critiques based on the Liz Lerman and John Borstel book, Critique is Creative, for students enrolled at Harvard Ceramics.
2024 & 25 Driscoll Public School, Brookline, MA
-
Arts Equinox ceramics workshop for middle school students.
2019 - present Camp Yavneh, Northwood, NH
-
Director of visual arts. Teach art ceramics, and mosaics to children, teens, and adults. Facilitated the creation of six collaborative and permanent art works on site.
2022 - 2023 Hebrew College, Newton, MA
-
Co-facilitated monthly art workshops for the adult art workshops co-sponsored by JArts and Hebrew College.
2022 Art & Artistry Conference at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
-
Taught a session called Making Our Mark: Mark-making as a form of art.
2022 Bronfman Fellowship Workshop, Pauling, NY
-
Developed a lecture and art workshop called “Selfie, Self-Portrait, and the Alter-Ego” for fifty 11th graders.
2017 Fresh Air Fund, Camp Hidden Valley, Beacon, NY
-
Led a mosaic workshop for children from New York City.
2009 Meridian School, Seattle, WA
-
Consulted to provide K - 5th grade art education framework and evaluation for an art curriculum.
2009-07 Director of Arts & Culture, Brown University/RISD Hillel. Providence, RI
-
Supervised Hillel’s art gallery and mentored students in the operation, organization, and curation of sixteen art exhibitions. Guided students in the development of curating and jurying.
-
Led art workshops in Ecuador with college students and an indigenous community.
2007-08 Lead Artist, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
-
Created a ceramic collaborative art installation inspired by the museum’s collection that explored the theme of heroes in mythology and contemporary culture. Led the Community Arts Initiative with over one hundred children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
2003-05 Arts Department Chairperson, Gann Academy, Waltham, MA
-
Taught ceramics and sculpture to high school students.
-
Developed school-wide arts programs and a visiting artist series.
Professional Development
2025 Harvard Divinity School Conference, Cambridge, MA.
2023 Project for Public Spaces, Brooklyn, NY. Participated in a training session on creative placemaking principles and methodology, including the placemaking process; tools and techniques for public space evaluation and community engagement; creative ideas for activations in public space.
2021 Harvard Ceramics, MA. Certified to fire electric kilns.
2021 Mass College of Art, Boston, MA. Course: Art in Public Places: Fallen Monuments and Painted Streets taught by Wendy Jacob.
2021 Georgetown University Certification Program in Facilitation, Washington, D.C. Participated in the Executive Certificate in Facilitation, founded by Rae Ringel that prepares senior managers and executives to design and facilitate effective meetings and gatherings.
2020 Open Studio Project Process Intensive Facilitator Training Program, Chicago, IL. Trained to lead and facilitate art workshops utilizing the OSP practice developed by art therapist, Pat Allen.
2005 The National Gallery of Art - Fellowship in Digital Storytelling, Washington, D.C. Learned to utilize technology as an educational tool for creating digital stories based upon the NGA masterpieces.
2002 Project Zero, Harvard College, Cambridge, MA. Trained to utilize the, “Teaching for Understanding.” pedagogy.
EDUCATION
2007, 2020 - present, Harvard Ceramics coursework, Boston, MA
BA Studio Art and Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE