Build-A-Bubbie

When someone talks about glamour, who is the first person in your life you think of? If your first thought was your mother or your Jewish grandmother, this workshop is for you!

Pop culture venerates Jewish women. Tropes and stereotypes of Jewish women, especially mothers and grandmothers, have a considerable influence in the world of musicals, television, film, and dating. In many of these examples, Jewish women, whether actresses or characters, embody camp. Think of Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Fran Drescher, and Michelle Visage. These women, many of whom are « bubbies, » are the epitome of camp, glitz, and theatricality.

To celebrate the final week of our Shtetl in the Sun exhibition , join us for a creative workshop led by artist and sculptor Jonah Strub. During this three-hour workshop, participants will receive modeling clay and a variety of embellishments, including glitter, rhinestones, and feathers, to sculpt and photograph their own glamorous grandmother or anyone else they choose. Your sculptures can be inspired by someone you know or be entirely fictional, as long as they are extremely glamorous.

Before the workshop, Jonah will offer participants a brief guided tour of the exhibition, explaining the process behind his own sculptures.

Tickets are $40 each or $35 for students. All materials are included. This event will be conducted in English. Space is limited, so reserve your spot quickly to avoid disappointment.

Jonah Strub (born 1996) is a gay Jewish artist from Toronto who primarily works in ceramic sculpture. His work is a love letter to musical theatre, kitsch and mannerism, Yiddish humor, and drag art. He explores his own femininity through traditional queer humor and Jewish aesthetics. Jonah addresses themes such as chic grandmothers, « too cute » characters, and idealized self-portraits.

Jonah holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Guelph, specializing in oil painting and sculpture. He discovered ceramics during an exchange program in Bremen, Germany, in 2019, where he immediately fell in love with the medium. He earned a certificate in comics and illustration from George Brown College in 2022. In 2023, he participated in the Banff Centre for Emerging Artists. Jonah has exhibited across Canada and internationally, including at the Canadian Museum of Ceramics and Glass, the Burlington Art Gallery, Artist Project, and galleries in Germany and the United States. Jonah is one of two featured artists in the exhibition  » Shtetl in the Sun , » currently on view at the Musée du Montréal juif until June 1.

Accessibility: Please note that our building is not currently accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. This workshop will take place on the ground floor, accessible via our main entrance with a ramp. The exhibition is located on the second and third floors, accessible by a stairwell.