The Charlotte Jewish News - April 2011 - Page 9
Jane at work on one of her ocean-themed paint
ings.
centration camp on the other side
of the world. As a Dutch citizen in
the Dutch East Indies, she was
interred in a Japanese camp in
Indonesia. Her father, on the other
hand, as a part of his duties in the
Royal Air Force, liberated Bergen-
Belsen. What was even more hor-
Jane Seymour (nee Joyce Frankenberg) To Show Watercolors at
Wentworth Gallery
By Amy Krakovitz
Perhaps you know her as Dr.
Quinn, Medicine Woman. Or
maybe as Elise McKenna,
Christopher Reeve’s lost-in-time
lover from Somewhere In Time.
You might even remember her
turn as Natalie Jastrow-Henry in
War and Remembrance. And
today, she is best known for her
“Open Heart” jewelry designs.
But however, you remember her,
she is best known as Jane
Seymour, actress and artist. And
the Charlotte community will have
an opportunity to meet her and
view her art at an exhibit at the
Wentworth Gallery in April.
How does a well-known and
celebrated actress turn from the
screen to the canvas? “I’ve been
drawing as long as I can remem
ber,” Seymour said in an interview
in February. “I could have studied
art.” Instead she decided to
become a dancer and her acting
career followed.
But about 20 years ago, in the
midst of a personal crisis, when
she bought a portrait of her chil
dren at a silent auction, the artist
who came to her home to do the
drawing saw some of her work.
Impressed with her talent, he gave
her a few lessons in painting in
watercolors and “my whole spirit
flew,” she says. “Everything that
was pulling me apart flew away. I
literally became addicted to it, it
was like therapy.”
The surprise to her was that
anyone would be interested
in buying or showing her
work.
Much of her influence
comes from where she
lives, on the water. But her
family is a great influence
on her work and life as
well. Her mother, as most
people know now, gave her
the idea of the “open heart”
theme. But it is her father
who influenced her themes
of family and community.
Her father, John Benjamin
Frankenberg, was a second gener
ation Polish Jew. His father emi
grated from the Polish area of the
Pale of Settlement to Great
Britain. Most of her father’s side
of the family were not practicing
Jews, but she felt inspired by the
Jewish dedication to family and
community. Her children all
attended Jewish preschool. And
Judaism played central in her life
when she was cast as Natalie
Jastrow-Henry in the mini-series
War and Remembrance.
Suddenly Seymour was thrust
into the role of a Jewish woman
who observed many mitzvot. She
learned to say the Friday night
blessing on the candles. She expe
rienced the horrors of a concentra
tion camp. She even brought her
parents to the filming location
where they both were brought
back to their World War II experi
ences.
For her mother it was in a con-
rible for him was to dis
cover that three of his
cousins had been mur
dered there.
But as for her art, “it
all comes down to one
thing,” she says, “God’s
presence in nature.” It
can be seen in her still
life paintings of a single
flower or in the calm
blue tones in her
seascapes. She is also
available to paint on
commission and would
love the challenge of
completing a project that taps into
her Jewish heritage.
The exhibit will be hung at the
Wentworth Gallery in SouthPark
Mall from April 1. The actual
exhibit opening will be April 8 and
Family and the seaside are both common themes
in Seymour s watercolors.
9. Ms. Seymour will be at the
gallery April 8 from 7-9 PM and
April 9 from 5-8 PM. Those
unable to attend due to Shabbat
obligations are encouraged to
view the pre-show exhibit. ^
JCC Tributes
Butterfly Garden Project Fund
In memory of Sol Levine from
Elaine and Michael Denenberg
LJCC Past Presidents Fund
In memory of Sol Levine from
Lynn and Paul Edelstein, Anne
and Bob Yudell
Paul Spil Memorial Softball
Endowment Fund
In honor of the engagement of
Joseph Spil and Tara Jones from
Linda and Morris Spil
Musler Memorial Fund for
Children’s Programs
In memory of Sol Levine from
Lynn and Paul Edelstein, Bernice
and Nat Roberts
In honor of Lisa Strause and
Lucky from Paula Musler
Uiaiik You
It is witli deep
appreeiatioii tliat we
express our latitude
for the eoimmmity’s
support following
Dan’s untimely deatli.
Your tlioughtfiilliiess
and eoneern have
helped us endiu*e tliis
sad and diffieidt time.
EMenDuttm andf€tmUy
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1115 East Morehead Street
Suite 208 ^
Charlotte, NC 28204
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