The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU (JMOF-FIU), the only museum dedicated to telling the story of more than 250 years of Florida Jewish history, is currently exhibiting work by one of the most influential women artists of Miami Beach. Zena Posever: Peering into a Pioneer’s Studio, tells the story of the titular artist, who was the first woman in Miami Beach to sustain a career as an artist, portrait sculptor, as well as instructor in many local venues from 1945 to 2000. The sculptures and paintings in this exhibit are a sample of her wide-ranging career in the visual arts.
After relocating to Miami with her family during the 1940s, Posever, a seasoned art therapy instructor, promptly volunteered with the American Red Cross to instruct wounded soldiers recuperating in local hotels. She established a ceramics studio to showcase their creations, which later found a permanent home at what would later become Mt. Sinai Hospital on Alton Road. Zena sketched scenes of strollers along the bustling Soldiers Pier, a precursor to today’s boardwalk, supplementing her income before assuming the role of art director at the early Jewish Community Center on West Avenue in Miami Beach. Posever also maintained significant involvement in the arts and activism within the local community and globally.
During the 1960s, she used her art to promote civil rights and peace activism, presenting Eleanor Roosevelt with a sculpture titled Texan American, which portrayed a Black man in whose face and head she saw a blend of four different races: Caucasian, African, Asian, and indigenous American. In 1966, Posever traveled cross-country to fashion a life portrait of Linus Pauling, the world’s only 2-time individual Nobel Prize winner, whom she admired for his advocacy resulting in the Peace Prize in 1962.
Posever’s distinctive contributions to South Florida life from 1944 to 2000 warrant a significant place in its history. Her artworks grace the collections of esteemed institutions such as The National Portrait Gallery and the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts, among others.
Zena Posever: Peering into a Pioneer’s Studio is on view through March 10, 2024. For information on JMOF-FIU, its current and past exhibitions, and its history, visit www.jmof.fiu.edu
JMOF-FIU is located at 301 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach. Call 305-672-5044 for more information.
