Traveling Arthur Szyk exhibition heads to the East Coast

The Magnes exhibition In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Art & Human Rights (1926-1951), has finished its residency at The National World War II Museum and will head to the Fairfield University Art Museum this fall.

Curated by Francesco Spagnolo, PhD, the exhibition will be on display at the Fairfield University Art Museum from September 29 to December 16, 2023. In Real Times includes over fifty original works of art from the Taube Family Arthur Szyk Collection, acquired by The Magnes in 2017 thanks to an unprecedented gift by Taube Philanthropies.

After originally opening to the public at the University of California, Berkeley’s Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life in January 2020, In Real Times became the collection’s first traveling exhibition, exposing new generations to Arthur Szyk, an important Jewish artist whose work captured and commented on significant world events.

Arthur Szyk’s compelling political cartoons placed Nazi genocide, tyranny and racism on the covers of America’s most popular magazines during World War II. Uniquely through art, Szyk was one of the first public figures to take immediate, direct action in bringing attention to the Holocaust as it was being perpetrated. The miniature size of his artwork stands in striking juxtaposition to the magnitude of the themes it confronted and the human rights violations it exposed.

“I think [Szyk’s] work is very important. It shows the absurdity of anti-semitism, it shows the horrific nature of anti-semitism and it also brings down the perpetrators, makes them human, it takes them off their pedestal.” said Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University.

The exhibition first traveled to The National World War II Museum, opening on September 1, 2022 and running through May 7, 2023. With over 700,000 visitors annually, the Smithsonian affiliate in New Orleans provided an opportunity to introduce Szyk’s work to a broad, national audience and share the impact his political cartoons had on the war effort and humanitarian issues—including many that remain relevant today.

Showcasing work created between 1926-1951, In Real Times divides Szyk’s art into six sections focused on various aspects of human rights and features interactive digital workstations created by UC Berkeley students working under Spagnolo and former assistant curator Shir Gal Kochavi.

The Fairfield University Art Museum is located on the Fairfield University campus at 1073 North Benson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. The museum is open to the public and admission is free. Programming around the exhibition will include an opening reception, academic symposium, artist talks, and family days.

More information about In Real Times and Arthur Szyk

Taube Family Arthur Szyk Collection,

In Real Times | Press Release (1.21.2020)

In Real Times headed to the National WWII Mueseum | Press Release (11.8.2021)

Special Exhibit Showcasing WWII-Era Art of Artist and Political Cartoonist Arthur Szyk Opening at The National WWII Museum | Press Release (8.29.2022)

In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Art & Human Rights (1926-1951) Special Exhibition at The National WWII Museum In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Art & Human Rights (1926-1951) Opening Reception at The National WWII Museum