Saving the Jewish Children in Crocq

As a follow-up to my July newsletter and art exhibit in Crocq, I have learned more about the exhibition hall that I described, which was so fascinating to me. After fact-checking my understanding of the information, I now want to share this story with you. 

I noted that Crocq was an interesting village in the French department of La Creuse. But the real story—besides the rabbit skins (another new fact: it was rabbits the tanneries of Crocq were processing) and the medieval towers overlooking the town—is that the exhibit hall, which now houses an elementary school on the ground floor, was originally built as an agricultural school, then became a hospital of sorts, a Maison de cure climatique, or health resort for children.

Ecole élémentaire, 8 rue Jean et Robert Judet 23260 Crocq

From 1939-1942, the schoolhouse was used as a refuge for Jewish children during the war, providing a safe place for them to hide in rural France. Limousin, including La Creuse, is known as a seat of the French resistance. Here in La Creuse there are still many discussions and reminders of the reality of the Seconde Guerre mondiale (World War II) on French soil.

"Jewish Children at the Crocq Refuge - 1941"

Louis Aron and his wife, along with a tireless team of staff, were responsible for running this refuge and maintaining a sense of normality for the children under their care. Aron was the director of the La maison israélite de refuge pour l’enfance, The Israelite House of Refuge for Children, and it is believed that 400 children were saved there by his refusal to declare the children of the refuge as Jews, since only their parents could have done so.* 

A monument outside the school declares:

Qui save un homme sauve l’humanité toute entière. L’oubli c’est l’exil, la memoire le secret de la délivrance.

“Whoever saves a man saves all mankind. Forgetting is exile, memory is the secret of deliverance.”

In 1942, the children were moved to another safe place seven kilometers away in Mainsat until 1944, when the Refuge became known as the “Foyer Israélite”, a center for Jewish immigrants.

 The Journal of Louis Aron presented by Serge Klarsfeld

The citation is as follows:

Klarsfeld, Serge 

Journal de Louis Aron, Directeur de la Maison Israélite de refuge pour l'enfance: Neuilly-sur-Seine 1939, Crocq (Creuse) 1939-1942. Édité et présenté par Serge Klarsfeld avec la collaboration d'Annette Zaidman. Association “Les Fils et filles des Déportés Juifs de Franc” et “The Beate Klarsfeld Foundation.” 1998

*Worldcat note, From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism

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The interior of the elementary school, upstairs gallery space

The exhibit in Crocq has ended. My painting of the Felletin library sold (thank you, Jon!), but there are still eight paintings available from that collection. If you are interested in owning one for yourself, send me a message and we will work out the details together.

Regarding the shop, it will be closed from September through December for renovation. I am happy to assist you with commissions - in fact I delight in working on them, so please send me your ideas of what you would like to order for the holidays.

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page will be added to the online shop, so please comment below to let me know what questions pop into your mind that I should address: Shipping policy? Postage costs? How artwork gets mailed safely? How to care for your paintings on silk? Your input is invaluable to maximize the helpfulness of the FAQ page future visitors to the site.

I will also be updating descriptions, adding new artwork, and removing some of the older pieces on the site.

Collection of my artwork that was on exhibit in Crocq

A new exhibit in Aubusson is planned for September! I will send the details as soon as they are confirmed. The Aubusson gallery will be handling sales of my artwork through December 31; I’ll provide that contact information in the forthcoming exhibition announcement

Galerie Des Marches, 31 rue Vieille, 23200 Aubusson

As always, thank you so much for being part of my life.

Expanding your art collection? Contact me for commissions and/or a private tour of my art, which is available in many sizes & price points.

In Athens, my original art, paper goods and small gifts are carried by:

KA Artist Shop,

Community, and

Athens Art & Frame,

and in Aubusson at the Office of Tourism.

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Thank you for supporting the arts in Athens and beyond.

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Matisse and Me

When I visited New York recently, my friend Becky invited me to see the newly curated exhibit of The Red Studio at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Thank you, Becky!

I present to you: The Red Studio, by Henri Matisse

Over the years, Henri Matisse’s The Red Studio has been known by a number of names: Panneau Rouge (Red Panel), The Artist’s Studio, The Studio, and L’Atelier, all describing the place that was so dear to Henri as he blossomed in his new studio located just outside Paris. Created in 1911, this painting lived a long, and for many years, unremarkable life.

But for this artist, The Red Studio has been a touchstone of inspiration, guidance, and development for most of my adult life. For 50 years, I’ve been intimately attached to and happily involved with this painting. 

Countless times I have stood before this artwork, which is a massive 6 x 7¼ feet, becoming completely immersed in it, overcome with a sense of reverence and awe, and learning from this painting, this master, what line, color and form mean—to Matisse and to me.

Why? What exactly is it that inspires me about this particular painting?

The Red Studio by Henri Matisse (detail)

-That red color : Venetian!

The Red Studio by Henri Matisse (detail)

.-The seemingly sketched aspect of the painting, which, I am sure, Matisse struggled and struggled with and worked and re-worked, and which was certainly not as “off the cuff” as it appears.

-The way the yellow underpainting glows through the spaces between the red, creating not a line, but the absence of a line. A work of magic; an extraordinary creation.

The grandfather clock stands guard in the quiet room. The artworks in progress, or completed, are lined up on the floor, the wall, the table—everywhere. Sculpture, ceramics, paintings . . . so much creative output Matisse had!

I’m hesitant to read or watch too many interpretations of Matisse’s work, lest they disrupt my very intimate relationship with him. But if you are interested in this topic, I suggest looking at the MoMA press page for this exhibit, which is succinct and informative.

I also urge you to see the Curator’s discussion of The Red Studio’s underpainting and Matisse’s final addition of the Venetian red paint before he considered the work finished.

But back to my personal experience with Matisse. Athens Art & Frame wrote in a featured artist interview with me in March 2021, “Henri Matisse is a primary influence for René, who says ‘His brevity of lines and use of color has taught me much more than I ever learned in college.’ Everyday beauty is the subject of much of René’s work, which she makes to “help others see what is in their everyday environment with new eyes.” 

L'Église Saint-Merri by René Shoemaker

My 2014 painting of a woven chair I discovered at the Église Saint-Merri in Paris reflects a bit of Matisse influence in the confidence of the lines and in the saturated color red. I have studied Matisse’s drawn lines up close, devouring his process, his confident hand, and his wild colors. What I learn from studying his paintings and drawings sinks deep into my psyche, to be released when I, in turn, stand before my own blank “canvas.”

Example of Matisse's sureness of hand: Study of a Woman 1911

.The MoMA exhibit was set up quite nicely, with the room laid out as if you were in the studio (like my first solo exhibit in 2001) while looking around at the physical things that inspired Matisse.

There are two more galleries that make up the exhibit; one presents a history of the physical painting, relating where it has been and the places it has traveled (and who refused ownership of it!). The most interesting part of this history is that The Red Studio painting graced the wall of a ballroom for many years. (There is still hope for all the art I have exhibited in cafés and restaurants, don’t you think?)

The third room is a collection of Matisse artwork that MoMA, The National Gallery of Denmark (where the exhibit will travel to next), and others own, gathered together for a brief review of related work.

Ahh Matisse, won’t you come back and visit me? Please?

Cyclamen, 1911 by Henri Matisse

“The thing is, it is very courageous,” says Anny Aviram, senior painting conservator, of Matisse’s act of quickly covering his canvas in red, thereby creating a very modern painting that was really like no other.

Museum of Modern Art, NYC

Tell me, who is your favorite artist? Who inspires you and why? I love the way art speaks to everyone differently; it really does create a unique view of the world!

Having Fun Making Friends

Crocq. How to pronounce the name of this town in La Creuse?

René with her art at Crocq

I say “crow” as in the bird.

I asked a Frenchman tonight, he said “cro” while swallowing the “uh” sound.

He said “it’s not ‘w’”.

See how hard it is to learn a second language?

Crocq, La Creuse

Thursday’s event. 1001 réflets, was the annual international art exhibition held in the historic town of Crocq. Above, you can see the two medieval towers and the church on the crest of the hill.

The exhibit is housed on the second floor of the elementary school, in a large, open, and airy space that is light-filled and inviting.

The exhibition hall before installing the art

The theme of this year’s exhibit is 1001 Réflets which translates to “1001 Reflections” in English.

In support of the theme, I exhibited a large silk painting portraying the wall in my house in Georgia that includes framed art and a mirror that reflects the bathroom. The scene is from the time when my children were small (can you spot the rubber duckie?).

Positive/Negative [The Mirror]: (Reflections on everyday life)

What’s so very interesting to me, is this particular artwork is garnering a lot of interest, both in France and back home in the States. I secretly smile to myself when someone remarks on it, as it was created for, and exhibited in, my first solo exhibition back in 2001 at the Clayton Street Gallery in Athens, GA. This “new” interest in my painting tells me that my art is standing up to the test of time.

1001 réflets exhibition poster

I’ve included nine works of art in this exhibit, each with a title that reflects back to the theme of the exhibit: 1001 réflets. The prices on my paintings range from 350 to 650 euros. All but #1 includes a custom blonde wooden frame, and the euro, right now, is about equal to the U.S. Dollar, making it a great time to invest in art!

The nine paintings are listed here:

1) Positive/Negative [the mirror]: The Rubber Duckie (Reflection on Everyday Life)

2) Les Fayes / La Faye (Reflection on the Creation of Two Villages)

Les Fayes / La Faye

3)  Brugmansia Sunset Trumpet Flower 1 + 2  (Reflection on the Beauty of Nature)

Brugmansia Sunset Trumpet Flower 1 + 2

4)  At the Aubusson Train Station(Reflection on Travel)

Aubusson Train Station

5)  Lee's Coffee Shop (Reflections on Japan)

Lee's Coffee Shop

6)  View From the Library, Felletin (Reflections on Learning)

View From the Library, Felletin

7)  Between Grande Rue et rue Chateaufavier, Aubusson (Reflections on Space)

Between Grande Rue et rue Chateaufavier, Aubusson

8)  Château d'Arfeuille (Reflections on Time)

Château d'Arfeuille

9)  Reflections on a Magical World

Reflections on a Magical World

Which is your favorite?

Why Do I Make Art?

L’Êtang de la Valette, St, Maixant

Why do I make art?

To feed my soul.

Why do I live in France?

Because the aesthetics of France match my soul aesthetics.

Pont de la Terrade, Aubusson

Beauty, harmony, balance, & light. This is what I take away from my everyday experiences in La Creuse.
The fields, the mountains, the cows, the medieval towns.

I am fortunate to be in such an inspiring landscape and stimulating environment, and lucky to be able to share it with you.

What makes your soul sing?