JerUSAlem-USA: From Participatory Art to Virtual Cyberangel Flights

jerUSAlem-usa was created by artist Mel Alexenberg as a participatory art project that invited residents and visitors to the 20 places in USA named Jerusalem to document their experiences through photographs and texts that tell the stories of how the places got the name "Jerusalem." There are JerUSAlems in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont. 

As digital technologies developed, the project evolved into cyberangel flights from Jerusalem in Israel to museums in the states with places named "Jerusalem." 

See Mel Alexenberg's article on the 20 Jerusalems in USA and documentation of all the virtual flights at Global Tribute to Rembrandt. Read about the background for the spiritual dimensions of the new media age in his book Through a Bible Lens.

Locations of Jerusalems in USA
Jerusalem, Alabama, [Place] is in Lawrence County; location is 34°42'18"N 87°13'37"W
Jerusalem, Arkansas, [Place] is in Conway County; location is 35°24'17"N 92°49'0"W; Zip Code is 72080
Jerusalem, Georgia, [Place] is in Camden County; location is 30°58'41"N 81°50'45"W
Jerusalem, Georgia, [Place] is in Pickens County; location is 34°26'30"N 84°34'56"W
Jerusalem, Maryland, [Place] is in Baltimore County; location is 39°27'46"N 76°23'22"W
Jerusalem, Maryland, [Place] is in Frederick County; location is 39°31'27"N 77°34'49"W
Jerusalem, Maryland, [Place] is in Harford County; location is 39°27'46"N 76°23'22"W
Jerusalem, Maryland, [Place] is in Montgomery County; location is 39°9'33"N 77°24'23"W
Jerusalem, Michigan, [Place] is in Washtenaw County; location is 42°16'29"N 83°58'55"W
Jerusalem, New York, [Township] is in Yates County; location is 42°37'13"N 77°8'35"W; Zip Code is 14418
Jerusalem Corners, New York, [Hamlet] is in the Town of Evans in Erie County; location is 42°40'93"N 79°00'98"W
Jerusalem, North Carolina, [Place] is in Davie County; location is 35°48'54"N 80°30'57"W
Jerusalem, Ohio, [Populated Place] is in Monroe County; location is 39°51'6"N 81°5'33"W
Jerusalem, Ohio, [Village]; location is 39°51'N 81°6'W; Zip Code is 43747
Jerusalem, Rhode Island, [Place] is in Washington County; location is 41°22'36"N 71°31'5"W
Jerusalem, Tennessee, [Place] is in Lincoln County; location is 35°14'36"N 86°47'4"W
Jerusalem, Utah, [Place] is in Sanpete County; location is 39°33'50"N 111°39'25"W
Jerusalem, Vermont, [Place] is in Addison County; location is 44°10'11"N 72°58'15"W
Jerusalem, Vermont, [Place] is in Windsor County; location is 43°50'18"N 72°46'27"W

Zero Cybermiles between Jerusalem in Israel and the 20 JerUSAlems in USA

There are thirty museums participating in artist Mel Alexenberg's Global Tribute to Rembrandt on five continents including those from the twelve states in USA that have places called JerUSAlem.  The titles of the blog posts for the museums in the twelve states shows its distance in miles to Jerusalem in Israel and to Jerusalem in the US state. Zero cybermiles are added to describe the elimination of distance through today's digital technologies.  

For example: University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor: 6,018 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 14 miles from Jerusalem, Michigan; or 0 cybermiles, and Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York: 5,690 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 78 miles from Jerusalem, New York; or 0 cybermiles.  

I coined the word “cybermiles” to highlight the difference between my digital events honoring Rembrandt on the 320^th anniversary of his death in 1989 and on the 250^th anniversary on 2019. Cybermiles symbolizes the shift from the fax generation to the ubiquitous digital culture of smartphones and social media.

On the morning of October 4, 1989, my Rembrandt inspired cyberangel ascended from the AT&T building in New York.  It flew to Amsterdam to Jerusalem to Tokyo to Los Angeles, returning to New York on the same afternoon. It took an hour in each city to receive 28 pages of angel fragments and fax them on to the next city.  After a five-hour flight around the planet, the deconstructed angel was reconstructed for the fifth time at its starting point.  

Unlike fax technology where the cyberangel went from one city to the next on its circumglobal flight, today’s technology sees cyberangels ascend into “The Cloud” and descend into cities throughout the world.  The Cloud describes a vast number of computers interconnected through a real-time communication network such as the Internet. The Cloud is a living network of networks blanketing our planet that expresses the biblical commentary that the angels in Jacob’s dream ascend into The Cloud and come down throughout the world.

In 1989, the distance between participating cities is measured in miles. Learn more about the circumglobal faxart event at Rembrandt Inspired Cyberangels Circle the Globe.

In 2019, rather than flying from place to place, cyberangels ascend into The Cloud and drop down anywhere in the world.  Cybermiles in the age of smartphones and social media erases miles. Follow my emerging digital homage to Rembrandt as it is happening at this Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog.

Museum of Modern Art in New York City: 5,696 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 305 miles from JerUSAlem, New York; or 0 cybermiles via The Cloud

The Museum of Modern Art has a special place in my life having been born and educated in New York. Instead of taking the Green Bus to school, I’d often run across Queens Boulevard and take the bus in the opposite direction across the bridge to Fifth Avenue and 53^rd Street to spend the day at the MoMA with Matisses and Picassos.

My first teaching job was as a high school biology teacher at Rhodes School on 54^th Street overlooking the MoMA terrace. (It’s the red brick building in the photo below.) 

My second date with Miriam, who became my wife ten months later, was in the MoMA where I explained to her ideas emerging from modern art. The last museum she had visited was the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam viewing Rembrandts when she was nine years old on her way from Suriname where she was born to live on a farm in Israel.

Victor D’Amico, director of MoMA’s Children’s Museum was my teacher when I was studying for an interdisciplinary doctorate exploring creative process in art and science at NYU. His classes were held at MoMA.  

When I was head of the art department at Pratt Institute, I invited Francoise Gilot to lecture there.  She gave me a copy of her book Matisse and Picasso: A Friendship in Art inscribed “To Mel Alexenberg who sees angels in computers and computers in angels.” My experimental Rembrandt inspired cyberangels are now in MoMA’s collection.           

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12) Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in time for lunch at the Terrace Cafe.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food.

Second image: The cyberangels begin their virtual flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in construction in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on the cover of Mel Alexenberg’s latest book Through a Bible Lens. They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel. See praise for the book at Israel365.

Bottom image: This experimental mixed media artwork by Mel Alexenberg was exhibited in the “The Second Emerging Expression Biennial: The Artist and the Computer” exhibition at the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York in 1987-88.

It creates a visual dialog between a hand-drawn etching, photoetching, and computer-generated etchings based on a Rembrandt drawing in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that placed Alexenberg’s print in its collection. It was also acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in 1987.

Mrs. Alfred R. Stern, Chairman of the Committee on Prints and Illustrated Books, wrote on adding Mel Alexenberg’s 1986 etching with aquatint, Jacob’s Dream from the series Digitized Homage to Rembrandt to MoMA’s collection: 

“The members of the committee were pleased to accept this computer-assisted etching of Rembrandt’s imagery. As an example of the innovative technological experimentation taking place at Pratt Graphic Center, it will be of great interest to students of the development of graphic techniques.”

Book Launch via Cyberangels Ascending from the Land of Israel and Going Down into JerUSAlems in USA

What better way to launch a book than to have cyberangels emerge from the book's cover, ascend from the Land of Israel, and fly to JerUSAlems in USA and around the globe announcing their message.  Cyberangels are digital age messengers announcing how biblical insights can transform smartphone photography and social media into imaginative ways for seeing spirituality in everyday life. Through a Bible Lens speaks to Jews and Christians who share an abiding love of the Bible by inspiring the creation of a lively dialogue between our emerging life stories and the enduring biblical narrative. 

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: On the cover of Prof. Mel Alexenberg’s highly acclaimed book Through a Bible Lens, Rembrandt inspired cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen. The launching of the book to JerUSAlems in USA and throughout the world begins in the artist/author’s studio in Israel.

Bottom image: The lithograph “Angel Ascending from the Land of Israel” was created in the graphic center affiliated with the Israel Museum in Jerusalem by Alexenberg as a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 320th anniversary of his death. He was invited to Israel to make this lithograph when he was head of the art department at Pratt Institute in New York and research fellow at MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies. It is in the collection of the Israel Museum.  

 In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, his digitized angels that have been dormant in the museum’s flat files came alive to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media. 

See praise for the book from Christian and Jewish leaders and experts on art and digital culture at Israel365.  

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City: 5,696 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 305 miles from JerUSAlem, New York; or 0 Cybermiles

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in time for lunch.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food.

Second image: The cyberangels begin their flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, home of Facebook’s R&D Center, until construction is completed for the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens.  They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel.

Bottom image: This experimental mixed media artwork by Mel Alexenberg that was exhibited in the “The Second Emerging Expression Biennial: The Artist and the Computer” exhibition at the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York, Sept. 17, 1987- January 24, 1988 and was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its Department of Drawings and Prints.  It is based on a Rembrandt drawing in the same collection.

The text in the The Met’s website reads:  “Digitized Homage to Rembrandt: Jacob's Dream, 1986–87, Mel Alexenberg, American (born 1937). Etching, photoetching, and aquatint from computer generated-image, Accession Number 1987.110”

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog

Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York: 5,690 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 78 miles from Jerusalem, New York; or 0 Cybermiles

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the elegant café of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York, in time for lunch.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food.

Second image: The cyberangels begin their flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, home of Facebook’s R&D Center, until construction is completed for the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media. They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel. See praise for the book at Israel365.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s lithograph “Angel Announcing Birth of Samson to Manoah” that has been in the collection of Everson Museum of Art since 1986.  In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, his digitized angels dormant in the museum’s flat files awaken to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens.  The Rembrandt inspired cyberangels fly from the book cover to Syracuse, New York, 78 miles from Jerusalem, New York.

Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio: 5,943 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 136 miles from Jerusalem, Ohio; or 0 Cybermiles

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the elegant café of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in time for lunch.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food.

Second image: The cyberangels begin their flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, home of Facebook’s R&D Center, until construction is completed for the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media. They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel. See praise for the book at Israel365.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s lithograph “Digitized Homage to Rembrandt: Night Angels” that has been in the collection of since 1986.  In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, his digitized angels dormant in the museum’s flat files awaken to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens.  The Rembrandt inspired cyberangels fly from the book cover to Youngstown, Ohio, 136 miles from Jerusalem, Ohio.

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog

University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor: 6,018 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 14 miles from Jerusalem, Michigan; or 0 Cybermiles

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the café of the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor in time for lunch.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food.

Second image: The cyberangels begin their flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, home of Facebook’s R&D Center, until construction is completed for the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media. They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel. See praise for the book at Israel365.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s serigraph “Long Island Angels” that has been in the collection of University of Michigan Museum of Art since 1987.  In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, his digitized angels dormant in the museum’s flat files awaken to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens. The Rembrandt inspired cyberangels ascend from the Land of Israel into The Cloud, the network of networks, and come down to link Long Island to Michigan on continental United States.

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog

Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama; 5,951 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 167 miles from Jerusalem, Alabama; or 0 Cybermiles

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the café of the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama in time for lunch.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food.

Second image: The cyberangels begin their flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, home of Facebook’s R&D Center, until construction is completed for the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media. They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel. See praise for the book at Israel365.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s lithograph “Long Island Angels” in the collection of Birmingham Museum of Art. The Rembrandt inspired cyberangels ascend from the Land of Israel to The Cloud, the network of networks, and come down to link Long Island to Alabama on continental United States.

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog

Greenville Museum of Art in Greenville, North Carolina: 6,180 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 211 miles from Jerusalem, North Carolina; or 0 Cybermiles

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive at Greenville Museum of Art in Greenville, North Carolina from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Middle image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media. They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel. See praise for the book at Israel365.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s lithograph “Digitize Homage to Rembrandt: Day Angels” that has been in the collection of Meridian Museum of Art since 1986.  In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, his digitized angels dormant in the museum’s flat files awaken to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens.  The Rembrandt inspired cyberangels fly from the book cover to Greenville, North Carolina, 211 miles from Jerusalem, North Carolina.

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog

Cincinnati Art Museum: 6,195 Miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 228 miles from JerUSAlem, Ohio; or 0 Cybermiles

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the Cincinnati Art Museum in time for lunch.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food.

Second image: The cyberangels begin their flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, home of Facebook’s R&D Center, until construction is completed for the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens.  They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s lithograph “Angel Announcing Birth of Samson to Manoah” that has been in the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum since 1986.  In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, his digitized angels dormant in the museum’s flat files awaken to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media.  They fly from the book cover to the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel, on to Jerusalem, Ohio.

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog

High Museum of Art in Atlanta: 6,456 Miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 340 Miles from JerUSAlem, Georgia; or 0 Cybermiles

“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the High Museum of Art
from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls.

Middle image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens.  They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s lithograph “Digitized Homage to Rembrandt: Day Angels” that has been in the collection of the High Museum of Art since 1987.  In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, his digitized angels dormant in the museum’s flat files awaken to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media.  They fly from the book cover to the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel, on to Jerusalem, Georgia.

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog

Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga: 6,417 miles from Jerusalem, Israel; 116 miles from JerUSAlem, Tennessee; or 0 Cybermiles

As a digital homage to Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death, artist Mel Alexenberg is launching cyberangels from Land of Israel, the setting of Rembrandt's Bible themed artworks, to art museums in the twelve US states that have places named JerUSAlem. 


“He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, its top reaching up towards heaven as Divine angels were going up and down on it.” (Genesis 28:12)

Angels in Jacob’s dream go up from the Land of Israel and go down throughout the world.

Top image: Rembrandt inspired cyberangels arrive from Israel at the Hunter Museum of American Art in time for lunch nearby at the Rembrandt Coffee House.  The biblical words for angel and food are spelled with the same four Hebrew letters to teach that angels are spiritual messages arising from everyday life. Perhaps there is spiritual significance that museums that offer art also offer food. 

Second image: The cyberangels begin their flight from the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, home of ancient Bible scrolls. They gain momentum by going up from the tallest building in Israel, home of Facebook’s R&D Center, until construction is completed for the 91 story Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv with the shape of a Bible scroll.

Third image: Cyberangels spiral up from a NASA satellite image of the Land of Israel on a smartphone screen on Mel Alexenberg’s newest book Through a Bible Lens.  They launch the book throughout the world from the artist/author’s studio in Israel.

Bottom image: Alexenberg’s lithograph “Digital Homage to Rembrandt: Day Angels” that has been in the collection of the Hunter Museum of American Art since 1986. In tribute to Rembrandt on the 350^th year of his death, the day angels dormant in the museum’s flat files awaken to adorn the cover of the 2019 book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media.  They fly from the book cover to the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel, and on to Tennessee where there are two places called Jerusalem.

Follow Global Tribute to Rembrandt blog 

Cyberangel Artworks in Museum Collections in States with Places Called JerUSAlem

Mel Alexenberg's cyberangel artworks are in the collections of art museums in some of the states where there are places called Jerusalem: Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama; University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; Museum of Modern Art, New York City; Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio; Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, Tennessee; and High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia. 

He created them (1986-87) at Pratt Institute in New York when he was head of Pratt's art department and research fellow at MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies.  His cyberangel artwork is also represented in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History as a pioneering exemplar of computer-generated fine art printmaking.

Long Island Angels

        

Angel Announcing Birth of Samson to Manoah

                            

Day Angels

                          

Angels Ascending from the Land of Israel

The serigraph above in the collection of the Israel Museum was created by Mel Alexenberg at the museum affiliated Burston Graphics Center in Jerusalem, Israel.  It inspired the cover of the artist's newest book Through a Bible Lens: Biblical Insights for Smartphone Photography and Social Media.  The book provides the conceptual background for his cyberangel artworks: fine art prints, paintings, global telecommunications events, and the digital flight of cyberangels from Jerusalem in Israel to JerUSAlems in USA and throughout the world.