The Beginning of Possibility: An Artist Talk & Workshop at the Magnes

What happens when we treat ancient stories not just as history, but as raw material for contemporary art? On Thursday, January 29, 2026, the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life invites the community to join us for an evening with two extraordinary creators: artist Naomie Kremer and author Rabbi Adina Allen. The Beginning of Possibility offers a deep dive into the creative process, featuring an immersive artist talk followed by a hands-on workshop where the audience becomes the maker.

The evening begins at 5:30 PM with Kremer and Allen in a moderated conversation about their work, the convergence of Judaism and creativity, and themes in the museum’s current exhibition, Flowing through Time and Tradition.

Naomie Kremer is an internationally acclaimed painter, video artist, and stage designer whose work is held in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Berkeley Art Museum, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “Having been raised Orthodox and studying the Torah with my father every Shabbat, I relate strongly to the stories and rituals many of which are addressed in [Flowing through Time and Tradition],” Kremer shares. “Biblical stories, particularly the stories of creation in Genesis, and the traditions I was raised with deeply affected my approach to the making of the film In the Beginning Was Desire.” During the program, she will share clips and discuss the complexities of translating the story of Adam and Eve into a visual, mythopoetic film.

“This is an opportunity to experience creativity as a source of renewal—opening insight, imagination, and shared reflection through making,” — Rabbi Adina Allen

Following the conversation, the program shifts into “Chaos and Creation,” an experiential workshop led by Rabbi Adina Allen, a spiritual leader and visionary educator who co-founded the Jewish Studio Project to place creativity at the heart of Jewish life. Allen will guide participants through the process of “Visual Midrash”—the act of interpreting sacred text through imagery—to find a personal “beginning of possibility.” This session invites everyone into a creative process that engages the themes of the exhibition through a playful, hands-on workshop using basic art materials and brief Jewish texts.

“This is an opportunity to experience creativity as a source of renewal—opening insight, imagination, and shared reflection through making,” says Rabbi Allen. This process draws directly from the exhibition’s focus on the “waters of Genesis—where creativity begins in darkness, depth, and possibility. Exploring water as a metaphor for creative process, the program reflects on how creativity, like water, sustains life, reshapes tradition, and carries meaning across generations.”

To complement the evening’s activities, the Magnes will host free screenings of the film In the Beginning Was Desire. This 40-minute film by Naomie Kremer and David Grubin, featuring the voice of renowned biblical scholar Aviva Zornberg, will play hourly starting at 11:30 AM. 

The evening concludes with Rabbi Allen signing her latest book, The Place of All Possibility: Cultivating Creativity Through Ancient Jewish Wisdom, a paradigm-shifting work that reframes the whole of Torah as a contemporary guidebook for creativity. Allen’s book will be available for sale at the event by Afikomen Judaica and Bookshop.

The Magnes is located at 2121 Allston Way, steps from campus and the Downtown Berkeley BART station. Tickets are $25 for general admission, and $5 for students with ID and Museums for All with EBT cards. Learn more and purchase tickets.

This program is presented in partnership with the Jewish Studio Project and Ayin Press.