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A Visit to the World Erotic Art Museum

By on December 19, 2012
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From The Desk Of New

PG-13In my last column, I reflected on the nature of Jewrotica and likened it to the conversation about the nature of Jewish art. The comparison is fitting, as earlier this fall I had the opportunity to visit the largest erotic art collection in North America (and possibly the world) owned by… a seventy eight year old Jewish grandmother.

When Naomi Wilzig contacted me and invited me to Miami Beach to experience the World Erotic Art Museum (WEAM), I was intrigued.  Naomi thought that her collection might be interesting for Jewrotica and indeed it was, but I wondered what the Jewish connection might be.

After a brief conversation, I learned that Naomi was raised in a Sabbath observant, kosher-keeping and mikvah-going home with five siblings.  Raised in New Jersey, Naomi met her husband – an Auschwitz survivor – at eighteen and they eloped together, building for themselves a successful life in south Florida.  Naomi became involved in the Jewish Federation, Hadassah and Chabad, but until her 70th birthday, perhaps the most out-of-the-box thing she had done had been eloping with her husband.

So how does a nice Jewish grandmother become the owner and curator of the largest erotic art museum in North America?  About twenty years ago, Naomi’s adult son was in the process of furnishing his new apartment and asked his mother to pick out a piece of erotic art that would be a conversation starter.  In our interview, Naomi told me that she “knew the word erotic meant sexual”, but that was about the extent of her knowledge.  Naomi was curious to learn more about this field and purchased art piece after art piece for her son.  None of the pieces suited him, but in the process Naomi became introduced to and captivated by the world of erotic art, and eventually opened up the World Erotic Art Museum eight years ago.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I pulled up in front of WEAM in Miami Beach, but I found the presence of mezuzahs at the elevator and by the museum entrance to be strangely calming.  I tentatively walked in, was greeted by the art director who was expecting me and was amazed at the collection.  Rooms fed into more rooms and more rooms, the artwork and collections categorized by culture and geography – some of which were modern and others of which dated back over 200 years.  I received permission to photograph my favorite pieces, some of which you’ll see below.

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Founder and editor of Jewrotica, Ayo spent the past two years full-time RVing North America with her Jewish educational film program. Ayo alternates between intensely pursuing fun new experiences and equally intensely trying to do good by people. She would love to hear from you.
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