Ancestral Whispers – Alice Mizrachi

For immediate release: (West Nyack, NY January 2026)

Ancestral Whispers – Alice Mizrachi

On view in Gallery One January 24-February 21, 2026
Closing reception, Saturday, February 21 from 1:00-4:00pm
Gallery Hours: Mon. – Sat. 10:00am-4:00pm (closed Sundays)

Artist Statement

Ancestral Whispers emerges from an intimate excavation of my family’s migration story-one that echoes the experiences of countless first-generation Americans whose parents crossed borders in pursuit of a better future. During a recent visit with my parents, I discovered boxes of old photographs, documents, and ephemera that had been tucked away for decades. These fragments became the inspiration for this body of work, each piece a clue in the puzzle of how I arrived at who I am today.

Through these collage works, I am layering personal and collective memory, assembling disparate pieces from different places and times into compositions that exist between worlds. Photos, documents, prayers and migration papers are subtly placed in these works.

The act of collage itself mirrors the first-generation experience: gathering fragments of heritage, placing them alongside fragments of American identity, searching for how they fit together. Some pieces align seamlessly; others create tension, gaps, overlaps. This is the truth of navigating between cultures-you are constantly assembling yourself from inherited pieces and chosen ones, creating something new that honors both.

My Sephardic heritage provides the specific lens through which I explore these universal questions of belonging, but the work speaks to anyone who has felt the pull between worlds, anyone who has pieced together identity from the stories they were told and the ones they had to discover themselves.

By sharing my family’s story through my imagination, I hope to create space for others to see their own narratives reflected and to recognize the courage embedded in every migration story-including the quiet courage of those of us who inherit these journeys and must make sense of them in our own lives.

Alice Mizrachi is an interdisciplinary artist based in New York whose activist ideology is intricately woven into her studio, public art, and educational practices. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Alice has showcased her paintings and murals at esteemed institutions including the Museum of the City of New York, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and The Albright-Knox Museum.

She has taught at notable institutions including The Studio Museum in Harlem, Brown University, The New School, and BRIC Arts. Her work has garnered attention in prominent publications like The New York Times, Huffington Post, and Architectural Digest. Her diverse client list includes Nike, Serena Williams, The World Trade Center, KinoSaito and Bronx Council for the Arts.

Currently, Alice’s public sculpture “Renaissance Women” is on display at The Pelham Art Center, and she recently completed a block-long mural at The World Trade Center. Committed to creating site-specific public art worldwide, she collaborates closely with communities, engaging youth, and residents to ensure her work resonates with the neighborhoods it inhabits.

Alice’s artistic vision centers on producing accessible and engaging artwork that speaks to diverse audiences. Drawing inspiration from nature, urban landscapes, and rich cultures encountered in her travels, she translates the energy and emotion of her surroundings into vibrant creations that reflect personal experiences while encouraging visceral connections with viewers.

She actively participates in local art exhibitions and cultural gatherings, fostering creativity-centered conversations. Advocating for women and youth, Alice harnesses the healing power of collaborative artmaking in communities that need it most. Through these interactions, she enriches her own practice while uplifting fellow artists, creating a vibrant tapestry of expression that celebrates collective experiences and aspirations. Ultimately, Alice aims to inspire others to recognize art as a powerful catalyst for connection and change.

This is the work of the first-generation daughter: to gather what was given, to search for what was lost, to create from these pieces something that didn’t exist before. In the space between memory and invention, between the old country and this one, between who they were and who I am becoming-this is where the whispers live.

Gallery Hours: Mon. – Sat. 10:00am-4:00pm (closed Sundays)

About Rockland Center for the Arts:

The mission of Rockland Center for the Arts is to inspire, educate and enrich the community through creating, teaching and presenting the arts, and to provide opportunities for all people to experience and participate in the cultural life of our region. RoCA is committed to the process of experiencing, responding to, creating, and presenting art. By providing a range of relevant, thought-provoking programs, RoCA engages the individual and the community through quality art experiences, while cultivating new audiences in personally meaningful ways.

For more information call 845-358-0877, or visit www.rocklandartcenter.org.

This project is made possible with funds from Arts Alive, a regrant program of ArtsWestchester with support from the Office of the Governor, the New York State Legislature, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

RoCA gratefully acknowledges support for its programs from the Leonard Merrill Kurz Foundation, The Rea Charitable Trust, Sarah and Stephen Thomas, The Richard Pousette-Dart Foundation, M&T Bank, The M&T Charitable Foundation, The Dorothy Gillespie Foundation, Walter Cain & Paulo Ribeiro, Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman P.C., QuietEvents, the Estate of Joan Konner, Lighting Services Inc., the Mark and Jessie Milano Foundation, Zaklin Family Charitable Fund, The County of Rockland, Art Services Group, RoCA members, donors and business members.

RoCA’s programs are made possible, in part, with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Funding is also made possible by the County of Rockland.