The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Berkeley, California
Reopened 2012
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life is part of the library at the University of California, Berkeley. The display space is in a former printing plant.
As Director of the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life from 2004 to 2014, Alla Efimova led the institution’s transformation from a house museum into a beautiful display space and a public resource for the study of Jewish visual and material culture. Partnering with UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, she oversaw the creation of a new, architecturally significant facility in downtown Berkeley, designed to emphasize transparency and public engagement.
Efimova played a central role in shaping the curatorial vision for the museum, including working with Pfau Long and Picassa Studios to design the display spaces and open collection storage that invites direct visual access to the collection.
Torahs in storage: The Magnes has a 10,000+ piece collection of paintings, prints, photographs, textiles, and Judaica.
The Magnes houses over 10,000 works—paintings, textiles, ritual objects, photography, and archives—representing the global diversity of Jewish life. Efimova’s leadership helped integrate the collection’s breadth with a strong public-facing program of exhibitions, study spaces, and events.
The opening exhibition in the Case Studies space was “Shaken, Not Stirred”: art and artifacts from the permanent collection that were packed away during the move.
Notably, Efimova co-edited and wrote an introductory essay for The Jewish World: 100 Treasures of Art & Culture (2014), a richly illustrated volume showcasing masterpieces from the collection. Spanning diverse geographies and media, the publication offers a broad survey of Jewish life through art and artifact, and highlights the global scope and depth of the Magnes holdings.