Every morning, Cohn climbs the
years serving.

stairs of his home and paints in his
When the war ended, the
studio for 3-4 hours. Cohn’s artis-
Servicemen’s Readjustment Act,
tic practice was particularly fitting
or GI Bill, opened doors for Cohn,
for OCJAC’s April exhibit, which
who opted to remain in Europe. He
spanned Passover and, according to
began his formal art education in
Wircberg, should therefore encom-
Shrivenham, England, at an Army-
pass an idea from the holiday.

established college campus two hours
“Every day, we’re leaving our
from London.

Mitzrayim, our limitations, our
Cohn visited the National Gallery
boundaries, our comfort zones,”
on most weekends, where he came
Wircberg said.

face-to-face with paintings by Peter
According to Wircberg, Cohn is
Paul Rubens and Rembrandt, a
an artist who pushed his boundaries
limitless well of inspiration for him,
to become the prolific painter behind A Philip Cohn painting of the Philadelphia Mummers
despite the lean collection of the
Parade Courtesy of Michael Kalick
the exhibit.

museum after the war.

The son of immigrants — his
“You look at something for a
father from Russia and his mother from Poland — Cohn had a
while, and you want to do something,” Cohn said.

long journey to becoming a painter.

His art education continued in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania
His family settled in Vineland, New Jersey, and Cohn was
Academy of Fine Arts, where the GI Bill continued to buoy him.

born in 1923, the youngest of five sons. Though Vineland was
Cohn was awarded $90 per month during his time at PAFA, and
he was able to afford art supplies and rent for a studio apartment.

home to several Jewish farm settlements at the time, his father
By 1947, Cohn began submitting materials to local competi-
worked several factory jobs.

tions and was accepted into the Barnes Foundation, where Albert
As his brothers grew older and moved to Philadelphia, visiting
Barnes noticed Cohn’s talent and briefly mentored him.

the city became a romantic idea to Cohn, who escaped into the
His brother Bernie sponsored a trip to Florence, Italy, where
worlds of “Flash Gordon” and “Tarzan,” copying panels from his
Cohn stayed for a year, traveling from city to city and finding
favorite comics, his foray into art.

lodging at an Italian boarding house.

“I always drew, even before I went to art school,” Cohn said.

Still, upon his return to Philadelphia, Cohn couldn’t sustain
As Cohn came of age, the World War II draft thwarted any
himself as an artist. He worked night shifts at Mid-City Press in
desire to move to the city or pursue art more seriously, though he
the 1950s (which then printed the Jewish Exponent), so he would
balanced military duties and figure drawing during his couple of
20 MAY 5, 2022
THE GOOD LIFE
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



In the 1960s, Philip Cohn’s art was
featured heavily at the Chestnut Hill
Gallery. 
Courtesy of Michael Kalick
be able to not only afford his apartment
and supplies, but so he could capture
scenes for his paintings during the day.

In the 1960s, Cohn had his works
shown in the Chestnut Hill Gallery, then
the Hahn Gallery, which helped him
stabilize his income as an artist.

After meeting his second wife Collette,
who was from Paris, while at a community
dance, the couple spent years traveling
around Europe and were married for 42
years until her death in 2017.

Much has changed since Cohn’s
heyday as an artist. The pandemic limited
where he could go to people-watch. Cohn
has since adapted; he does pastel portraits
of friends who stop by and paints from
his dozens of sketchbooks littered across
his studio, pages filled with landscapes
from his days of traveling.

Cohn considers himself a “lucky guy.”
“He is a lucky and blessed person to
have been married to the love of his life and
be fulfilled with his love of art, family and
travel,” nephew Michael Kalick said. “He
views life through the eyes of an artist.”
Cohn’s studio is crammed with stacked
paintings and jars of brushes, hats and
knickknacks, with only a small window
in the corner providing the room’s natural
light. It looks down at the street, with the
view interrupted by an ugly telephone wire.

When Cohn looks out of it, though,
he sees untapped potential, yet another
scene to be painted.

“Nature is endless,” Cohn said. “It’s
endless! It will never stop ... There’s no
question of running out of material.”
Cohn’s art, some available for purchase,
can be viewed at philipcohnartist.com. JE
Living to the Power of You
SageLife communities reflect priorities that
matter most: dynamic lifestyle, adaptable
care, and sophisticated amenities.

Our mission is to encourage, empower and
celebrate successful aging.

Our communities are thoughtfully designed
to reflect our commitment to ‘aging well’.

Living to the power of you.

NO W OPEN
AMBLER, PA
215-461-4880 MALVERN, PA
484-568-4777 WALLINGFORD, PA
610-690-1630 PAOLI, PA
610-640-4000 The501.com
LivingAtEchoLake.com PlushMills.com
DaylesfordCrossing.com RETIREMENT LIVING
RETIREMENT LIVING
RETIREMENT LIVING
SUPPORTIVE LIVING
SUPPORTIVE LIVING
SUPPORTIVE LIVING
SUPPORTIVE LIVING
& MEMORY CARE
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
THE GOOD LIFE
MAY 5, 2022
21