Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art by Steve Marcus

New York, NY (July 01, 2026)

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (YIVO) and the Center for Jewish History (CJH) are thrilled to announce Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art by Steve Marcus. It is a kaleidoscopic new exhibition that presents a vibrant mashup of 1960s counterculture and Jewish culture through the trippy lens of underground artist Steve Marcus. The exhibition opens to the public on Thursday, July 9, 2026, and will remain on view through December 2026. To celebrate the exhibition's opening, an official launch event that evening will feature YIVO Senior Academic Advisor & Director of Exhibitions Eddy Portnoy in conversation with Steve Marcus. 

Psychedelicatessen layers the familiar symbols and signposts of 1960s counterculture with Jewish lore, transforming them into colorful visual parodies. Inspired by the psychedelic art of the 1960s, Jewish culture, and vernacular graphics, Marcus has created a body of work that intertwines Jewish tradition with the visual aesthetics of the Jewish delicatessen and hippie subcultures. The exhibition features more than 30 original paintings, prints, and sculptures, including such imaginative creations as etrog love beads and Shabbos bong candlesticks. Blending humor, nostalgia, spirituality, and pop culture, Marcus' work marks the only place where Maimonides meets the Grateful Dead as they both drink Dr. Brown's soda.

At the heart of Psychedelicatessen is an exploration of cultural memory from multiple perspectives. Marcus draws upon the rich heritage of Eastern European Jewry and the immigrant experience in America, reimagining these traditions through bold colors, layered imagery, and inventive juxtapositions. His artwork invites viewers to consider how Jewish identity is preserved, transformed, and continually reinvented across generations. 

"Sometimes in life one is blessed with the perfect match, the ultimate fit or a destined collaboration and this collection of work seamlessly blends my past and present state perfectly," said Marcus. 

Learn more about the exhibition: yivo.org/Psychedelicatessen

Exhibition Opening:
Program: Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art by Steve Marcus
YIVO Senior Academic Advisor & Director of Exhibitions Eddy Portnoy in conversation with Steve Marcus.
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 7:00pm ET
Where: Taking place at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, NY)
Reservations: yivo.org/Psychedelicatessen-Opening

Co-sponsored by YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and the Center for Jewish History.