Joseph's coat of many colors has inspired a musical, myriad children's books and now, 25 local artists, who explored "What Joseph Wore" for an upcoming exhibition at the Jewish Community Library in San Francisco.

Presented in conjunction with the S.F.-based Bureau of Jewish Education's "Feast of Jewish Learning," the show opens Sunday, Feb. 23. The theme of this year's feast is "Common Threads: The Fabrics of Jewish Life."

A gallery reception will take place on Sunday, March 16.

In organizing "What Joseph Wore," curator Elayne Grossbard combined her art history training, her background in traditional Jewish text and languages, and her interest in exploring the Genesis story as a source of inspiration.

"The ancient and modern sages and scholars like to study the creation of something and then follow it metaphorically through time. This many-sided biblical figure's character, personality and even his future have all been woven into his fabulous garment, one which threads its way through history from Adam to the Messiah," Grossbard said.

Grossbard, 53, structured the show meticulously, offering participants a detailed foundation of ancient and modern study to use as a point of departure, coupled with her blessings to run wild with their creative ideas.

"Paradoxically, the tighter you make the subject, the more the artists fly away with it," she said.

To lay the groundwork for the exhibit, Grossbard researched Joseph's famous garment in biblical and rabbinic sources, then culled and distributed readings to the selected artists. Acknowledging that Joseph is ambivalent in many ways, Grossbard encouraged them to add their own imaginations and instincts to the mix of scholarly interpretations.

"It's been a lot of fun to study this. Joseph's story has incredible modern resonance, with his virtue and his vice, his wisdom and his naiveté," Grossbard said.

"The materials, colors, textures and ornaments, as well as the magical or mythical qualities of the tunic itself, are all open to interpretation. The bottom line is that the garment was special, unique, and a reflection of the highest highs and lowest lows in his life."

Grossbard said that encouraging the artists to think as broadly as possible about "what Joseph wore and why he wore it" has produced a "phenomenal" response, "reflecting a broad range of media and a wide variety of interpretations."

One of the exhibitors, Lynn Silton, a silk Judaica artist from Palo Alto, said she found great inspiration from Grossbard's research, and she particularly appreciated Joseph's relevance today.

"Joseph has always been a fascinating character, and the readings sparked more definite ideas. I thought about it for a month and a half and kept coming back to the phrase 'beautiful and dangerous.' Joseph was the first modern character, someone we could meet today and relate to. His story could play out in New York City," Silton said.

She envisioned creating Joseph's garment as it might

look flung elsewhere, instead of on his body. Silton drew the coat on a piece of white silk; then she dyed it blue and added adornments of gold paint and beads. Next, she cut the coat from the canvas, threw it onto a square of pale gold silk and sewed it down in the form in which it landed,

wrinkles and all.

The result exhilarated and liberated her.

"I usually hang my hat on the alef bet in my work. It was the first piece I've ever done (without the alef bet) that I didn't throw away. I flung away my own protection, and Joseph took me with him to a new place," Silton said.

Susan Duhan Felix, a clay artist from Berkeley, echoed Silton's feelings.

"Elayne's materials are a jumping off point, and you get more involved with Jewish learning. I hadn't thought too much before about what Joseph wore. It's really been exciting. Elayne's framework pushes you to places where you haven't been and to create new Jewish art," Felix said.

Joseph's story inspired Felix to reflect on "how we embrace our brokenness, and bring our pieces together," and for the exhibit she is working on reassembling shards of clay into a piece that will "show the exterior but also reflect the interior of Joseph."

Daisy Eneix, of San Francisco, who works in printmaking installation, mixed media and sculpture, said she was impressed by the depth of Grossbard's materials.

"The thoughtfulness really inspired me. I was inspired to reread that whole section of Genesis. It surprised me in the level of detail it imparted."

Eneix depicted her vision of Joseph on a panel of scrim, printing the imagery onto the fabric with handmade pigments. Within one robe, she combined three figures of Joseph, representing three phases in his life -- the young dreamer, the victim stripped of everything and the ruler who has come into his own.

Eneix said that her inspiration didn't stop with the piece she created for the exhibit -- she continued her ideas in a series of monotypes of Joseph, one of which appears on the invitation to "What Joseph Wore."

"I've come back to religion through art," she said.