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Over the years, Die Plage has been exhibited six times. The first four were curated by Gaber himself, between 1995 and 2000. As the work grew, Gaber adapted the exhibits to make full use of new spaces and new work. Two were in theaters, and the other two were in galleries. The most recent two exhibitions were hosted by museums in Portland and Los Angeles. Museums interested in staging new exhibitions on a range of themes will enjoy vast opportunities offered by these 4,200 canvases. We welcome all inquiries.
Current exhibition
2025, Holocaust Museum LA, Los Angeles, CA
The Holocaust Museum LA (HMLA) opened Die Plage on February 6, 2025, and will keep it open until June 30. This marks the first public showing in Los Angeles of this portion of the larger work since Harley Gaber’s death in 2011. Curated by Melissa Yaverbaum, the exhibition built on the 2022 presentation in Portland, Oregon, with additional canvases depicting the 1936 Olympics as a thematic connection to the upcoming 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The Epstein Family Foundation provided principal funding for the exhibition.
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Prior exhibitions
2022-23, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Portland, OR
Following his death in 2011, Gaber’s work remained largely unseen until Judy Margles, then executive director of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Studies in Portland, Oregon, took interest. She enlisted the expertise of curator Melissa Yaverbaum and, with funding support from the Epstein Family Foundation, organized an exhibition featuring 390 canvases that focused on the Holocaust years. The exhibit’s design and layout immersed visitors in Gaber’s work.
2000, Installation, The Laboratory, Los Angeles, CA
The fourth exhibition was installed in a large, repurposed retail space in downtown Los Angeles during a period of economic decline. Vacant storefronts were common throughout the area, but dedicated arts initiatives gave these spaces a new life. The building’s high ceilings and extensive wall space spanning hundreds of linear feet enabled Gaber to display nearly 1,000 canvases.
2000, Anne Frank Installation, Performing Art Center, Newport, OR
The third exhibition featured individual murals composed of 80 or 160 canvases each and stretching 27 or 54 feet in length. Gaber also included a number of standalone works exhibited in a row. As with his previous show at the Coastal Repertory Theatre, this exhibition accompanied a stage production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and Gaber thus drew again from works depicting events from that period. Gaber was living in Newport at the time, and he appreciated the opportunity to exhibit his work close to home.
1997, Anne Frank Installation, Coastal Repertory Theatre, Half Moon Bay, CA
For the second exhibition, Gaber chose several hundred canvases from the approximately 2,000 he had completed. Since the exhibition was designed to accompany a stage production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” he selected canvases depicting events between 1942 and 1945. Additionally, he created a music mix to play as background in the exhibit space next to the theater.
1995, Southwestern College, San Diego, CA
The first exhibition opened in a large gallery at a community college in San Diego, where Gaber lived and worked. He displayed approximately 600 canvases, stacking them five high to create a towering ten-foot wall of images. Gaber arranged each canvas as though composing music, positioning them like musical notes to reflect the same structure he applied to his compositions.
