Snippet by Snippet, He Shaped a New Form for His Talent

“I guess you could say I was born with a silver paintbrush in my mouth,” said 74-year-old Jerry Novorr of Westwood.

As a youth, Novorr studied painting at the Kansas City Art Institute; one of his instructors was the painter Thomas Hart Benton. After a distinguished art career that included designing corporate logos for Universal Studios and Capitol Records, he discovered a passion for paper-cutting.

Nearly 13 years ago, he volunteered as a docent at the Skirball Museum, which is part of the Hebrew Union College, near USC in Los Angeles, and one of his first tours was an exhibit of ancient paper. He subsequently learned the craft and began to teach workshops for the museum.

“Ever since then, I haven’t been able to get out of it,” he said. “I have had just a ball doing it.” To create his delicate masterpieces, Novorr develops a theme and draws the idea on paper. He then traces it onto thin paper and whittles out the intricate designs with an X-acto knife and manicure scissors.

His designs are often used to commemorate special occasions. Adding a touch of modern technology to this ancient art form, Novorr also uses lasers to reproduce his work in smaller images, which can be printed on invitations or stationery. Novorr also teaches paper-cutting at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and the Brandeis Bardin Institute in Simi Valley. “It’s been extremely rewarding for me to teach these classes and workshops,” he said. “There is even a former student of mine who has a paper-cutting exhibit at UCLA right now.”

The West Los Angeles Lions Club gave Georgia Pickens the 1991 Community Recognition Award at a luncheon Feb. 12. Pickens, who lives in West Los Angeles, was recognized for her many years of dedicated community service.

Gerald McLaughlin has been appointed dean of Loyola Law School in downtown Los Angeles.

McLaughlin, a former associate dean for development and professor of law at the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Law School, is an expert in commercial law. He received a law degree from New York University School of Law and was a Root-Tilden Scholar. He graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree.

The Culver City Lions Club presented its Youth Citizen of the Year Award to Eric Shabsis on Jan. 17. Shabsis, 16, of Culver City participates in numerous school and community programs on the Westside.

Three students from Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica were chosen as finalists for the music section of the Arts Recognition Talent Search in Miami last month.

Seniors Michelle Kim and Anders Martinson received awards of $3,000, and Sam Ou was awarded $1,500. Kim plays the violin, Martinson the piano, and Ou the cello.

More than 5,500 students from across the nation submitted applications, and 20 were selected as finalists.

Stan Roman of Culver City captured the open men’s singles title at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Tennis Tournament at Griffith Park Tennis Complex in January.

The tournament is sponsored by the Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department and the Municipal Tennis Assn.

Century City attorney Marvin Jubas was installed as president of the Guardians of the Jewish Homes for the Aging at the organization’s annual installation dinner on Jan. 22 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

June Chase has been reelected president of the Westside Fair Housing Council for 1991.

Chase has served on the boards of the Pacific Palisades Human Relations Council, Arts in Action and the Southern California Women’s Substance Abuse Task Force.

She lives in West Los Angeles.