By Avi Ben-Hur
This summer, CWB initiated the first Art educator’s seminar to Israel. By all accounts, it was a roaring success.
Leading the seminar were Shirel Horowitz – a top-notch Israeli artist and art educator and Avi Ben-Hur, CWB’s Director of Education.
While the Seminar focused on the contemporary art scene – not overlooking the Arab and Religious Jewish sectors – the participants also had an opportunity to visit and to learn about ancient art, primarily in the medium of mosaics. Within this context, the Seminar toured ancient Sepphoris to see the “Mona Lisa of the Galilee” and the recently discovered Magdala Stone along the Sea of Galilee. Since the seminar took place in the “Holy Land,” we also took the opportunity to see religious art from each of the three great monotheistic faiths. This included touring the al-Jazzar Mosque in Acre, the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth and the Ancient synagogue in Tsippori.
Our artists and art educators had visits and meetings with their peers, particularly in the Misgav-Carmiel partnership region. Many participants spoke of their experience painting on a pastoral mountainside, overlooking the Beit Hakerem Valley in the Lower Galilee, as one of the highlights of the trip.
While the Seminar spent ample time in the premier Israeli art museums – The Israel Museum and the Tel-Aviv Art Museum – smaller gems around the country were not overlooked. On the first day, our educators were stunned by the beauty and elegance of the Mishkan Le’Omanuyot on Kibbutz Ein Harod, a museum whose architecture might be superior to its artistic content. The Umm el-Fahem art gallery was impressive, but the interaction with the founder and director made the visit all the more important. Museums in the periphery – such as Ashdod and Holon – gave a more rounded vision of the various subjects and challenges facing the art scene in Israel.
The Seminar participants had opportunities to make connections both in the larger and smaller art venues. A free and open dialogue was part and parcel of the entire seminar. Collaborative programs and initiatives were discussed and we at
CWB are very interested and excited to see what will emerge from these efforts in the coming months!