CURRENT

Bezalel Graduate Rutu Modan: New Comics Story at the New York Times Magazine. Great news for the readers of the New York Times Magazine: a new comics story, "The Murder of the Terminal Patient" by Illustrator and Graphic Novelist Rutu Modan will be published in 17 weekly installments starting June 29.

Rutu has been also nominated for two Eisner Awards, the American comics industry's top honor, in the categories of Best Writer/Artist and Best Graphic Album-New for Exit Wounds. The book has been published so far in nine languages and is slated to come out in Hebrew this fall.

Bezalel Jerusalem Campus: Our campus in Jerusalem bustled with activity as students proudly presented their end-of-year exhibitions. Read more about this annual display of student excellence.


Aida Arts Organization (Association of Israel Decorative Arts) featured two Bezalel graduates as their guests at their luncheon on August 6, 2008: glass blowers Noah Hagiladi and Netta Bacon. Both artists recently completed their residency at Corning Museum of Glass.
A recent Article in Haaretz told the story of Ephraim Mose Lilien - E.M. Lilien – who is called, “The first Zionist Artist” and one of the founders of Bezalel. His works are being exhibited at Tal Gallery, and they are known for his vision of women. He supported women’s role of equality, although some of his works portray his wife in a more “domesticated” sense. Lilien’s works represent different aspects of women’s images. The exhibition also includes a survey of self portraits, and those of his wife and children. It concentrates on a look at E.M. Lilien's work from another perspective besides his crusading for feminist principles, showing more personal aspects and analyzing the various images of women in his works. From the letters to his wife Helene, we learn about significant events in his life and about his opinions and views, related to the issues of liberation of women and their role in society. Images of different types of women can be found throughout the span of Lilien's work, in various styles.
Bezalel graduates are currently featured at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum. View samples of the artists’ works and read the full New York Times article.


Shoshy Israeli is screening her video at the Catalyst Arts Festival in Belfast, Ireland through July.


Friends of Bezalel are thrilled to hear that Barbur, a collectively run art gallery in Jerusalem’s Nahlahot neighborhood, is thriving. Bezalel graduates Masha Zusman, Avi Sabah, Yanai Segal, and Denis Mashlevich chose to remain in Jerusalem and establish an artistic venue that highlights social causes and responsibility.


On July 7, IBA News TV ran an inspiring story about a Bezalel Academy program that encourages artistic collaboration between Arab and Jewish youths. The broadcast underscores Bezalel’s role as a catalyst for positive change through the power of creative energy.


The Bezalel Fine Arts department is pleased to announce that graduate and lecturer Eli Petel is exhibiting his drawings at the Pompidou Centre in Paris.


Best wishes to Shadi Haviv-Alla, Fine Arts department graduate, who was accepted at Columbia University; and to fourth-year Fine Arts student Tamar Ettun, recently accepted at Yale and Hunter.


Kudos to Bezalel Fine Arts graduate Shai Zurim, a winner of the International Sculpture Center's 2008 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award.


Congratulations to Wafa Yasin, a Bezalel Fine Arts graduate, who was recently accepted to MFA programs at London’s Slade School of Fine Arts, California Institute of the Arts, and California College of the Arts (with a scholarship).