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The Jewish Street Art Festival first came about in 2019. Click here to find out what it is and what makes it so exciting.
There are many art festivals all throughout the world, but perhaps none so unique as the Jewish Street Art Festival. This is a festival created by artist Hillel Smith – originally from Los Angeles – and it is assisted by co-curators Eli Kaplan-Wildmann and Judy Tal Kopelman – both Israel based.
Part of the reason it is so unique is because – relative to other festivals – it is very young. The first ever event happened just over three years ago, in October and November of 2019. It took place in The First Station and Hutzot Hayotzer, both of which are unique and beautiful venues in the heart of Jerusalem.
So what is the festival, and what exactly makes it so special?
A Shared History Told Through Paint
The reason Smith came up with the idea of the festival is because Jewish art is actually very prominent. For a long time, Jewish people have been putting their stories and history into art. A simple silver Judaica candelabra can be designed beautifully, artistically, in order to tell a story of the Jewish people during prayer.
And that’s just at home. On the streets, unique Jewish art has always been there. One only needs to look at the Segregation wall between Israel and Palestine to understand this.
The wall is covered in art and murals, all of which express heartbreak, history and hope. The creativity of Jewish artists is spread throughout the world, so it was about time that someone brought that creativity together and celebrated it.
In 2019, Jewish street artists were invited to paint murals together for the first time ever. All of the artists came from different backgrounds, displaying a wide array of Jewish perspectives that invoked conversation and told a story about the Jewish identity in the modern world.
In 2020, it spread throughout eight cities over Chanukah, and 2021’s event went overseas to North America to bring awareness of vital issues during Passover.
The Art On Display
Some of the most beautiful art pieces include Adam Podber’s mural, which was painted at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. This was a team effort amongst organisations such as The Blue Dove Foundation – which addresses mental illness and addiction in the Jewish community – as well as the Breman Museum and OneTable. The painting itself shows a candelabra with its wicks half lit, set in front of gorgeous blue colours and a single, vivid love heart.
Another piece of beautiful art is the Railroad Retro Hamsa, which was painted by Shlome J. Hayun in Jerusalem. This is a simple painting in its concept, but it is drawn with technical proficiency. The eye is full of stark blues, reds, greens, purples, and the background is a splash of paint, giving a feeling of chaos – which the hamsa ultimately calms and diminishes.
The Festival In The Future
Part of the reason the festival is so exciting is because, being relatively young, there is so much potential for growth and expansion. Right now, the festival is only finding its feet, but it is growing rapidly and will continue to inspire young Jewish artists to take to the streets and express themselves.
There is always a place for Jewish art and, with the Jewish Street Art Festival, it is likely that we will only see more and more of it in the future.
