Thursday, July 17, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
An Open Letter to The Workmen's Circle
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Craig Dershowitz and I am the Executive Director of Artists 4 Israel.
We empower artists to express their support for Israel and her cultural freedoms through the creation of art. We are most well known for our hand in the graffiti world where artists from across the globe consider themselves part of the A4I collective, many of whom have travelled with us on missions to Israel where they have painted everything from bomb shelters in the South to UN positions near the Syrian border in the North.
It appears that you have a little vandalism problem - a problem growing worse as new artists attempt to answer one another. This is unfortunate. The work that has existed on your building for so many years deserve respect not just for its message but for its quality. Your building was one of the first in the area to recognize the transformative power of art.
It would be our honor and duty to help you in this time. Our artists are available to either re-touch the old mural or to create a new, more modern example of public art in the spirit of the Workmen's Circle.
Sincerely,
Artists 4 Israel
My name is Craig Dershowitz and I am the Executive Director of Artists 4 Israel.
We empower artists to express their support for Israel and her cultural freedoms through the creation of art. We are most well known for our hand in the graffiti world where artists from across the globe consider themselves part of the A4I collective, many of whom have travelled with us on missions to Israel where they have painted everything from bomb shelters in the South to UN positions near the Syrian border in the North.
It appears that you have a little vandalism problem - a problem growing worse as new artists attempt to answer one another. This is unfortunate. The work that has existed on your building for so many years deserve respect not just for its message but for its quality. Your building was one of the first in the area to recognize the transformative power of art.
It would be our honor and duty to help you in this time. Our artists are available to either re-touch the old mural or to create a new, more modern example of public art in the spirit of the Workmen's Circle.
Sincerely,
Artists 4 Israel
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Chavaya Fellowship
The Chavaya Fellowship is a year-round program aimed at developing the future generation Global Leaders of the Jewish Community Worldwide. 30 fellows will be chosen from New York, Israel and Germany (10 from each country) to work together during monthly sessions and workshops, developing their own artistic Jewish programming which they will then facilitate with a younger Jewish generation in summer camps in New York and Israel and while visiting Germany and spend part of their summers implementing the program abroad. All trips, flights and lodging are fully sponsored and funded by the Chavaya Fellowship and once accepted a registration fee is required. Apply now for a chance to develop your artistic work, leadership skills, contribute to the development of the global Jewish community, travel the world, meet and network with young leaders and artists from around the world!
Registration is now open and ends October 31st. Please share this incredible program with your community - only 10 candidates will be chosen from New York and our goal is to select the most enthusiastic and qualified candidates possible.
For more information regarding this program, please visit our website at www.chavayafellowship.org/
The application can be accessed here: www.chavayafellowship.org/#!apply/cfvg
Once accepted, an application fee is required to participate in the program.
The deadline to apply is October 31st.
For any questions or additional information, please contact Sivan at shadari@kingsbayy.org
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Press: Times of Israel
"The challenges may seem insurmountable at times, but their cause is righteous, their goals noble, and their methods a model of proactive change for the better."
Read article HERE
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Press: Mondoweiss' Continued Obsession with A4I
The falsity in everything they say is evident by the very first line of the story. This is like the 6th article on us that says how desperate and ineffective our advocacy is yet they spend a significant amount of time writing about us. Odd
Article HERE
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Drawing Out the Darkness: Art Therapy in Israel
One of Artists 4 Israel's most exciting new projects is A4I CARES, an art kit put together specifically to help children from Israel's war-torn areas cope with the trauma and stress of their lives. The kits have been assembled by a team of artists, mental health professionals, emergency service workers, and other according to the ideas presented by the growing field of art therapy. Recognized by Israel's Ministry of Health as a para-medical profession in 1998, art therapy has the unique potential to raise self-esteem, encourage insight, reduce stress and otherwise improve the quality of life for everyone from children to adults. For more information on A4I CARES, please contact info@artists4israel.org
What is Art Therapy?
Unlike traditional talk therapy or medication, art therapy is available to everyone: old or young, rich or poor. It harnesses the healing power of the artistic process allowing people to express otherwise unspeakable thoughts and to see themselves as creative, worthwhile human beings (in a sense, this is similar to the process of changing the public perception of Israel through art). This can be done with a pencil and paper, although the A4I CARES kits contain a range of unique supplies to foster emotional expression, such as modeling clay and bracelet-making materials. All kinds of art fall under the heading of art therapy, and the Israeli Association of Creative and Expressive Therapies recognizes six: visual and plastic art, music, movement and dance, drama, psychodrama, and creative writing. In more structured settings, art therapy classes also allow participants to connect to each other in a community setting, giving them the confidence and trust needed to share their work. Any given individual's skills isn't the point, the healing process is.
Art and Children
Children are natural artists, unhindered by expectation of the inner critic which appears in adults. Giving them the chance to explore their creativity as a therapeutic tool can be deeply healing, since most feel more comfortable expressing themselves through art rather than by trying to articulate feelings they may not be able to find words for. Going through trauma and living in a rocket-targeted area can also play havoc with their self-esteem, making art's confidence-building potential particularly important in improving their lives. Children in more stable situations can also benefit from art therapy, whether structured or unstructured. In fact, a 2009 study at the University of Haifa found that children of drug addicts were better able to cope with their lives when given the chance to express themselves through drawing, rather than traditional talk therapy. It's an exciting insight into the role art can play in helping children who have been subject to abuse and pain.
Art and Addiction
The children of addicts aren't the only ones whose lives can be changed through art. Art therapy for addiction has been shown to help ease rehabilitation, while also working to prevent relapse at a later date, and has been quickly picked by Israeli rehabilitation centers. There are approximately 25,000 people struggling with addiction in Israel, giving art therapy the potential to change lives, families, and communities. Making art throughout their time in recovery is a way for people to clarify who they really are beyond their addictions, moving through shame and fear to a place where they can better understand themselves and others. This can be particularly important for "social addictions" which, by their nature, involve how an individual relates to other people. The treatment of sexual addiction, for example, is still in its infancy in terms of understanding what works best. However, it is clear that by allowing people to access their own creative instincts, they can understand themselves on a deeper level and learn new ways of understanding and communicating with other people.
What You Can Do
The A4I CARES kit currently cost $150 to cover the supplies, but additional support would allow Artists 4 Israel to buy in bulk and lower the cost of bringing this much needed gift to the children who need it. It's also possible to harness the power of art in your life and community - some local centers host arts and crafts events for lower-income children, and these are often in need of volunteers to help out. Of course, you can also take art therapy's healing strength to heart and use it in your own life, simply by picking up some paint and paper.
A wonderful guest post by Missi Toms
What is Art Therapy?
Unlike traditional talk therapy or medication, art therapy is available to everyone: old or young, rich or poor. It harnesses the healing power of the artistic process allowing people to express otherwise unspeakable thoughts and to see themselves as creative, worthwhile human beings (in a sense, this is similar to the process of changing the public perception of Israel through art). This can be done with a pencil and paper, although the A4I CARES kits contain a range of unique supplies to foster emotional expression, such as modeling clay and bracelet-making materials. All kinds of art fall under the heading of art therapy, and the Israeli Association of Creative and Expressive Therapies recognizes six: visual and plastic art, music, movement and dance, drama, psychodrama, and creative writing. In more structured settings, art therapy classes also allow participants to connect to each other in a community setting, giving them the confidence and trust needed to share their work. Any given individual's skills isn't the point, the healing process is.
Art and Children
Children are natural artists, unhindered by expectation of the inner critic which appears in adults. Giving them the chance to explore their creativity as a therapeutic tool can be deeply healing, since most feel more comfortable expressing themselves through art rather than by trying to articulate feelings they may not be able to find words for. Going through trauma and living in a rocket-targeted area can also play havoc with their self-esteem, making art's confidence-building potential particularly important in improving their lives. Children in more stable situations can also benefit from art therapy, whether structured or unstructured. In fact, a 2009 study at the University of Haifa found that children of drug addicts were better able to cope with their lives when given the chance to express themselves through drawing, rather than traditional talk therapy. It's an exciting insight into the role art can play in helping children who have been subject to abuse and pain.
Art and Addiction
The children of addicts aren't the only ones whose lives can be changed through art. Art therapy for addiction has been shown to help ease rehabilitation, while also working to prevent relapse at a later date, and has been quickly picked by Israeli rehabilitation centers. There are approximately 25,000 people struggling with addiction in Israel, giving art therapy the potential to change lives, families, and communities. Making art throughout their time in recovery is a way for people to clarify who they really are beyond their addictions, moving through shame and fear to a place where they can better understand themselves and others. This can be particularly important for "social addictions" which, by their nature, involve how an individual relates to other people. The treatment of sexual addiction, for example, is still in its infancy in terms of understanding what works best. However, it is clear that by allowing people to access their own creative instincts, they can understand themselves on a deeper level and learn new ways of understanding and communicating with other people.
What You Can Do
The A4I CARES kit currently cost $150 to cover the supplies, but additional support would allow Artists 4 Israel to buy in bulk and lower the cost of bringing this much needed gift to the children who need it. It's also possible to harness the power of art in your life and community - some local centers host arts and crafts events for lower-income children, and these are often in need of volunteers to help out. Of course, you can also take art therapy's healing strength to heart and use it in your own life, simply by picking up some paint and paper.
A wonderful guest post by Missi Toms
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
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