American Guild of Judaic Art
Encyclopedia
The American Guild of Judaic Art is an international not-for-profit membership organization for those with interests in the Judaic arts and dedicated to the promotion of Jewish art and culture in society. Its membership includes Jewish artists, galleries, museum curators, collectors, retailers of Judaica, writers, educators in the field of Jewish studies and art history and others professionally involved in the field. The Guild can suggest educational workshops, lectures, seminars and outreach programs both for artists and for the general public, while it serves as a resource center for contemporary Jewish artists. Members come from the USA, Canada, Israel, Italy, Holland, The Netherlands, Japan and continues to grow.
א We celebrate the rich diversity of Judaic art in North America, Israel and around the world.
א We connect those who create art inspired by Jewish tradition to those institutions and individuals who appreciate, collect, and exhibit Jewish art.
א We fulfill the Torah commandment of Hiddur Mitzvah, by creating sacred beauty and sharing this with the world.
The organization sponsors and promotes an annual calendar of events entitled "Jewish Arts Week" in which it encourages synagogues, community centers, libraries, and schools throughout North America to host activities and exhibitions relating to and showcasing Jewish art. This special week corresponds with the Torah (Old Testament) reading of Parshat Vayakhel from Exodus: 35:1-38:20 where the first Jewish artisan, Bezalel, is introduced with descriptions of his designs to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Because the Jewish calendar is a lunar based one, Jewish Arts Week’s dates change from year to year. To find out the dates for Jewish Arts Week, to have one’s Jewish arts event that takes place during that week be included on the American Guild of Judaic Arts special internet arts calendar, visit www.jewishart.org
Each year, new Jewish Arts Week postcard announcement artwork, to be submitted by AGJA members, will be selected and be distributed to thousands of synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, Jewish schools, individual artists, museums, and other institutions.
AGJA initiatives include expanding AGJA exhibition opportunities, community outreach programs, and collaborative educational connections to bring art, inspired by Jewish text, tradition, ritual, and personal experience to those who appreciate or want to learn more about the world of Jewish art. HIDDUR, a quarterly Email newsletter and expanding interactive social media were established in 2010. http://www.facebook.com/AmericanGuildofJudaicArt
Founded in 1991, it was under the dedicated leadership of past president Mark Levin AIA, that the Guild joined the internet virtual age in 1999 with creating its website featuring Guild members and their work, The Guild provides information and networking opportunities for its membership through member-only online resources as well as a members only Google online discussion group. The Guild’s calendar of Jewish Arts Week, other member events and activities, membership information, a AGJA member directory as well as an Artist’s Gallery is available for the public on the Guild’s website.www.jewishart.org
AGJA member, Bonnie Cohen, wrote the following essay in July, 2010 expressing her views about the American Guild of Judaic Art.
“Ten years ago, I received an email that changed my life. It began like this, “I saw your work on the Guild of American Judaic Art website and I wondered if you would be interested in creating a piece of artwork for our Synagogue?” That email and subsequent commissions from that first project, opened up a new direction to my Judaic art career. I have the AGJA to thank for that. I’ve enjoyed 10 years of steady commissions through word of mouth, good references and the help of many kind and generous people. I believe that creating Jewish Art is a true labor of love based on traditions that go back thousands of years. I approach each project by asking myself “how can I instill the concept of Hiddur Mitzvah and holiness into my artwork?” The answers always come to me through interactions with other artists, clergy, lay leaders and other dedicated people who care deeply about enhancing Jewish life with art. The people I have met, the friends I have made and the artwork I have installed all over the country have given me more joy than I could ever have imagined. Membership in the Guild has offered me a sense of belonging to a community of other professional artists who generously share ideas and opportunities. I encourage all of the present members to renew their memberships and find other professionals with a love of Jewish Art to join as well. I believe the more you share your art, the more joy and success will come back to you. And you never know…by being a member of Guild, you’ll have the opportunity to receive that life changing email too!! “
For more information about the American Guild of Judaic Art www.jewishart.org
א We celebrate the rich diversity of Judaic art in North America, Israel and around the world.
א We connect those who create art inspired by Jewish tradition to those institutions and individuals who appreciate, collect, and exhibit Jewish art.
א We fulfill the Torah commandment of Hiddur Mitzvah, by creating sacred beauty and sharing this with the world.
The organization sponsors and promotes an annual calendar of events entitled "Jewish Arts Week" in which it encourages synagogues, community centers, libraries, and schools throughout North America to host activities and exhibitions relating to and showcasing Jewish art. This special week corresponds with the Torah (Old Testament) reading of Parshat Vayakhel from Exodus: 35:1-38:20 where the first Jewish artisan, Bezalel, is introduced with descriptions of his designs to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Because the Jewish calendar is a lunar based one, Jewish Arts Week’s dates change from year to year. To find out the dates for Jewish Arts Week, to have one’s Jewish arts event that takes place during that week be included on the American Guild of Judaic Arts special internet arts calendar, visit www.jewishart.org
Each year, new Jewish Arts Week postcard announcement artwork, to be submitted by AGJA members, will be selected and be distributed to thousands of synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, Jewish schools, individual artists, museums, and other institutions.
AGJA initiatives include expanding AGJA exhibition opportunities, community outreach programs, and collaborative educational connections to bring art, inspired by Jewish text, tradition, ritual, and personal experience to those who appreciate or want to learn more about the world of Jewish art. HIDDUR, a quarterly Email newsletter and expanding interactive social media were established in 2010. http://www.facebook.com/AmericanGuildofJudaicArt
Founded in 1991, it was under the dedicated leadership of past president Mark Levin AIA, that the Guild joined the internet virtual age in 1999 with creating its website featuring Guild members and their work, The Guild provides information and networking opportunities for its membership through member-only online resources as well as a members only Google online discussion group. The Guild’s calendar of Jewish Arts Week, other member events and activities, membership information, a AGJA member directory as well as an Artist’s Gallery is available for the public on the Guild’s website.www.jewishart.org
AGJA member, Bonnie Cohen, wrote the following essay in July, 2010 expressing her views about the American Guild of Judaic Art.
“Ten years ago, I received an email that changed my life. It began like this, “I saw your work on the Guild of American Judaic Art website and I wondered if you would be interested in creating a piece of artwork for our Synagogue?” That email and subsequent commissions from that first project, opened up a new direction to my Judaic art career. I have the AGJA to thank for that. I’ve enjoyed 10 years of steady commissions through word of mouth, good references and the help of many kind and generous people. I believe that creating Jewish Art is a true labor of love based on traditions that go back thousands of years. I approach each project by asking myself “how can I instill the concept of Hiddur Mitzvah and holiness into my artwork?” The answers always come to me through interactions with other artists, clergy, lay leaders and other dedicated people who care deeply about enhancing Jewish life with art. The people I have met, the friends I have made and the artwork I have installed all over the country have given me more joy than I could ever have imagined. Membership in the Guild has offered me a sense of belonging to a community of other professional artists who generously share ideas and opportunities. I encourage all of the present members to renew their memberships and find other professionals with a love of Jewish Art to join as well. I believe the more you share your art, the more joy and success will come back to you. And you never know…by being a member of Guild, you’ll have the opportunity to receive that life changing email too!! “
For more information about the American Guild of Judaic Art www.jewishart.org