Dear friends and supporters,
At the Mishkan Museum of Art, this past year has been a rollercoaster ride. The year began with “Naked Soul: Chaim Soutine and Israeli Art”, one of the largest and most important (literally should be “invested in” but I’m not sure what is best) exhibitions ever in the museum’s history. The exhibition was renowned both in Israel and abroad, received professional praise, and welcomed approximately 20,000 visitors. “Naked Soul” closed suddenly on March 15, 2020, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, and the museum remained shuttered for three months during which the entire staff was on furlough. We took advantage of the museum closure and invited artists from different disciplines to participate in a series entitled “What can be done in a closed museum?”

The Mishkan reopened its doors on June 15, 2020 with five new exhibitions, despite the general silence that gripped most of the Israeli cultural world. From that moment onwards we have been at the cultural forefront, nourishing a thirst for social interaction and quality art for the many communities who flock to the Mishkan. While upholding the guidelines of the Purple Badge, in the three months since its reopening, the Mishkan has welcomed almost 15,000 visitors through its doors.

Current Exhibitions : The five exhibitions currently on display each stand alone while simultaneously intertwining with one another – exploring biographical roots, nearby living environments, physical and mental landscapes, conflicts and memories. They represent the different faces of “the Israeli place” and the healing power of good art, even beyond the events of the moment.

On August 20, 2020 we were honored to welcome the Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport, Hili Tropper, to the Mishkan. Yaniv Shapira presented him with the Mishkan’s history, its goals, and its ongoing needs. We are hopeful that this visit marks the beginning of a change in the approach to culture in Israel and in the concern for the role of cultural institutions in shaping a pluralistic and life-affirming society.

Education in the time of COVID-19
The Mishkan’s Education Department has not missed a beat, welcoming approximately 1,000 students since its reopening. We hosted 130 ninth grade students from Ort Ben-Gurion Afula, art teachers and administrators from national religious schools throughout the country, youth at-risk from Beit Rut, and children from the Kfar Yehezkel boarding school. When students were unable to take field trips this summer due to virus restrictions, we brought the Mishkan to them with a unique program in which the education staff visited summer schools throughout the Gilboa Regional Council, as well as preschools through the “Mishkan BaLaGan” program.

During the summer vacation we celebrated with Storyboard Workshops, inspired by Michael Kovner’s exhibition, in which 200 children and their parents created unique family stories. Remember, children up to age 18 receive free entrance to the museum.

“Pearls of Music in the Mishkan” series will begin again after the holidays. The concerts that were postponed due to the coronavirus will take place in the Beit Zisling Hall in Kibbutz Ein Harod Meuhad. The hall is large and can accommodate the Purple Badge requirements.
We will update you soon and advertise on the Mishkan website.
And what can you expect for the upcoming season? Zipi Lesky, Director of the series, tells us:
“Our ninth season, beginning January 2021, will incorporate many genres. Starting with beloved classical music by renowned musicians of the Israeli Philharmonic, a literary-musical performance with writer Asaf Inbari and singer Ariel Horowitz, the show “Great Divas” with singer Yonit Shaked-Golan and instrumentalists, and more…”
To all our friends, a happy new year and much music for the soul!