2020 Jewish Street Art Festival at the Miles Nadal JCC

On the heels of the first ever Jewish Street Art Festival in 2019 in Jerusalem, leading Jewish street artists from around North America are bringing public art to their communities. The 2020 Jewish Street Art Festival (jewishstreetart.com) has been reimagined as a decentralized art event in which nine Jewish artists have each painted a public art piece in their own city. Each artist or artist team  painted a Chanukah menorah, linking the eight participating cities through art. Participating cities include Washington, DC, New York City, Charlotte, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Detroit.

These artists come from diverse backgrounds: Ashkenazi and Mizrachi, secular and religious, and from around North America. Their varied perspectives exemplify the richness of the Jewish world and create a platform for a broader conversation about Jewish art and identity. Street art has become enormously popular in recent years, increasingly embraced by the art world and tourists alike. As street art is often used by artists to express their identities, Jewish artists have found a perfect outlet in murals and other public art. The Festival aims to highlight this development on the world stage and create conversations about Jewish presence in our cities.

The MNjcc is proud to have our windows covered with the work of Bareket Kezwer, who was born in Jerusalem and raised in Toronto, where she continues to fill the streets with bright colors. Her work is motivated by a desire to spread joy, cultivate gratitude, and support the growth of inclusive and connected communities. She programs and facilitates projects that empower people through creative engagement and increase representation of Toronto’s diverse population.

Some of the artists will also be calling on local Jewish and civic leaders and other artists to “light” the menorah murals each night by painting in a flame. With the closures and cancellations of Jewish and arts programming because of COVID-19, this project will allow artists to engage their local communities.

Initiated by artist Hillel Smith (Washington, DC), and co-curated by artist Rabbi Yitzchok Moully (New Jersey / New York) the Festival features artists renowned for work that deals with Jewish themes and work inspired by their urban landscapes. These artists come from diverse backgrounds: Ashkenazi and Mizrachi, secular and religious, and from around North America. Their varied perspectives exemplify the richness of the Jewish world and create a platform for a broader conversation about Jewish art and identity.

Street art has become enormously popular in recent years, increasingly embraced by the art world and tourists alike. As street art is often used by artists to express their identities, Jewish artists have found a perfect outlet in murals and other public art. The Festival aims to highlight this development on the world stage and create conversations about Jewish presence in our cities.

The Festival is supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation’s Grassroots Events program.