Israel’s national school of art is named Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. The academy is named after Bezalel, son of Uri, a Biblical figure. The academy has a students union and strict rules those govern the institute. The Bezalel academy awards various prizes to its students for their achievements.
Location and History:
The Bezalel Academy of Art and Design is situated in Jerusalem on Mount Scopus. The academy was established in 1903 and started in 1906. During World War I the academy was cut off from its supporters in Europe. In 1929 the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design was closed due to financial problems. The early Zionists decided on a national style of art for Israel. It combined Jewish, Middle Eastern and European traditions. The style, named Bezalel was decided upon as the traditional Israeli style of art.
Bezalel means “in God’s Shadow” in Hebrew. The Bezalel School of art depicted Biblical as well as Zionist subjects. The style had a lot of European jugendstil (art noveau) and traditional Persian and Syrian influence. After closing down in 1929 the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design reopened in 1935 as the New Bezalel School for arts and Crafts. It attracted plenty of students and teachers from Germany, especially from the Bauhaus school that was closed by the Nazis. The academy was renamed to its present name in 1969 after being converted into a state-supported institution.
Courses Offered:
The Bezalel Academy of Art and Design offer a wide range of programs both in Bachelors as well as Masters Degree. The programs offered are Fine arts, Architecture, Ceramic Design, Industrial design, Jewelry, Photography, Visual communication, Animation, Film, art History and Theory. Bachelor’s degrees are offered in Fine arts, Architecture and Design. The Bezalel academy of Art and Design offers Master’s Degree only in Fine Arts in combination with Hebrew University. The Academy has a registration of around 1500 students in various courses.
The Bezalel Academy of art and Design celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006. The academy plans to change its location to the Russian Compound in future.
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