Leading Israeli Artists and AICF Grant Recipients Selected for US Residencies

The 2017-2018 track of the Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artists Program will bring AICF grant recipients for residencies at top universities across the United States. Among the Artists selected are choreographers Roy Assaf and Ronit Ziv, composer Hana Ajiashvili and actor, director and dramaturg Roy Horovitz. Also included are Nir Bergman, director, writer, and co-creator of television’s popular In Treatment, who will team-teach with award-winning documentary filmmaker David Ofek.

The program, an initiative of the Israel Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based academic institute that works to enhance the study of modern Israel, brings Israeli artists—among them filmmakers, choreographers, musicians, writers, and visual artists—to teach for a semester on campuses.

The Visiting Artist Program fosters interaction between the artists and the communities in which they are based, exposing a broader audience to contemporary Israeli culture. The program was founded in 2008 by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

“What makes The Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist Program unique and so effective is the ways in which it connects members of the host community and the visiting artists in a variety of settings—from formal to informal—over a significant period of time, rather than the more typical one-off experience,” explains Marge Goldwater, the program’s director. “As we look back on the last nine years, we see that the success of the residencies has prompted host institutions to continue to find ways to bring Israeli cultural leaders to their communities after the Schusterman artist has left.”

Since inception, the program has supported 83 residencies at colleges and universities across North America. To date, 93 artists have participated, among them, a recipient of The Israel Prize, Israel’s most prestigious award; an Emmy nominee; numerous recipients of Israel’s highest literary awards; and many winners of multiple Israeli Oscars.

“The Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artists program is the bridge between the Israel Institute’s academic and cultural programming. These visiting artists provide more than just classes that teach skills; these artists provide a window into the heart of Israel,” says Dr. Ariel Ilan Roth, Executive Director of the Israel Institute. “Cultural education provides insights into the fabric of a society in the way that other courses cannot, and the understanding of students enrolled in these classes is deeper and more enriched as a result.”