November 2023 Heartland Highlight: Tekoa Art Center

Tekoa needs your help to complete its vision of creating a vibrant contemporary art center in the Biblical Heartland. The Madeleine Greenwald Art Center provides a unique venue for local and visiting artists to create, collaborate, and share their pioneering and Israeli experiences. Your support can make a significant impact on the inspiring community of Tekoa, by fostering unity, strength, and resilience in their ancestral land.


Donate now to foster creativity in Tekoa!

Art helps us create an authentic connection with ourselves and those around us; whether it conveys emotions through paint, plucks at the strings of our heart through music, or connects us through touch, with different textures. Art invites us into a deep inner place beyond language, to the currents of our vulnerability and strengths. At Tekoa, a community woven of Israelis, immigrants, religious and secular, art has been the catalyst for healing from horrific terrorist attacks. The people of Tekoa have embraced art as their source of strength, hope, and livelihood.

Tourism plays an important role in Tekoa’s economy, attracting a portion of those visiting Gush Etzion and the Herodian. Home to a significant concentration of artists—over 200 artists reside there—Tekoa dreams of channeling its talented population’s creativity into a regional hub for the arts that will nurture the community’s affinity and inspire optimism, resilience, and financial stability.

Thanks to generous donors, the Madeleine Greenwald Art Center opened its doors in Tekoa three years ago, and it is truly a gem! A contemporary lobby leads to the art gallery and gift shop, where visitors can savor unique art by residents and visiting artists on display. Visitors can explore artists’ studios, absorb the joyous vibes of creativity and collaboration and gain an intimate view of the artists at their crafts. Live performances featuring musicians, dancers, poets, and other artists offer visitors and Tekoa residents a unique perspective into the pioneering experience in Judea and Samaria, combining art and culture.

But to grow into a thriving regional art center, there are still many needs. Government grants for the arts require the center to demonstrate a two-year track record of hosting a minimum of four annual gallery exhibits. While the nascent art center is already flowing with creativity and has been gaining income from art studio rentals and performance fees, the cost of producing multiple art exhibits is prohibitive. Thanks to a generous donation, the cost of the first year’s art exhibits has been covered. To ensure continued vitality and growth, the Tekoa Art Center needs your help to cover the cost of the second year. Further, to advance their vision, the Tekoa Art Center needs your help with creating an aesthetic backdrop to the center’s frequent performing arts shows and concerts, including designing and landscaping the backyard, renovating the outdoor stage and installing a shady pergola.


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