News
Download Your “Dwelling” Companion Book
We are pleased to share with you this gorgeous companion to Dwelling in a Time of Plagues, a Jewish creative response to the real-world plagues of our time. This coast-to-coast offline/online exhibition involves dozens of museums, public...
Watch the ‘Dwelling in a Time of Plagues: Passover’ Opening Event
Meet the artists and authors behind "Dwelling in a Time of Plagues," a project launched by CANVAS, in partnership with Asylum Arts, the Council for American Jewish Museums, the Jewish Book Council, LABA, and Reboot. The program features short talks by the following...
Introducing the CANVAS Compendium
CANVAS works to achieve a 21st-century Jewish cultural renaissance through grantmaking, advocacy, and education. The brand-new CANVAS Compendium is part of this effort — a newsletter designed to convey the highest quality and remarkable diversity of contemporary...
Cartoonist Liana Finck and the Art & Culture of Funding Jewish Art & Culture
At a session of the Jewish Funders Network's 2021 International Conference, Hyperallergic Editor Hrag Vartanian facilitated a discussion asking some of the biggest investors in Jewish arts and culture: Why do we invest in Jewish arts and culture? Do we fund art for...
‘Dwelling in a Time of Plagues’ is Back for Passover
When we observe Passover later this month at the traditional seder meal, we will recite the 10 Plagues that God is said to have imposed on the ancient Egyptians as punishment for not freeing their Israelite slaves. But this will be the second consecutive Passover...
A Tour of “Dwelling in a Time of Plagues”
https://youtu.be/nl86kZtMzIk Tour the coast-to-coast exhibition "Dwelling in a Time of Plagues" with the artists and museum directors whose collaborative work caught the attention of the art world and received global acclaim this Sukkot. Featuring artists Mirta...
The Story Behind the CANVAS Logo
When I (Ella) was asked to design the logo for CANVAS it was explained to me that this new funding collaboration would target the “Jewish cultural renaissance” — a new generation of artists that are exploring and creating innovative ways to preserve and reimagine...
Virtual Tour of ‘Shelter in Place’ and Artist Talk with Adam W. McKinney
https://vimeo.com/470262185 "Shelter in Place," at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, is a collaboration with Asylum Arts and one of three installations commissioned for Sukkot as part of Dwelling in a Time of Plagues. Dwelling in a Time of...
Virtual Tour of ‘Clamor in the Desert’
Just because you're nowhere near Tucson doesn't mean you can't see Mirta Kupferminc's "Clamor in the Desert," one of three Dwelling in a Time of Plagues installations. Check out the virtual tour that The Jewish History Museum (Tucson) has published on its website. You...
It’s Not Too Late To Check Out ‘Dwelling in a Time of Plagues’
While the holiday of Sukkot has ended, “Dwelling in a Time of Plagues,” the national constellation of outdoor art installations commissioned by CANVAS — in partnership with Asylum Arts, the Council on American Jewish Museums, LABA and Reboot — continues. "Dwelling in...
Dwelling in a Time of Plagues
We're thrilled to announce "Dwelling in a Time of Plagues," a celebration of life, art, and community during a pandemic year that has upended our daily lives, routines, and interactions. A project of CANVAS, three of its grantees, and three Jewish museums, "Dwelling"...
Comedy and Catharsis in a Time of Crisis: A CANVAS Conversation
Thursday, September 10, 2020, 1:30pm – 3:00pm EDT This is the second program in the CANVAS Conversations series, "Why We Invest in Our Creative Community.” Jews have always relied on humor to endure difficult times—and this is an especially difficult time. But...
WATCH: A CANVAS Conversation with Nathan Englander, Marra Gad and Rachel Kadish
https://youtu.be/7dLTaWCJ3iM A rare and intimate conversation/reading with three major Jewish authors — Nathan Englander, Marra B. Gad, and Rachel Kadish — as they share their work and their reactions to the crises of our times. What is the role of an artist in a...
Supporting Artists in This Moment Is Not a Luxury
Rebecca Guber, director and founder of CANVAS grantee Asylum Arts recently published this important op-ed in The New York Jewish Week: “I don’t typically cry at work. But last week, the tears flowed. I’ve read thousands of grant proposals in my career.
Literature in a Time of Crisis: A Conversation with Nathan Englander, Marra Gad and Rachel Kadish
This is the first in a series called “Why We Invest in Our Creative Community: A CANVAS Conversation.
Amid Pandemic Challenges, Jewish Creatives Get Boost from New Arts Funding Collaborative
At a time when arts organizations and artists are reeling from the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new Jewish initiative is stepping in with much-needed grants and an emergency relief fund. CANVAS, a partnership of five Jewish foundations working with...
Why Artists Are Essential Workers — And How We Can Help Them
Writing in The Forward, CANVAS Founder Lou Cove discusses the unique challenges Jewish artists are facing during the COVID-19 epidemic and ways in which people can help them, including by supporting the CANVAS emergency fund. Read the full article here.
Video: Jewish Arts & Artists in a Time of COVID-19
https://youtu.be/ITNE0_wuz94 CANVAS webinar on April 2, 2020. In a prolonged moment of social distancing and sheltering in place, we find ourselves turning to artists for help. Artists and creatives are actively providing entertainment and distraction when we are...
CANVAS 2020/2021 Network Grants
The first grant cycle for CANVAS is dedicated to supporting networks of Jewish artists and/or arts organizations. Who We Support (When We Support Networks) Asylum Arts - Visual ArtistsCAJM - MuseumsJewish Book Council - Authors & Presenting Orgs.LABA - Creatives...