Galleries and Artists of Safed

{{Infobox
|title = Galleries and Artists of Tzfat
|image        = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Abuhav Synagogue]]
|header1 = Hebrew:
|data2  = אומנים, גלריות וסטודיות בצפת
|header3 = Pronunciation:
|data4  = O’o-ma-nut
|header5 = Other Names
|data6   = Tzfat Artists Community
|header7 = Description:
|data8   = Tzfat is known for its artists community which includes new contemporary artists,older established artists and galleries which represent a wide range of Israeli artists. . }}3

A few early artists established studios in Tzfat prior to the Israel [[Safed War of Independence|War of Independence]] in 1948. Due to their influence many other well-known Israeli artists came to Tzfat in the ‘50s and ‘60s, developing an artist community which has become an international tourist attraction. The artist community continues to change and evolve, but is still a thriving part of the Tzfat landscape.

== History ==
In 1934 [[Frenel Frankel Gallery Safed|Yitzhak Frenel]], already a well-known artist from Tel Aviv, established a studio in Tzfat. Following the 1948 War of Independence many of his students followed him to Tzfat and set up their own galleries in the burgeoning [[Artists Quarter Safed|Artists Quarter]]. These early pioneers included Moshe Castel, Mordechai Levanon, Ziona Tajar, Shimshon Holtzman, Yehezkel Streichman and Moshe Avni. They were subsequently joined by many other well-known artists including Moshe Rosenthalis, Zvi Erman, Menahem Shemy, Yehudah Amitai, Aryeh Merzer and David Gilboa. Slowly, new artists arrived, creating a thriving artists colony which gave Tzfat a name as the “Bohemian capital of Israel.”

These artists formed themselves into the Safed Artists Colony Association to protect their reputations and support each other. Many of these artists lived in the Tel Aviv area for most of the year and came to Tzfat for a few months each summer to open their galleries and draw inspiration from the Tzfat landscape.

== Change ==
During the ‘70s and into the ‘80s these artists began to age and slowly they, and their children, sold their homes and galleries to newcomers. Young Israeli artists didn’t have the same attachment to Tzfat and preferred to stay in Tel Aviv so the old artists’ homes were purchased by young religious families. This changing demographic altered the character of the Artists Quarter.

== Old Jewish Quarter Art ==
Simultaneously, increasing numbers of artists and gallery owners were noticing that the majority of the tourist groups were spending most of their time in the [[Old City Safed|Old Jewish Quarter]] where they were visiting the [[Tzfat Synagogues|old synagogues and other historic sites of Tzfat]]. From the early ‘80s onward, new galleries and studios opened along [[Art Gallery Street Safed|Yosef Caro Street]]. These included galleries such as [[Sarahs Tent Gallery Safed|Sarah’s Tent]], the [[Nonna Gallery Safed|Nonna Gallery]] and [[Tzfat Gallery Safed|Tzfat Gallery]] which now represent Israeli artists who live elsewhere but wish to exhibit in Tzfat.

In addition, local Tzfat artists such as [[Moreen-Greenberg|Moreen Greenberg]], [[Asia-Katz-Gallery-Safed|Asia Katz]] and [[Anat Edri Gallery Safed|Anat Edri]] and artisans including glassblower [[Moshe Cohen Lihi Gallery Safed|Moshe Cohen]], silversmith [[Doron Cohen Gallery Safed|Doron Cohen]] and the [[Safed Candles]] maintain studios and exhibitions in the Old Jewish Quarter.

== Tzfat Art Genres ==
Visitors, browsers and collectors can find a wide range of art in Tzfat. Sculptors [[Victor Halvani Gallery Safed|Victor Halvani]], [[Yonatan Darmon Gallery Safed|Yonatan Darmon]] and [[Haim Azuz Sculptures Safed|Haim Azuz]] exhibit in Tzfat. Tzfat is the home of the art of microcalligraphy as practiced by present-day microcalligraphers [[Morris Dahan Safed Gallery|Morris Dahan]], [[Moshe Dadon Gallery Safed|Moshe Dadon]] and [[Moshe Yair Microcalligraphy Safed|Moshe Yair]]. New young English-speaking artists such as [[Sheva Chaya Gallery Safed|Sheva Chaya]], [[Batya Erdstein Pottery Safed|Batya Erdstein]] and [[Yom Tov Gallery Safed|Yom Tov]] have helped to revive the artists community along with Russian-speaking artists such as [[Masha Orlovitch Gallery Safed|Masha Orlovitch]], [[Lenoid Zikeev Gallery Safed|Lenoid Zikeev]] and [[Robert Rosenberg Gallery Safed|Robert Rosenberg]]. And, of course, there are a number of artists who incorporate their study of “Kabbalah --”Jewish mysticism -- with their art including [[Gallery Mystical Art Safed Avraham Lowenthal|Avraham Lowenthal]], [[Menses-Kabbalah-Art-Gallery-Safed|Jan Menses]], [[Kosmic Kabbalah David Friedman Safed |David Friedman]] and [[Kaszemacher Gallery Safed|Yakov Kaszemacher]].