We asked a few Friends of KUNSTENISRAËL why they think it is important to be a Friend.
Jaap Meijers: “Despite the beautiful art that Israel has to offer, in the media all you hear about is pain and misery. In a dedicated and determined way, KUNSTENISRAËL shows the Dutch public the other side of Israel. I’m glad to support this important work.”
Rosa van der Wieken: “Despite all of the problems in Israel, there remains a huge and sophisticated offering of arts and culture there. I am glad to support a foundation that helps the Dutch audience to become acquainted with this.”
Berry van Kollem: “Israel, its history, the people, the country… I never get tired of reading about it. To help connect all these impressions and thoughts, I regularly immerse myself in Israeli art. The decision to make a modest contribution to KUNSTENISRAËL was therefore one that I didn’t have to think long about.”
David Beesemer: “I think the work of KUNSTENISRAËL is both very important and quite fascinating. It is wonderful to see the high quality contribution that Israel makes to the greater art world. KUNSTENISRAËL makes it possible for a large audience to see this art, something that I find especially important in such turbulent times. That’s why I wholeheartedly support the good work of Ken Gould and his team.”
Joel Fresco: “KUNSTENISRAËL introduces us to a variety of Israeli art, which is a wonderful promotion of what Israel has to offer in this field. They have created a niche and now a need that we no longer can do without. It is therefore important that we continue to embrace and support this! How? Simple. By becoming a Friend!”
Frits Barend: “Israel has more questions than answers for most Dutch people. One of the many questions we receive as frequent visitors of relatives in Israel is ‘Is it safe?’ Our answer is that it’s indeed not wise to casually cross the street in Tel Aviv or Haifa. In other words, just like in Paris or Amsterdam. But beyond that? Israel has wonderful museums and a strong, rich art life. The country is brimming with cultural festivals and artists. KUNSTENISRAËL regularly brings to the Netherlands a small portion of that unknown, artistic Israel. Because Israel is much more than what the Dutch think, more than politics alone. Israel is bubbling.”
Betty Bausch: “When I was working in Paris in the ’50s on behalf of the Dutch government, I became friends with the Israeli sculptor Shammaj Haber. I knew the problems of the Israeli artists, but I also saw the potential. Back in the Netherlands I got married in ’61 with the artist Dolf Bausch. In 1981 we settled in Israel in Eilat, where I organized an exhibition of his work. Later on it was shown in the Netherlands. I still have an intense interest in the Israeli arts. Because I think that art should be seen everywhere, and certainly in the Netherlands, I wholeheartedly support KUNSTENISRAËL.”
Louis Polack: “KUNSTENISRAËL is the ideal organization to help me have contact with Israeli artists. Giving Israeli artists the opportunity to exhibit and perform in the Netherlands, KUNSTENISRAËL helps them to reach an international audience. At these artists’ exhibitions and concerts, you get a sense of both their enormous enthusiasm and their artistic mastery, and I’d like more people to share this experience. KUNSTENISRAËL’s activities reach a broad audience and, at the same time, present Israel in a positive way in the news.”
