Photo courtesy of the Jerusalem Print Workshop
1978
The story of modern printmaking in Israel begins in the early decades of the twentieth century, when artists working in the emerging cultural centers of the Jewish community turned to engraving, woodcut, and lithography as powerful artistic mediums. Through bold lines, sharp contrasts, and richly textured surfaces, printmaking developed a distinctive visual language within modern Hebrew art. Artists used the medium to capture landscapes, figures, and symbols that helped shape the cultural imagination of a society taking form. Over time printmaking became an integral part of the country’s artistic life. From within this tradition the Jerusalem Print Workshop would later emerge, establishing itself as Israel’s leading center devoted to the art of printmaking.
The workshop was founded in 1974 by Arik Kilemnik, who had previously headed the print department at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Kilemnik envisioned a professional studio that would provide artists with the technical knowledge, equipment, and collaborative environment required to produce high quality prints. At the time, few such facilities existed in Israel. The creation of the workshop offered artists access to specialized presses and materials that would otherwise have been difficult to obtain, while also fostering a community devoted to the craft of printmaking.
The workshop found its home in Musrara, in the upper floors of an Ottoman era building distinguished by its stone tiled floors and vaulted ceilings. Over the decades the space has been gradually expanded and improved through the support of the Jerusalem Foundation. In 1981 the Foundation undertook renovations and dedicated the facility as the Florence Miller Art Center Jerusalem Print Workshop. A further milestone came in 1996, when the Foundation assisted in the purchase and renovation of the building, which was rededicated as the Jerusalem Print Workshop Bernard and Barbro Osher Art Center. In 2006, another major initiative by the Jerusalem Foundation with the support of the Djanogly Family of UK, enabled the workshop to acquire the building’s ground floor, allowing the studio to grow and broaden its activities.
Since its establishment, thousands of artists from across Israel have worked in the studio. Some arrive to experiment with new techniques, while others collaborate closely with the workshop’s master printers to translate their artistic ideas into prints. The range of methods practiced here includes etching, lithography, silkscreen, and woodcut, each requiring patience, skill, and a deep understanding of the material process. Internationally renowned artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Alexander Calder have also produced works at the workshop, adding their prints to the studio’s growing legacy.
Beyond its role as a production studio, the workshop serves as an important cultural institution. It commissions new editions, publishes artist books, and organizes exhibitions that introduce audiences to the creative possibilities of printmaking. Its collection of prints and artist books has become the largest of its kind in Israel. Educational initiatives bring students from art schools throughout Jerusalem into direct contact with the medium, while special programs have supported emerging artists and new immigrants seeking to establish themselves within the city’s creative community.
In a rapidly changing cultural landscape, the Jerusalem Print Workshop continues to safeguard a craft whose history stretches back centuries. By providing artists with the tools, knowledge, and collaborative environment necessary to create prints, the workshop ensures that the art of printmaking remains a living practice in the capital of Israel. Each new edition produced on its presses extends a tradition that has shaped Jerusalem’s artistic life for generations.
Back