The Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation (IcExcellence) is a private cultural foundation which aims to identify, nurture, and support

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

's most outstanding artists. The foundation locates Israeli artists with potential for excellence in a wide variety of artistic fields, including

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...

, music (classical, jazz, and Israeli), dance, theater, cinema,

product design Product design is the process of creating new Product (business), products for businesses to sell to their customers. It involves the generation and development of ideas through a systematic process that leads to the creation of innovative products ...

visual communication Visual communication is the use of visual elements to convey ideas and information which include (but are not limited to) signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, and electronic resourc ...

, fashion design, and writing. The foundation supports its chosen artists for a period of up to five years.,

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...

The foundation

IcExcellence was founded by its managing director Rachel Marani, formerly Israel's cultural

attaché In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. It is financed by businesspeople, companies, and foundations from Israel and all over the world. The artistic advisory committees consist of 35 artists and public opinion makers, including six

Israel Prize The Israel Prize (; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor. History Prior to the Israel Prize, the most significant award in the arts was the Dizengoff Prize and in Israel ...

laureates, all acting on a voluntary basis. Members include Dubi Lenz,

Gal Uchovsky Gal Uchovsky (; born September 27, 1958) is an Israeli screenwriter, producer, journalist, activist and Israeli TV personality. Early life Uchovsky was born in Hadera. His family moved to Vienna while his father was studying there. They returne ...

, David Tartakover, Michal Smoira-Cohn,

Chaim Topol Chaim Topol (; 9 September 1935 – 8 March 2023), mononymously known as Topol, was an Israeli actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical ''Fiddler on the Roof'' and the Fiddler on the Roof ...

, Dani Caravan, Yossi Marhaim,

Mendi Rodan Mendi Rodan (; 17 April 1929 – 9 May 2009) was an Israeli conductor and educator. Biography Mendi Rodan (Rosenblum) was born in Iaşi, Romania, one of three children of Solomon and Miriam Rosenblum. Mendi began playing the violin at the age of ...

Ohad Naharin Ohad Naharin (; born 1952) is an Israeli choreographer, contemporary dancer, and creator and teacher of a unique system/language/pedagogy of dance called Gaga. He served as artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company from 1990; he stepped down i ...

, Danny Gottfried, Ron Arad,

Asher Fisch Asher Fisch (; born May 19, 1958, Jerusalem, Israel) is an Israeli conductor and pianist. Fisch began his career as an assistant of Daniel Barenboim and an associate conductor of the Berlin State Opera. He made his United States debut in 1995, co ...

, Gershon Bram, Alex Padua, and

Micah Lewensohn Micah Lewensohn (; 27 August 1952 – 20 March 2017) was an Israeli theater director and actor. Directing for the Theatre * ''The Producers (musical), The Producers'' by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (writer), Thomas Meehan, Cameri Theater. 2006 ...

. The work of the foundation focuses on two main areas. The first, "Developing and advancing the artist’s knowledge and skills", involves building a personal advancement program suited to the artist and their needs. The programs may include taking advanced courses in a foreign country, or learning a relevant professional software program. The second area, "Developing and advancing the artist’s professional career, involves encouraging artists to assume a proactive approach to advancing their careers, based on the understanding that great artistic talent is a prerequisite but in itself does not suffice for developing a prominent local and/or international career. Seminars and annual meetings deal with “career skills”, exposing the artists to subjects such as strategic and business counseling, self-presentation, marketing, branding, and networking. Business coaching is also offered.

IcExcellence Chosen Artists, 2002-08

Israeli Music

Din Din Aviv,

David D'Or David D'Or (; born David Nehaisi on October 2, 1965) is an Israeli singer, composer, and songwriter. A countertenor with a vocal range of more than four octaves, he is a three-time winner of the Israeli "Singer of the Year" and "Best Vocal Perf ...

, Lior Elmalich,

Victoria Hanna Victoria Hanna (Hebrew: ויקטוריה חנה; a stage name consisting of her first and middle names) is an Israeli multi-disciplinary artist, singer and musician.Rona Kenan Rona (Aharona) Rachel Kenan (; born 26 July 1979) is an Israeli singer-songwriter. Biography Kenan was born on 26 July 1979. Her father is the late Amos Kenan and her mother is the scholar Nurith Gertz. She was attracted to music at a young age ...

, Ron Shem Tov (

Izabo Cherie and Renno, formerly known as Izabo (Hebrew: איזבו), are an Israeli duo that was formed in 1989. Their musical style is diverse, ranging from indie rock, disco and Middle Eastern music. Under the name Izabo, they represented Israel a ...

), Shlomi Shaban

Classical music

Conductors

Gil Shohat Gil Shohat (; born 7 September 1973) is an Israeli classical music composer, Conducting, conductor, pianist and lecturer. Biography Gil Shohat was born in Tel Aviv. His mother is ''Ha'aretz'' theatre critic Tzipora (Tzipi) Shohat. He grew up in Ra ...

Dan Ettinger Dan Ettinger (; born 1971) is an Israeli conductor, opera singer and pianist. Biography Ettinger is descended from Romanian immigrants to Israel, as his father and grandmother are Holocaust survivors. He grew up in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon. ...

, and Yaron Gottfried, Opera Singer

Chen Reiss Chen Reiss (; born 1979) is an Israeli operatic soprano. She began piano studies at age 5, ballet at age 7, and voice lessons at age 14. She decided to focus on vocal studies by age 16. Reiss performed leading parts at the Vienna State Opera, R ...

, Composer

Avner Dorman Avner Dorman (Hebrew: אבנר דורמן; born April 14, 1975, in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli-born composer, educator and conductor. Education Dorman holds a doctorate in music composition from the Juilliard School, where he studied as ...

Keren Hadar Keren Hadar (; born 1975) is a crossover soprano singer from Israel. She was born in Neve Ne'eman in the Hod HaSharon municipality. She is the third of four siblings. Keren's father, a businessman, was born in Israel and her mother, a secretary, ...

Jazz

Avishai Cohen,

Eli Degibri Eli Degibri (; born May 3, 1978, in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger. Early life Degibri first began playing the mandolin at age 7 in an after-school music program at the Jaffa Conservatory of Musi ...

Theater

Actor

Itay Tiran Itay Tiran (; born March 23, 1980) is an Israeli stage and screen actor, director, and a pro-Palestinian advocate in Israel. As an actor, he is known for his roles in ''Forgiveness'' (2006), '' Beaufort'' (2007), '' The Debt'' (2007), ''Homelan ...

, Set & Lighting Designer Bambi Friedman,

Mira Awad Mira Anwar Awad (; ; born June 11, 1975) is a Palestinian-Israeli singer-songwriter, actress, television host, and political activist of Arab Palestinian and Bulgarian descent. She represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 alon ...

, Keren Zur

Writing

Author

Etgar Keret Etgar Keret (; born August 20, 1967) is an Israeli writer known for his short stories, graphic novels, and scriptwriting for film and television. Early life Keret was born in Ramat Gan, Israel in 1967. He is a third child to parents who survive ...

Eshkol Nevo Eshkol Nevo (; born 28 February 1971) is an Israeli writer who has published a collection of short stories, five novels and a work of non-fiction. One of his novels, ''Homesick'', was awarded the Book Publishers Association Gold Prize (2005) an ...

Film and television

Directors Nir Bergman,

Tomer Heymann Tomer Heymann (; born October 12, 1970, in Kfar Yedidia, Israel) is an Israeli filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the documentary films ''Paper Dolls'', ''Mr.Gaga'' and '' Who's Gonna Love Me Now?''. Career Heymann has directed many d ...

, David Ofek

Visual Art

Yael Bartana Yael Bartana (; born 1970) is an Israeli artist, filmmaker and photographer, whose past works have encompassed multiple mediums, including photography, film, video, sound, and installation. Many of her pieces feature political or feminist themes ...

, Zoya Cherkassky,

Adi Nes Adi Nes (; born 1966) is an Israeli photographer. He has had solo exhibitions at Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. Life and career Adi Nes was born in Kiryat Gat. His parents are Jewish imm ...

, Talia Keinan,

Yehudit Sasportas Yehudit Sasportas (; born 1969) is an Israeli artist. She is active in Israel and Germany. In 1997 she was awarded the Ingeborg Bachman Scholarship for her work and in 1999 the Nathan Gottesdiener Foundation prize. Biography Yehudit Sasportas ...

, Gal Weinstein

Visual Communication

Graphic Designer

Adi Stern Adi Stern (Hebrew: עדי שטרן; born 1966) is an Israeli graphic designer, type designer, and the President of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. Biography Adi Stern was born in 1966 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, and grew up ...

, Illustrator

Rutu Modan Rutu Modan (; born 1966) is an Israeli illustrator and comic book artist. She is co-founder of the Israeli comics group Actus Tragicus and published the graphic novels ''Exit Wounds'' (2007) and '' The Property'' (2013). Biography Rutu Modan was ...

Fashion Design

Avshalom Gur, Yaniv Persy, Mirit Weinstock, Claudette Zorea

Choreography & Dance

Sharon Eyal L-E-V Company is an Israeli dance and spectacle ensemble created by dancer Sharon Eyal and designer of multimedia events Gai Behar. History L-E-V (which means "heart" in Hebrew) mixes electronic music, techno, fashion and contemporary works into i ...

Emanuel Gat Emanuel Gat () is an Israeli choreographer of contemporary dance. Biography Emanuel Gat was born in 1969 in Israel. He discovered dance at the age of 23, after a workshop for amateurs, led by choreographer Nir Ben Gal. He started working at th ...

Yasmeen Godder Yasmeen Godder (; born 1973), is an Israeli choreographer and dancer. Biography Yasmeen was born and raised until the age of 14 in Jerusalem. As a child, she danced at Professor Hasia Levi-Agron's class, and ballet at Yaakov Lipshitz's in Jerusal ...

, Idit Herman (Clipa Theater)

Product Design

Ron Gilad, Tal Gur

Multi-Disciplinary

Ohad Fishof

References

External links

*
Finding Excellence in Israel's Artists
{Dead link, date=January 2020 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes Culture of Israel