Shalem Teams with Israel Museum for Unique Art History Course

Part of its ambitious mission to use “city as classroom,” Shalem launched a unique history of art course for sophomores this past fall—in the galleries of the Israel Museum. A first-of-its-kind joint venture between Shalem and the museum’s education department, the course offers students not only an experiential approach to studying the paradigmatic movements in art from antiquity to post-modernity, but also an opportunity to explore the reception and use of artwork among both the art world and the public alike.

The course, designed by Shalem Professor Einat Davidi and Curator of the Resnick Art Education Training Center Lihi Sapir, will include guided tours by various museum curators. While the focus will primarily be on the museum’s extensive permanent holdings, the course will aim to integrate temporary exhibitions into the curriculum as well. It will also emphasize the museum’s wealth of art and archaeological artifacts of the Ancient Near East, in keeping with Shalem’s goal of turning out graduates fluent in the history and culture of their region.

“The decision to hold this course at the Israel Museum,” explained Shalem Educational Director Ido Hevroni, “stemmed from a desire to move away from the ‘learning about’ model of education, which keeps the subject of inquiry at a distance, and toward one that encourages the student to see the subjects as one she can approach directly, and which holds meaning for her life.” To hear the students’ reactions, it seems to be working. “It’s fascinating to see the things we’re studying in our classes made real and tangible in the museum’s galleries,” said second-year student Hadas Ofir. “We’ll see an artifact from ancient Mesopotamia called ‘El,’ and realize just how porous was the relationship between the ancient Israelites and other cultures. It adds a new dimension to what we’ve learned in our classes, one that forces us to reevaluate assumptions. And that’s exactly why we’re here.”