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TEXAS JEWISH ARTS ASSOCIATION

Texas Jewish Arts Association (TJAA) is a community of visual and performance artists, arts professionals and art enthusiasts. Membership is open to all who value the quality of life that the arts provide, regardless of religious affiliation or level of expertise. TJAA believes that artistic creativity brings out the best in humanity.

As a volunteer-run non-profit arts organization, TJAA is committed to supporting our artist members by fostering camaraderie, offering educational and social programming, and bringing our artists’ work to the public through varied opportunities and in various locations around the DFW metroplex.

Texas Jewish Arts Association was formed in May 2013 by a small group of Dallas-Fort Worth area Jewish artists and art enthusiasts who saw the need to create a platform for discussion, critique, exhibition and education. The creation of TJAA resulted from an event organized by the Dallas Jewish Historical Society titled In the Eye of the Beholder, that brought together 19 local Jewish artists to exhibit artwork and attend a lecture about the nature of Jewish Art. The event attracted over 200 people and was deemed a huge success. Capitalizing on the energy of that evening, TJAA was formed. The association is comprised of artists and arts professionals at all points in their careers, from seasoned, widely-exhibited artists to novice and emerging artists.

In order to nurture a vibrant and enduring Jewish identity, culture, and community, TJAA strives to engage Jewish and non-Jewish audiences as important collaborators in the development of a contemporary Jewish cultural exchange. Our goal is to foster artistic growth and camaraderie through informational and educational gatherings, performance, and exhibition opportunities.

TJAA GOALS

Provide publicity, performance, and exhibition opportunities for members
Provide education and skill enhancement through lectures, critiques, and workshops
Attract local and national artists to conduct lectures and workshops
Offer classes/lectures about the history of art and symbology in Judaism, connecting the past with the future
Provide an outreach resource for Jewish art teachers and students
Create opportunity for Jewish youth and Jewish schools to exhibit their work
Enrich the cultural landscape of Texas by tapping into the expertise of its Jewish Arts professionals and attaining members throughout the state to a build a network that will strengthen our creative culture
Provide an intellectual 'eruv' - an arena for artists to interact with the Jewish community and within the parameters of traditional Jewish values

HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE THESE GOALS

Annual Members Showcase Exhibition
Annual Juried Member Exhibition
Annual Student Exhibit (middle & high school)
Art Lectures & Artist Presentations
Art Workshops
'Salon' Gatherings
Annual Members Meeting & Social Event
Member Pages and Publicity on Website
Newsletter
Marketing through Social Media
Inclusion of art forms such as performing arts, literature, art therapy, art education and the visual arts
Expansion of TJAA to other areas of Texas (regional chapters)
Volunteer Opportunities:
- Exhibition
- Education
- Liaisons to community institutions
- Speaker Recruitment & Liaison
- Special Events/Programs
- Graphic Design for Invitations and Other Materials
- Public Relations & Social Media
- Steering Committee Membership