The Ruth Youth Wing: "To contribute towards the advancement of creativity in children, and, through works of art, introduce them to the experience of art and world civilizations in order to expand their cultural horizons.".
by Lili Eylon
This was the first aim of the Israel Museums youth wing, under whose auspices art classes were first conducted for some 100 boys and girls in 1960, when there was as yet no art instruction in the schools. Ayala Gordon, an Israeli who had studied art for nine years in the United States, developed a pilot program for youngsters between the ages of ten and fourteen. Gordons idea was "to enable those seeing world art for the first time to learn how to observe it, and to discover the cultures of the world through their own artistic expression." The art studied in the classes included that of ancient Egypt, Greece, Islam, the Renaissance and the modern period. Eventually, the project attracted many more youngsters and turned out to be a popular leisure pastime. Today a total of some 35,000 Jewish and Arab youngsters participate annually in directed art activities in a spacious building of the Israel Museum complex in Jerusalem - the bustling Ruth Youth Wing. More than 1500 students of all ages attend weekly art classes. "The children work in three languages," says Nurit Cohen, the youth wings present director. "Hebrew, Arabic, and the language of art."
But the youth wing offers much more than art instruction. In the 60s the concept of "hands-on" exhibitions was developed simultaneously at the Childrens Museum in Boston, the Exploratorium in San Francisco and the Israel Museums Youth Wing. This new concept in museum exhibits meant that visitors could use all five senses to experience exhibits, instead of viewing sterile "PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH" items. According to this concept, exhibits are structured not only to be touched but also to be manipulated by small hands; the youngsters better understand the facts taught because of their personal involvement. Hands-on exhibits in the youth wing have focused over the years on several major themes: how to view art; world cultures; art materials; the childs world; and concepts such as big and small or touching.
A new hands-on exhibit Soil was added in honor of Israels 50th anniversary. (In Hebrew, in which letters also have numerical equivalents, the letters of the word for soil, adamah, are numerically equivalent to 50). In the exhibit, boys and girls on all fours explore clay caves; discover underground treasures; enter an adobe house; examine animal footprints; listen to legends about the earth; look at works of art made of soil; and build and paint with bits of soil. The children are each asked to bring some soil from their own surroundings which they add to the communal pile. They move blocks to create landscapes, and then view their creations on a television screen. In the galleries, large signs are lettered with questions: What hides beneath the earth on which we stand? Why do we call it "Mother Earth? What is our connection to the earth? Answers are to be provided by the children. The myriad possibilities of this exhibit delight children of all ages.
Guided tours of the Israel Museum for schools currently involve some 75,000 children and adolescents annually. These include exciting treasure hunts to the Shrine of the Book, a traveling theater of biblical characters who talk to the children near archaeological finds from their respective periods, and adventures for the very young, such as following a princess who will take them to the museums French eighteenth century salon. In addition, the youth wing offers tours for groups with special needs, such as the deaf, mute or blind.
A well-stocked library of childrens books in several languages is popular with the younger children; every two years a prize is given for the best Israeli illustrated childrens book. A training center for art teachers brings together art educators from all parts of the country, and a recycling room enables children to work with a variety of scrap materials.
These activities and more provide youngsters with an introduction to the world of culture exhibited in the Israel Museum, the countrys national museum; a fitting contribution to the future of culture in Israel.