Though the modern State of Israel has officially been
independent only since 1948, its unique blend of dynamic arts
and different cultural traditions has been around for some time
longer. Part of what makes the art scene in Israel so unique is
that the country blends so many varying influences from all over
the Jewish world. In the case of folk arts, for example, a wide
range of crafts can be found flourishing--from Yemenite-style
jewelry making to the embroidery and other needle crafts of the
Eastern European Jews. Over the last half-century, as artisans
have mixed and mingled and learned from one another, a certain
"Israeli" style of folk art has emerged, reflecting all of the
cultures who make up the modern state. In the fine arts, there
has also been a desire to create an "Israeli" art. From the late
19th and early 20th centuries, when significant numbers of Jews
began fleeing Europe and settling in the Land of Israel with
Zionistic dreams, the fine arts have occupied a prominent place
in Israeli life. Ar