Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
בצלאל, אקדמיה לאמנות ועיצוב | |
Elbelm of Bezalel, designed by Ephraim Moses Lilien | |
Former names | Bezalel School |
|---|---|
| Type | Public college Art school |
| Established | 1906 |
| Founder | Boris Schatz |
| President | Adi Stern |
| Students | 2,500 |
| Undergraduates | 2,200 |
| Postgraduates | 300 |
| Location | Jerusalem, Israel 31°46′54″N 35°13′24″E / 31.7818°N 35.2234°E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | bezalel.ac.il |
Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (Hebrew: בצלאל, אקדמיה לאמנות ועיצוב) is a public college of design and art located in Jerusalem. Established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz, Bezalel is Israel's oldest institution of higher education and is considered the most prestigious art school in the country. It is named for the Biblical figure Bezalel who was appointed by Moses to oversee the design and construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:30). The Arts and Crafts like art created by Bezalel's students and professors in the early 1900s is considered the first formal Israeli art. Following the waning of the School of Paris inspired artists of Tel Aviv and Safed's artists' quarter, as well as the school's abandonment of the arts and crafts in favour of modernist art, the school gradually regained its prominence in the Israeli art scene.
Bezalel's 460,000 sq ft main campus is located adjacent to the Russian Compound in the city center. The architecture department remains at Bezalel's nearby historic campus.
As of 2023, Bezalel offers ten bachelor's departments and five masters programs; it employs more than 500 lecturers and enrolls 2,500 students (2,200 undergraduate; 300 graduate).
The school has received numerous honors including 14 Israel Prizes and 3 EMET Prizes.