The Gottesman Etching Center - Kibbutz Cabri, Israel
The etching workshop at Kibbutz Cabri was founded in 1993. The Gottesman Etching Center is Located in a distinctive Western Galilee landscape overlooking mountains and sea, it is a venue for artists from Israel and abroad to produce etchings, while also attracting the art-loving public for a first hand view of etching techniques.
Kibbutz Cabri links business enterprise with art, reflecting a perception that art acts as a stimulus and contributes both to the community and its individuals as well as to enterprise. In addition, various artists live and work in Cabri; a beautiful sculpture garden located next to the workshop of the late sculptor Yechiel Shemi is open to the public; the Cabri High School offers a study major in the plastic arts; the Cabri Gallery for Contemporary Art is located in the kibbutz; and plans for an art museum in Cabri are underway.
In 1996, Rachel and Dov Gottesman, art collectors who are actively involved in the fields of plastic art and music in Israel and abroad, arrived here for the first time, marking the beginning of the tie and the friendship forged by the Gottesmans with the Workshop staff and the community in Cabri. In 2000, following a meeting in New York with the American artist Jim Dine - sculptor, photographer and master printmaking artist, they initiated a master class encounter in the Etching Workshop in Kibbutz Cabri, where, together with Jim Dine, they worked with 12 Israeli artists for a period of 10 days.
This successful project led to the next one - the Artist's Portfolios Project published by Gottesman. The first portfolio in the project was Ofer Lellouche's "Nikanor Gates". Lellouche had made the first contact between the Gottesmans and the Workshop. Since then, over 20 portfolios by various Israeli artists have been produced.
In 2006, the Gottesman family initiated the expansion of the etching workshop and, in collaboration with Kibbutz Cabri, built a new structure which, in addition to a work space, contains two galleries that exhibit the works produced in the workshop. The idea of expanding the building dovetailed with previous plans for a museum, and architect Assaf Gottesman, who had drawn up plans for the museum a decade beforehand, designed the remodeled workshop structure. The name of the workshop was then changed to The Gottesman Etching Center.
The workshop prides itself on the high level of its craftsmanship, equal to that of the best etching workshops in the world. Its expert staff produces richly colored etchings using a combination of various print techniques. The workshop contains the largest press in Israel, with a maximal format capability of 130x230 cm. and all the necessary equipment involved, including a wide selection of papers, an extensive aquatint box, large etching baths and a hot table. Complete photo etching facilities are also on hand for artists who choose to work in this technique. These opportunities to produce prints by a variety of techniques distinguish the Cabri etching workshop from conventional etching presses.
The artists prepare the printing plates after selecting the technique best suited to their particular artistic style. Experienced etching printers assist them in the etching and printing process, working with a consistent emphasis on precision.
Artists who produce prints in the Cabri workshop may stay at the artists residence in the kibbutz for as long as the work requires.
Artists who use the Cabri workshop include many important painters and sculptures from Israel and from all over the world.
The work of each artist who has used the workshop facilities is available for viewing and purchasing.
Other Cabri workshop projects:
· Masterclasses in which a group of artists work together with a well-known artist, resulting in a learning and mutual enrichment experience.
· Various joint projects with museums, including the Israel Museum and the Tel Aviv Museum.
· Publishing deluxe editions of artist books featuring a series of prints by one or several artists accompanied by text.
· Classes in etching on various levels available to the public.
· The workshop welcomes visitors interested in observing the etching process at first hand and in viewing a large variety of printed works, which may also be purchased.
Opening hours:
Sunday – Thursday 8:00-16:00
Saturday 11:00-15:00
Friday - by appointment only