Nu ART Pop-Up Exhibition Program 

The Nu ART Mobile Lab is dedicated to increasing Jewish cultural awareness and appreciation through exposure to the arts. This project also understands that culture and art have a very important role to play in reinforcing Jewish identity and promoting Jewish continuity. The inclusion of cultural experiences will appeal to a diverse community.

Realizing the power of cultural experiences to promote a sense of deep connection to Judaism, Nu ART stands poised to launch a program believed to have the ability to reach a wide range of the LA Jewish community. As conceptualized, Nu ART would be the first Jewish pop-up arts Musuem or learning laboratory to hit U.S. streets and we believe this effort will lead to similar programs in other cities. The secular arts community has successfully organized similar projects. 

Building on the known models would allow Nu ART to target members of our community in an unexpected way using art as a tool for engagement.

Why create a Jewish Pop-Up Musuem or Moblie Arts experience? 

Eric Morris, contributor to the New York Times Freakonomics blog, explained in a 2009 post, "Angelenos spend more time stuck in traffic than any other drivers in the nation. According to the Texas Transportation Institute's 2005 Mobility Report Angelenos "suffered 72 annual hours of delay." In order to avoid commuting, many Angelenos live near their work or other areas of geographical importance such as school districts, the ocean, or places supporting lifestyle preferences. The Jewish community is no exception to geographic fragmentation. Our car culture inhibits the institutional impact of many Jewish organizations in L.A. According to Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Professor Sarah Bunin Benor, in a recent study commissioned by the Avi Chai Foundation, "The Los Angeles Jewish community is very spread out. Jews live and run institutions in the Valley, the West Side, Mid City, the East Side, the South Bay, Orange County, and several other regions. Because of traffic and perceived cultural differences and geographic barriers, Jews in some areas rarely visit others. While there is a downtown area that serves as a hub for some cultural events (theater, orchestral music, etc.), there is no central area that serves as a hub for Jewish life." (Sarah Bunin Benor, "Young Jewish Leaders in Los Angeles: Strengthening the Jewish People in Conventional and Unconventional Ways," The Avi Chai Foundation, 2010). Nu ART as a Jewish mobile cultural space offers an innovative solution to this geographic isolation and the resultant fragmentation of the Los Angeles Jewish Community.

This project's effectiveness is amplified by using art as an innovative way to engage participants by creating pop-up or temporary experiences. Once the Nu ART Pop-up Museum arrives at a new location participants will be encouraged to share their stories and engage with our subject matter. We would borrow from the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History Pop Up Museum model hosting one-day events, which use a crowd-source modality to create the exhibition experience. 

Thus, a mobile exhibition model transports Jewish culture to wherever Angelenos are congregating. You might find the Nu ART Pop-Up Musuem at a Jewish day school, at a Jewish Community Center, at your campus Hillel, at your local farmer's market, at the beach, at a community garden, outside a Silverlake coffee shop, at an outdoor movie screening, outside a regional music venue, at Runyon Canyon or at your next neighborhood gathering.

Nu ART believes this project has the potential to inspire new ways for our community to explore and celebrate contemporary Jewish culture. It is time to share our cultural legacy and let Jewish art reach members of our diverse community as well as others in Los Angeles. Help us get Jewish culture on the move!