The Ein Hod Artists Colony lies in the heart of the Carmel Forest, just south of the city of Haifa – a wonderful village with windy streets, phenomenal vistas, and loads of little art galleries, mostly within the homes of residents. A visit to Ein Hod involves walking through quaint streets lined with galleries and the homes of artisans, taking in spectacular views, and maybe even a workshop. What makes Ein Hod special is the involvement of the artists – after all, how often can you chat to an artist in their own home about the piece of work they have just created.
Ein Hod became an artists’ village in 1953 at the initiative of Marcel Janco, a renowned artist of the Dada movement who organized a diverse group of artists and craftspeople to settle among the ancient stone houses of the village. Today, a large proportion of the 500 residents of Ein Hod are artists varying from painters, potters, and sculptors to writers, poets and playwrights. Many of these open their houses to the public (especially during the summer months) to showcase their creations.
As well as viewing and buying art, Ein Hod’s residents put on workshops and educational activities for those who want to go a stage further.
At the center of the village are two notable galleries. The first is the community gallery of Ein Hod, where many of the residents of the village showcase their work, either in addition to or instead of, opening their homes to the public. A huge repository of art of ranging styles, if you are short on time its a good way to take in the huge range of styles of art created here. The second is the Janco-Dada Museum which shows the works of Marcel Janco, the founder of Ein Hod.
In addition to visual art, the village has a big program of music and audible arts: The Gertrud Kraus House sponsors biweekly chamber music concerts and guest lectures, whilst during the summer months, the outdoor aphitheater hosts performances of popular music and light entertainment. Additionally the village’s central square hosts free outdoor jazz concerts throughout the year on Saturdays.
