Israeli Art Shines on Omanoot.com

Forget Achbar HaIR or Time Out Israel. If you want to know what's going on in Israel's art world, a brand new Israeli website was launched yesterday to help you out: Omanoot.com.

Omanoot.com, (Omanoot -אמנות- meaning "art" in Hebrew) is the web site that I've been waiting for since the moment I arrived in Israel. Welcome to the first well-designed, accesible web site/ magazine dedicated to the arts. This includes the areas of dance, film, visual arts, literature and music. And what does this new website promise? I'll outline a few of the fantastic features for you here:



1) Israeli Film:
- movie trailers, synopses, reviews,pics, cinematic events

2) Israeli Visual Arts:
-featured artists, exhibition reviews, events updates, online galleries, art auctions

3) Israeli Music:
-to come: streaming Israeli music, mp3 downloads, top Israeli musicians

4) Israeli Literature:
-to come: featured Israeli writers, fiction , short stories, poetry,etc (I assume they will translate?)

And...what I believe to be the most innovative and intriguing section of the website...

5) Lesson Plans 
-to come: tips on education through art.  fantastic section helping teachers incorporate art in their classrooms and lessons.

While the website is in it's infancy, it has massive potential and I have high hopes.

My hopes were born with the emergence of their blog which preempted the general site. The blog has showcased some fantastic young Israeli art shows like Imbal Sarid's exhibit at Diezengoff Center, "The Apples" Israeli Funk Band, Diaghilev Art Hotel's Exhibit, Tavni Gallery's exhibition of worldclass international artists such as Doug Fishbone.

The Omanoot blog has also offered readers helpful weekly recommendations on the best art happenings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. They really are the best. I've found myself at exhibitions in yafo, dance concerts in central Tel Aviv and Art History Lectures at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

I have to say it again. This is what I've been waiting for. An art magazine without pretenses that is really about bringing art to the people. While there is another Tel Aviv art magazine called A5 which is super chic and very fashion-forward, and I do appreciate their aesthetic and their place in the art world, A5 is for artists in the art world- for those in the know.

Omanoot.com is the exact opposite.  It is a tasteful, accessible and easy-to-navigate website that invites everyone in- even those who might not have an arty bone in their body. It showcases Israeli art as something unique, special and valuable....and I agree with them 100%.

To learn more about the site, check out their FAQs, their About Us page, or Contact them.