Nirith Nelson

Nirith Nelson (born 1968, Tel Aviv) is a contemporary art and design curator and art educator. She is the art director of the Residency Program of the Jerusalem Center for the Visual Arts.

Nelson studied Art History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During her studies for the master's degree she began her work at the Israel Museum, where for nine years she practiced curatorial work and public speaking on art and design. She is on the faculty of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design since 2000. Since 2002, she developed and ran the JCVA Artists Residency program, where she screens and invites international artists and curators and creates individually-tailored programs for each in line with their artistic interests. Special projects that enrich visiting artists as well as the local art milieu, including exhibitions, lectures, workshops and multidisciplinary seminars were initiated and encouraged.

For 13 years, she was the art advisor of the Jerusalem Foundation, where she was responsible for the selection, concept, and integration of artworks into Jerusalem’s urban landscape, and where she worked with both local and international artists. Nelson initiated innovative projects in visual as well as interdisciplinary arts throughout the city. Almost all projects were community-based and related to the human environment they were immersed in.

Within this framework, Nirith Nelson initiated several successful projects such as the Dwek Gallery in Mishkenot Sha’ananim and the Art Cube Gallery at the Artists studios, which she managed artistically. She founded the Daniela Pasal Centre for Media Art, and founded and directed the successful Moonlight Cinema Festival. Nelson also curated the Mishkenot Photography Collection, which became one of Israel’s most prominent collections of contemporary Israeli photography, and was responsible for many other long-lasting public art projects in the city of Jerusalem.

She has also served as an art advisor to many other institutions, consulted for many artists and designers, and participated in numerous symposia. She has also served as a judge for several art and design committees, including among others The Andy Bronfman Prize, the Crate and Barrel prize, and the Israeli Ministry of Culture Prize. Nelson’s vivid lectures on contemporary art and design have drawn large audiences since her days at the Israel Museum.

Nirith Nelson is the daughter of Hannah and Nathan Nelson. She has a sister Lee-Bath Nelson (High Tech Executive and VC), and a brother Ben Nelson (Founder of The Minerva Project).

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