The Haifa Museum of Art is located close to the intersection of Shabtai Levi streets, Zion and Hafen boulevards, at 26 Shabtai Levi street.
The beginning of the museum
The museum was founded in 1951, in one of the wings of the Haifa City Hall, on the occasion of a large exhibition of the Jewish painter Marc Chagall who came to Haifa on this occasion. The museum operated in the city hall building until 1978, when it moved to its current location, at 26 Shabtai Levy St.
High school for girls
The current building was built in the 20s of the last century, as a high school for girls, at the initiative of the Anglican bishop from Jerusalem (English High School for Girls). The building that was inaugurated in the 30s also included a boarding school and was open to girls of all denominations and religions. All the teachers were British and the language of study was, of course, English. But classes were also given in Hebrew.
The children of the officials of the British mandate in Haifa such as the railway manager, the customs manager and others studied at the school. Besides them, the children of the wealthy Arab families in the city studied there. The original building of the school was a two-story, modern building, covered with stone for the most part in Tubza work. In addition to classrooms, the entire building also has a sports hall, as per the best British tradition.
The same lady in Bashnoi Adrat
The building continued to be used as a school even after the establishment of the state, but in a different format. In the 50s, a private high school operated there in the morning hours and was named "High School for Workers' Children" which belonged to the "Workers Stream". In the evenings, an Arab high school called "New High School" operated there. In the 60s, a branch of the Histadruti school "Mishlav" began to operate there in the afternoons, the purpose of which was to prepare adult students for matriculation exams.
Haifa Museum of Art
In the second half of the 70s, the building was transferred to the Haifa Municipal Authority, which decided to house the Haifa Museum of Art, which, as I recall, operated in the historic city hall building until then. The unique stone structure, which was included in the list of "buildings for preservation", has undergone extensive renovation, while strictly preserving its appearance. As part of the renovation, another floor was built, the sports hall became an auditorium and the other spaces were adapted to display the art collection that was moved from the city hall building. Apart from this, areas have been designated for the management of the museum and areas for the operation of the art collection.
The Haifa Museum of Art began operating in its new home in 1978 and its collection includes approximately 7000 pieces of art from various periods by Israeli and international artists. The museum is part of the Haifa museum system which also includes the Ticotin Museum, the Herman Struck Museum, the National Maritime Museum, the City Museum and the Mana Katz Museum.
Thanks
My thanks are hereby given thanks to Ms. A blunt statement, from the Association for the History of Haifa, an expert on Haifa architecture and its architects, for her help in obtaining the information necessary to edit the article.
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Hello David, in this building that became a museum, the Museum of Music and Ethnology and the Museum of Archeology also operated
Thank you for the information.
If you look at the investment in new museums in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, you immediately understand where Haifa's place is in the national priority order. And this despite the fact that Haifa is an anchor of cultural activity for the entire north.
In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the major museums do not operate out of school buildings.
The time has come to demand a similar investment in Haifa. The building of the central station does not belong to the municipality and therefore it is lost
But there are other magnificent buildings such as the court building in Hassan Shukri which was taken over by the State Comptroller Lindenstrauss and is now completely closed to the public. The beautiful building had to be turned into an art museum with new wings at the back and the State Comptroller could sit in the Government Palace like the other offices.
Thank you for your response, this time I completely agree with you. Good week!
By the way, "New High School" was a high school for all intents and purposes and operated during the day like a normal school and not during the evening hours
Kudos to you my dear friend Dr. David Bar On for this article. Have a good and blessed week everyone.
Really not a serious article. On the first two floors was an elementary school called "Lashada". I studied there until 1965. Grades XNUMX to XNUMX. Indeed, they used to show movies every few days in the evening for the students. It's a shame for the lack of knowledge and accuracy
In the chapters of Avot it is said: Do not look at the jar but at what is in it. In the urban space the public, secular, administrative, cultural and religious buildings are landmarks, the "jug" in this case is important, no less planned/its functional role, building the image of the public space. In Haifa, since the period of austerity, the structures of public institutions are bound by mediocrity, the dominant line of thought is that there may be a disconnection between visibility/inventions/and functionality. The location and the function imposed on the school, even its proximity to the Hagafen House and the Chagall House of Artists, lack any connection and urban being both in the urban landscape as well as in the social one. There was a village, a butterfly, the building that was supposed to replace the Armon cinema (where the Philharmonic performed) was and still lacks data Basic to be a landmark, the university, in the image of Abba Khushi, was supposed to be Brasilia, the capital of the Galilee, led to a crazy expansion of the city, biting like a malignant cancer in natural potential. That of the sea, the English were the first to do it, the Carmel Beach Towers finished the job! Let's go back to the girls' school...which is used as a museum...perhaps the city's pensioners should understand that Hadar Carmel is potentially the heart of Haifa, Herzl Street is an artery and the area around it must be restored...for example
The old court building, next to the city hall, is potentially more suitable than the girls' school (significant construction additions are possible in the rear) to house the museum.... Haifa lacks flight!
I remember a statement in connection, of a pilot in the Kippur War, who flew over Damascus and described it as "a big village" (once when it was "small" it was a capital on a world scale!) Haifa still refuses to grow up and become a city!!!
Thank you for your response. Your proposal to use the Mandatory Court building for a museum is interesting and it has already been raised in one of the responses.
Usually Dr. Bar-on is more in-depth.
Unfortunately, this time the article is shallow. Shame.
Thanks for checking in, have a good week!
I remember that in the 50s there was an elementary school called "Lashda" and that in the large gymnasium they screened movies on Friday afternoons (in the era before television)
Thanks for your comment, you added interesting information, have a good week!
Maxim Dr. David Bar On.
Thank you very much, dear Rafol, Shabbos Shalom!
Kudos to you my dear friend Dr. David Bar On for this article. Shabbat shalom and blessed to you.
The Haifa Museum of Art should be moved to the ruins of Bat Galim Central Station. A museum should be in an accessible, central place and also with the ability to develop.
I recommend checking the history of the building in other sources due to the missing information in the article.
In this building there was also a "Leshad" elementary school on the ground floor at the same time as the "Haifa High School" high school.
There is information that the building was used as a hospital during the mandate period.
The architectural description of the entrance to the building, the interior of the building regarding the staircases, the high ceilings, unique windows and other architectural features are missing.
A bit anemic article, there is still a lot to complete.
Thank you for your response. True, you can always expand. Shabbat Shalom!
charming
Thank you very much, Shabbat Shalom!