The Nonprofit Association for Modern and Contemporary Arab Art (AMCA) launched a fundraiser to benefit Dar Yusuf Nasri Jacir for Art and Research, which suffered heavy damage in May, when it was reportedly ransacked by the Israeli occupation forces. Led by Julia Bryan-Wilson, a group of artists and educators including Ahmad Diab, Asma Kazmi, Anneka Lenssen, Sarah Rogers and Nada Shabout are among those behind the effort, which aims to rebuild the center independent artist founded by Golden Lion – winner of Palestinian artist Emily Jacir with her sister, director Annemarie Jacir, in Bethlehem in 2014.

Among the items taken during the raid were phones, computers, hard drives and cameras. The historic 19th-century structure housing Dar Jacir is near the entrance to the El Khalil road connecting the West Bank city of Hebron to Jerusalem, and is just 200 meters from part of the Israeli separation wall protecting the site. Jewish saint from Rachel’s tomb. . Offering educational, cultural, agricultural and film programming, the center also hosts artist residencies and, in the months leading up to the incursion, hosted British writer Isabella Hammad, Chilean American composer Nicolas Jaar and the Cuban-American artist Coco Fusco, among others.

Fundraising organizers hope to raise $ 50,000. In addition to being used to repair damage to the art centre’s house and to support its staff, the funds will also go towards the restoration and maintenance of its urban garden, which was completely decimated earlier in May when fires were started around the art center, forcing the evacuation of artists resident there. The fundraising initiative has caught the attention of the arts community, with donors to date including American geographer and photographer Trevor Paglen, Iraqi American artist Michael Rakowitz and American philosopher Judith Butler. The campaign ends on June 23.

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