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About Their Portraits

Renowned portrait artists have come together to recognize and remember the people taken hostage and brought to Gaza on October 7th. Former Dallas resident Nancy Gordon and her fellow artist Sivia Braunstein have joined six other portrait artists to paint the hostages. Braunstein was visiting family in Israel on October 7th and she was awakened at 6:30am and brought to a safe room for 24 hours. She was safe, but she recognized many people taken hostage. Upon her return to the United States, she began to paint their portraits, calling upon the other artists to paint of every one of the hostages for this special exhibition.

 

Over 200 portraits of the hostages who were brutally abducted and taken from Israel on October 7th have been painted, those who have been released, hostages who were murdered, hostages who died in captivity, and hostages whose status is unknown. Every hostage’s portrait will be sent to their family following the exhibition. Guests to the museum learn the current status of each hostage. All who visit can participate in the exhibition and write prayers, poems, or special messages to the families of the hostages.

 

Curatorial Statement

Curator Dr. Scott Peck: The exhibition is such a strong statement from these artists to all of us, bringing the victims close. Imagine looking into the eyes of hostages that were murdered; and even into the faces of the people being tortured right now in the tunnels of Gaza. Some are babies or children, some elderly. They must all be remembered!

 

Artists’ Statement

We wanted to show the humanity of the hostages who have been dehumanized, to bring the story of Israel’s captives to the public’s eye, as it fades from the media’s attention

 

Artists

Sivia Katz Braunstein, Nancy Gordon, Deborah Morris Zakheim, Judy Rohtbart, Jane Bennett, Carol Lert, Sue Seif, Carol Sack Denmark.

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Currently on Display

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