Gordon Street: The Gallery District Of Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is not short on art galleries, and you can spend an entire day jumping from one to the next. However, there is one particular street clustered with galleries, and it is known as the Gallery District. Gordon Street and the close by Ben Yehuda Street are lined with dozens of galleries, each with a particular style and artistic focus. Spend a day wandering around these curated streets and find your favorite Gordon gallery.

Engel Gallery

Art Gallery

Moshe Elnatan, East & West, Oil on Board, 1956

The Engel Gallery has been a part of Israel’s art scene since 1955, when its first gallery was founded in Jerusalem. The gallery is a family affair and is managed by three generations of Engel’s. Some of the most central figures of Israeli art were once exhibited here, like Anna Ticho and Moshe Castel. In the 1970’s, Engel Gallery’s collection was opened to international audiences with new branches in New York, Toronto, and lastly, back home in Tel Aviv. Since then, the Engel Gallery in Tel Aviv has been a permanent fixture and holds some of the rarest collections by iconic artists, such as Marc Chagall and Renoir, and the gallery also features many contemporary artists. The Engel Gallery is a definite must-see on the Gordon Street gallery tour of Tel Aviv.

Givon Art Gallery

Art Gallery

Nurit David - Two Cities, the Same Island

The Givon Art Gallery on Gordon St. was founded in 1974 by Mr. Sam (Shmuel) Givon. Shumel Gordon moved to Tel Aviv from London and became an art collector, and he expressed his deep feelings for Israel and the pioneering period of his life by collecting early Israeli paintings. In 1975, he established the Givon Gallery in Gordon Street in Tel Aviv, and during the first decade of its existence, he often showed works from his early collection and became known as an expert in this field. The gallery exhibits many notable Israeli artists, such as Raffi Lavie and Micha Ullman, and hosts many upcoming exhibitions and performances. The Gallery is open Sunday until Thursday, 11:00am-6:00pm and Friday and Saturday: 11:00am -14:00pm.

N&N Aman Gallery

The N&N Aman Gallery was established in 1974 by Nelly Aman a focus on Israeli contemporary art. The gallery has featured distinguished artists such as Michael Argov and Elad Armon. In the last 20 years, this gallery has concentrated on exhibiting young and emerging artists working in various media, including painting, photography, installations, video and digital art. In 2007, Natalie Nesher Aman joined the Gallery, bringing with her a decade of invaluable experience at Sotheby’s Israel, and today, the Gallery is a year-round exhibition space that mainly shows Israeli artists. The gallery is open Monday to Thursday, 11am- 2pm and again at 5pm -7pm, and on Saturdays, it’s open from 11am- 2pm. For future events check out their Facebook page.

N&N Aman Gallery, 21 Gordon St, Tel Aviv

JOUISSANCE by Anisa Ashkar Courtesy of N&N Aman

Gordon Gallery

Art Gallery

The Gordon Gallery was initially named for its first location on Gordon Street in 1966, and has since held hundreds of exhibitions and published dozens of catalogues. In 1980, Gordon Gallery moved to its current location on 95 Ben Yehuda Street, to a four floor space, which includes a room dedicated to screening video art. In 2012, Gordon Gallery opened Gordon Gallery 2, which focuses on contemporary art from Israel and abroad and on the next generation of artists and art lovers with an emphasis on international exhibitions, collections and art fairs. Gordon Gallery 2 is an exciting new gallery exhibiting artists like Gal Weinstein and Erez Aharon.
Gordon Gallery 2, 4 Natan Hachacham St., Tel Aviv

Stern Gallery

Art Gallery

Stern Gallery Tel Aviv was founded in 1971 after Meir Stern had established his first gallery, Stern Art Dealers, in London in 1965. Stern Gallery has always been known for exhibiting established Israeli and Jewish artists, and has made a big name for itself in the art scene in Israel. Some extremely famous artists have been featured at Stern Gallery, such as, Reuven Rubin, Menashe Kadishman, Yigal Tumarkin and Anna Ticho. In 2001 Stern Gallery also started exhibiting some up-and-coming young Israeli artists such as Yoel Gilinsky, Nava Gidanian and Lee-ad Shamir.

The Kibbutz Art Gallery

The Kibbutz Art Gallery was founded by the Kibbutz Movement Alliance immediately after the Six Day War. The kibbutz movement was at the height of its power, and this gallery was meant as an application to expose artists to the Tel Aviv and bring the kibbutz to the city. In April 1968, the first exhibition at the gallery was opened at 170 Ben Yehuda Street. The gallery was closed for 3 years due to disagreements between the movements, but when it reopened in April 1973, the basement bought 25 Dov Hoz Street, where the gallery remains today. In November 2004, the expanded Kibbutz Art Gallery opened, which sharpened its identity and its commitment to art. Current notable artists exhibited here include Ziv Ben Dov and Chana Yegar.

The Kibbutz Gallery, 25 Dov Hoz st. Tel Aviv

About the author

Deborah Moher

A die hard Tel Aviv resident, Deborah is originally a Londoner, by way of New York City. Fascinated with sociology and psychology, Deborah has a Bachelors in Health and Social Welfare, but her eclectic interests include studying Fashion Journalism in Central St Martins in London and Photography in Tel Aviv. Deborah has worked in many fields, including non-profit, diplomacy and fashion. Deborah’s role as Director of Culture combines her love for Tel Aviv, writing and travel. In her spare time she enjoys documentary film, snapping Instagram pics of her puppy Winnie, or running along the Tel Aviv Coast.