Welcoming, open, considerate, generous, honest and forthright: all are qualities that describe the late Jerusalem artist Ziva Sivan. In her almost exclusive embrace of the human form as her subject matter, in both her artwork and her temperament she conveyed an overriding impression of compassion, warmth and dedication to humanity. Her home—and in particular her ground-floor studio— offered a sanctuary that fostered an atmosphere of mutual respect, creativity and understanding between Sivan, her models and her fellow artists. It is fitting that the Skirball Cultural Center, an institution devoted to providing a place of welcome and hospitality to people from all backgrounds and communities, should celebrate the career of this artist who on a day-to-day basis shared these same goals. In celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the State of Israel, the Skirball Cultural Center recognizes the accomplishments of this Jerusalem artist, whose life and career embodied the shared aspirations of individuality and communal support made possible in the Jewish state.
Uri D. Herscher
President and CEO, Skirball Cultural Center