Inspired by the Nova music festival exhibit that debuted in Tel Aviv and is now on its way to New York, Art of Nova is a benefit event that will take place in Chelsea tomorrow, April 11, at 6:30pm, featuring art pieces made or inspired by the survivors and victims of the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel.
“The goal is to use art as a means of telling the stories of those we lost on Black Sabbath and the hostages so that they can be seen as people rather than numbers,” says Julia Levine, one of the event’s organizers. “The goal is for people to see beyond the body ount and recognize those we lost as the people that they were and the impact they had on this world.”
In total, there will be about 50 works on display. Some of them will be the subject of a silent auction, proceeds of which will be donated to Soldiers Save Lives, Bring Them Home Now and For the Wounded and Survivors, a nonprofit created by two Nova survivors to provide financial assistance and mental health treatment to fellow survivors.
In addition to the exhibit, attendees will get to hear Jewish influencer and activist Lizzy Savetsky give a speech and a live musical performance by Ada Pasternak.
Among the victims honored is Yonat Or, a 50-year-old designer who was murdered in her home in Kibbutz Be’eri and whose husband Dror is still being held hostage in Gaza. Their children were taken by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and released on November 25.
“I was asked to look through the Instagram feed of @neverforget_10.7 and select the victim that I related to the most,” says 27-year-old Jenn Tricot, whose painting of Or will be on display at the event. “I just related to Yonat immediately. She used to have a company called Ayuna and she would take old furniture and ‘make it vintage.’ The idea of her bringing something to life connected with me because that’s what I do with my art. I bring a canvas to light.”
The event’s organizers, also the founders of @neverforget_10.7, gave the selected artists, which hail from all over the U.S. or Israel, free rein in terms of the commissioned work.
“They didn’t give me any details,” explains Tricot. “They said to me: ‘anything in honor of the victims is bound to be beautiful.'”
Tickets for Art of Nova are available here.
