This spring, students and faculty at Xavier University of Louisiana – the only Catholic historically Black university in the U.S. – are creating and learning together with two artists and musicians from Israel. Multidisciplinary artist and musician Neta Elkayam and musician, filmmaker, and curator Amit Hai Cohen are spending the spring 2024 semester as artists in residence at the New Orleans university, where they are collaborating with students within Xavier’s Exponential Honors Program, an advanced track that focuses on leadership development, global engagement, and career preparation.
Artists in residence Neta Elkayam and Amit Hai Cohen lead a class of Exponential Honors Program students at Xavier University of Louisiana.
In addition to teaching a course that explores Jewish North African music and culture through contemporary artwork in the space between Jerusalem and Morocco, Elkayam and Cohen are leading workshops, lectures, and performances. They also are collaborating with Xavier’s community partners as part of New Orleans’s rich artistic and cultural landscape.
With Russell Berrie Foundation support, BAMAH, a leader in bringing talented artists from Israel to teach and create on campuses and in communities in North America, expanded efforts to partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). BAMAH creates these intercultural residencies to allow American students and community members to engage with diverse perspectives, ethnicities, and disciplines from Israel and create a more inclusive, tolerant society. Ahead of the fall 2024 semester, BAMAH will announce additional artists from Israel who will be in residence at Xavier University and other HBCUs in 2024-2025.