Jerusalem tries to get its cultural groove on

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Amid the alleyways that zigzag through Jerusalem's Nahlaot neighborhood, a nonprofit collective run by five young artists is trying to make art more accessible in a city known more for conflict than culture.
The turquoise gate of Barbur Gallery opens onto a stone courtyard and garden where secular and religious locals -- and the occasional tourist from Tel Aviv -- drop in for a look at the latest exhibit: a collection of black-ink drawings mixed with splashes of bold color. The gallery also is a regular gathering spot for lectures, movie screenings and musical performances.
Barbur is one of a growing number of independent art spaces here that along with booming music venues, a growing list of festivals and the newly redesigned Israel Museum is breathing fresh cultural energy -- and even a hipster edge -- into Jerusalem. Read more >>