The Alfred Co-operative Institute for Art & Culture is as an independent, non-profit art space – home to an active and vibrant artist community aimed at introducing contemporary Israeli art and its creators to art lovers in the local community.
The Alfred Institute began its life under the guise of the Alfred Gallery, a fourteen member artist co-operative, founded in 2005. Since then, we have presented almost two hundred exhibitions and dealt with the daily activities and core issues fundamental to many co-operatives – the curating of exhibitions, the management and administration of the gallery space and providing the support necessary for group and individual projects.
The creation of the gallery came from the need to produce and exhibit art work in an independent fashion, free from reliance on the commercial authorities of the art world. Co-operative members participate in all decision-making and all profits from the sale of artworks go directly to the artists. The collaborative nature of the gallery offers a dynamic and supportive environment for emerging artists, with an emphasis on cross and inter-disciplinary approaches to art-making.
In 2014 the Alfred Gallery relocated to a new premises, in the process evolving into its present format, the Alfred Co-operative Institute for Art and Culture.
The new three-floor building has allowed us to increase our activities and houses fourteen artist studios, with two floors allocated to regular exhibitions and workshop space. We also host lectures, a pre-art academy and cultural events on a regular basis.
The Alfred Institute plays an active role in the Israeli cultural sphere, serving as a model for newly developing co-operatives. The members of the institute have, for the past twelve years, volunteered their time, effort, skill and talent towards forwarding a collective vision and promoting Israeli art.