Sukkahwood returns on October 13, 2022, for a fourth year of creative installations bringing a Jewish spirit to upper Manhattan for the holiday of Sukkot. We are pleased to invite artists and designers to re-imagine a Sukkah—a temporary structure used for the week-long holiday of Sukkot—and be part of the Sukkahwood experience.
Sukkahwood’s values of inclusion are universal and seek to bring together people from all walks of life. Sukkahwood is about re-thinking an essential Jewish tradition through unique and out-of-the-box design, using materials with a focus on sustainability and affordability, and connecting an ancient tradition with contemporary artistic practices.
Each artist or group may submit one design for their Sukkah, the temporary shelter or hut that is the central element of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Six Sukkahs will be selected for inclusion in the event. The structures will be on display for one day in a to-be-disclosed location in upper Manhattan. Each Sukkah must be designed to be built and taken down on the same day of the event. We invite artists to submit Sukkahs that push the boundaries of what a Sukkah can be while attempting to adhere to the guidelines outlined in Tzvi Freeman’s Sukkah Building Basics From the Inside Out. Each artist or group of artists selected will work together with Sukkahwood consultants to ensure that the structures retain the nature of a Sukkah; artists are not expected to be expert Sukkah-builders going into the event, so please do not hesitate to submit designs that represent what you believe a Sukkah can look like.
We ask each entrant to consider questions such as “what is a home?” and “how can a home be temporal, ephemeral and connected to nature?” This project is designed to push the boundaries of an ancient tradition and bring it to a contemporary setting, and to serve as a model for how diverse and creative Sukkahs can be within the confines of Jewish law. Please join us in our mission to connect the arts with tradition and foster community across boundaries.
Curator: Goldie Gross
Co-sponsor: Jewish Art Salon & others
Technical details:
Please submit all of the following information to sukkahwood@gmail.com:
- Your Sukkah design as a PDF or JPG file
- A one- to two-page statement outlining the inspiration and intentions for your Sukkah, your interest in participating in Sukkahwood, and technical details of how you intend to build your Sukkah
- Please include your full name, email address, phone number, title of your Sukkah, media, and projected dimensions of your Sukkah
- Please also include the names and contact information of your collaborators, if any
Timeline:
- Deadline: July 29
- Notification of acceptance: August 3
- Completion of structurally sound pre-model: September 15
- Event: October 13
Stipend:
Each participant will receive a $1,500 stipend, to be paid out in three increments at the time of acceptance, when a structurally sound pre-model is constructed, and at the event itself. Participants must be present for the entire duration of the event (approximately 9am-6pm) to receive the stipend.
Please feel free to reach out with questions or comments to sukkahwood@gmail.com. For more information, please visit sukkahwood.org.
