RENOWNED ARTIST TOMER PERETZ NAMED INAUGURAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT THE MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE

February 28, 2025

Prestigious Cultural and Educational Center Partners with Genesis Arts Collective on “ART WILL S8T YOU FREE,” a Special Installation Running March 19-May 30, 2025

 

LOS ANGELES, February 28, 2025 – The Museum of Tolerance proudly announces the launch of its first-ever Artist in Residence program with “ART WILL S8T YOU FREE,” a special installation by Los Angeles-based conceptual artist and painter Tomer Peretz on view March 19-May 30, 2025.

 

ART WILL S8T YOU FREE, which features a collection of works by Peretz as well as an interactive installation, is an artistic response to the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 terror attacks in Israel, the resulting Israel-Hamas war, the ongoing global wave of antisemitism and other traumatic experiences. It is the continuation of Peretz’s layered collaborations with a community of trauma survivors that includes victims of sexual violence as a weapon of war, terrorism and mass shootings, as well as frontline responders.

 

Along with Peretz’s collection of original works throughout the main floor, the Museum has dedicated space to a large multimedia project incorporating an expansive canvas that will be painted on-site, complemented by a display of photographs and videos of frontline emergency response workers by guest artist Kalia Littman. Peretz utilizes oil and acrylic painting, photography, and conceptual art to create a vibrant, intense, and at times harrowing experience that situates his art within the disturbing realities of the present world.

 

“As a Jewish artist, I was never naïve about the harsh realities of collective trauma from war and violence, but there’s no question my experience on October 7 and every day after has profoundly affected my transformation as a human and an artist,” said Peretz. “ART WILL S8T YOU FREE is intended to create a secure and nurturing environment for groups and survivors of terror attacks to explore their emotions and embark on their healing journey.”

 

Peretz has assembled a team of supporting artists who, in collaboration with the Museum of Tolerance education team, are providing group student and adult interactive educational programming. The guest artists include Michael Mike Canon and Avia Moshe Shklar.

 

“The Museum of Tolerance has a longstanding connection to art therapy as a method of exploring and healing human suffering, from the personal anguish of the individual to historic levels of collective trauma,” said Jim Berk, CEO of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance. “Launching our artist in residence program marks a significant step in expanding the Museum's mission to educate, inspire and engage global audiences through the power of art. Tomer Peretz's work exemplifies resilience, healing and the unyielding strength of the human spirit.”

 

The Museum is home to a collection of over 900 works of art, including an important collection by Frederika “Friedl” Dicker-Brandeis, an Austrian Jewish artist and educator who emerged as a trailblazer in what would later be dubbed art therapy. Dicker-Brandeis was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in late 1942, where she organized secret art lessons for hundreds of children—classes that become a source of empowerment, healing, and hope amidst harrowing circumstances.

 

Tickets and additional information about ART WILL S8T YOU FREE can be found at https://www.museumoftolerance.com/tomer-peretz.html. Follow us on Instagram at @museumoftolerance, @the.8.project and @simonwiesenthalcenter.

 

About Tomer Peretz

Peretz, a Jerusalem native, was in Tel Aviv when Hamas terrorists launched a brutal attack on southern Israel, murdering 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. He volunteered to help disaster response teams collect bodies from Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the deadliest sites in the attack. The horrific scenes of the massacre profoundly affected Peretz, who has always used art to reflect his life experiences and address the harsh realities of conflict. ART WILL S8T YOU FREE is Peretz’s first museum showing in the United States.

 

About the Museum of Tolerance

The Museum of Tolerance is the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an internationally renowned Jewish human rights organization. The Museum is dedicated to challenging visitors to understand the Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts and confront all forms of prejudice and discrimination in our world today. Visitors become witnesses to history and explore the dynamics of hate and discrimination still embedded in contemporary society. Through interactive exhibits, special events and customized programs for youths and adults, the Museum of Tolerance engages visitors’ hearts and minds while challenging them to assume personal responsibility for positive change. For those interested in learning more about the artist in residence program or the ongoing educational efforts of the Museum of Tolerance, contact info@museumoftolerance.com.

 

About the Genesis Arts Collective

The Genesis Arts Collective (GAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to igniting change through the intersection of art, education, and social impact. By fostering partnerships with museums, educators, and global institutions, GAC empowers communities to cultivate empathy, creativity, and resilience. For over 13 years, GAC has harnessed the transformative power of the arts to inspire over 75,000 young minds through its flagship education program, GENESIS STEAM. Through innovative collaborations, GAC continues to expand access to arts education, providing creative outlets for youth worldwide. To learn more about The Genesis Arts Collective and its programs, visit www.genesisartscollective.com

 

About The 8 Project

In the days immediately following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, 8, a Tomer Peretz Initiative, came to be. The 8 Project is the artistic home for people healing from mass trauma. The initiative serves as a secure and inspiring artistic environment for survivors of mass casualty events including the October 7 terror attack. The 8 model centers on art therapy and community-building to create light and beauty from pain and darkness. Harnessing the creative process, 8 empowers individuals to reclaim control, foster resilience and find hope in the aftermath of trauma. For more information, please visit www.project8.com

 

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