My name is Taiga Bentley. I own a contemporary art gallery in Toronto, founded by my Jewish immigrant grandmother in 1973. I was raised to treat artists like family, with the belief that my home is their home, and that we are all united in support for one another.

In May 2025, I traveled to Israel seeking clarity, connection, and perspective. I spent my time visiting galleries, meeting artists, and walking through spaces layered with history. But what surprised me most was the joy! The colour! The conversations! The way contemporary life unfolds right alongside centuries of memory and infinite complexity. I returned home feeling recharged, and realized this was an experience meant to be shared.

The Reframe Arts Fellowship is a curated, immersive arts and culture pilgrimage to Israel for Jewish professionals in the arts and our non-Jewish friends. Its purpose is to create space for learning, reflection, and restoration. By submerging ourselves in the art, architecture, history, and heritage of Israel — and by engaging directly with the people shaping its culture — we have the opportunity to reconnect with purpose, identity, and each other through our mutual passion for art.

Thanks for being here.

Taiga