About the Competition

THE MUSEUM OF BIBLICAL ART

and

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR JEWISH ART
DALLAS, TEXAS

Sukkah: Dwell in Design

TJAA envisions Sukkah: Dwell in Design as both a new, innovative design competition and an outreach opportunity for the Jewish community to connect with the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth population. The goal is the promotion of tolerance and understanding by educating and sharing the beauty of this most ancient Jewish tradition. Sukkot highlights the importance of a safe refuge against the elements, and reminds us of those in our cities who are homeless or under-housed, dislocated and estranged, and their need to establish homes of their own.

Sukkah: Dwell In Design is a TJAA design competition to which local and national architects and artists will be invited to submit their most creative and exciting sukkah designs. Selected entrants will receive a $1,800 stipend and will be tasked with building a life size, modern, artistic interpretation of a sukkah, a booth that provides shelter while also remaining connected to the natural environment. The Sukkahs will be on display at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas during Sukkot, September 2018.

Beneficiaries will include Dallas Habitat for Humanity, Jewish Family Services of Greater Dallas and National Center for Jewish Arts.

What is a Sukkah?

A Sukkah is a temporary structure constructed for annual use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. The original source for this tradition is Leviticus 23:42-43, where it is described as a reminder of the booths in which the children of Israel dwelt during their journey through the desert, from slavery in Egypt to freedom.

Jewish tradition commands dwelling in these freestanding booths for the seven-day period marking this harvest festival. These outdoor structures range from simple huts to elaborate retreats. In modern times the Sukkah is a symbol of shelter, and the frailty and transience of life, and Jewish families honor this tradition by taking meals and entertaining in Sukkahs that they erect in their back yards, terraces and rooftops.

The Exhibition

The Texas Jewish Arts Association welcomes you to Sukkah: Dwell in Design – a design competition to which local and national architects, artists and builders are invited to submit their most creative and exciting sukkah designs.

A panel of expert judges will select a minimum of 10 of the most outstanding and creative sukkah designs entered into the competition. These winning entries will receive a $1,800 construction stipend and be tasked with building a life sized, modern artistic interpretation of a sukkah to be displayed on the grounds of the Museum of Biblical Art on September 20th, 2018. Each sukkah will display the designer’s name and his artist statement.

The exhibition is free to the public except on Sunday 23rd when there will be a $5 entry fee per adult that will be donated to our designated beneficiaries.

Competition Brief

Introduction
A Sukkah is a temporary structure constructed for annual use during the week long Jewish festival of Sukkot. The original source for this tradition is Leviticus 23:42-43, where it is described as a reminder of the booths that the children of Israel dwelt in during their journey through the desert from slavery in Egypt to freedom. In modern times the sukkah is a symbol of frailty and transience of life and shelter.
While building a Sukkah is an annual Jewish ritual, it embodies many universal themes related to the nature of dwelling: new/old, open/closed, temporary/permanent. The challenge of this two-stage competition is to explore what a contemporary Sukkah can be—reflecting ancient teachings while exhibiting a concept of space and place which is both modern and rooted.
The Competition
Sukkah: Dwell in Design is a design competition to which local and national architects, artists and builders will be invited to submit their most creative and exciting sukkah designs.Ten to twelve Finalists will be will be selected to receive a $1,800 construction stipend and will be tasked with building a life size, modern, artistic sukkah to be displayed at the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art during the weeklong festival. From among these finalists, a panel of expert judges will select the winner of a cash prize, to be announced during the feature event to be held on Sunday, September 23rd, 2018.
The selected sukkahs will be erected outside, on the grassy area on the north of the museum’s property. Entries should be designed and partially pre-assembled to allow final installation and later removal within limited available times.
The Texas Jewish Arts Association (TJAA) envisions Sukkah: Dwell in Design as both an innovative design competition and an outreach opportunity for the Jewish community to connect with the greater Dallas/Fort Worth population. The overarching goal is the promotion of the importance of a safe refuge against the elements and a reminder to us of those in our cities who are homeless or under-housed; dislocated and estranged, and the need of those individuals to establish homes of their own. For this reason, TJAA has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and Jewish Family Services as beneficiaries of funds raised during the event.
Selection Process
After the finalists have finished building their designs, the jury will select a winner based on aesthetics and an evaluation of each entrant’s development of a creative application of the ancient requirements for the sukkah.
Entries should challenge the conventional notion of a sukkah while effectively embodying the traditional aspects of the building type. Finalists will be selected on the basis of:

Creativity and clarity of the design concept
Efficiency and effectiveness of the project’s execution
Response to design parameters established by the ancient texts

Design Criteria

Eligibility
TJAA invites architects, designers, artists, builders and students to submit design proposals. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams.
Dimensions:

The site of installation requires that the sukkah fit entirely within a 12’x 12’ footprint.
The sukkah must be tall enough to enter standing.

Construction:

There should be a sense of enclosure to the sukkah. Historically, a Sukkah must have at least two and a half sides.
Walls must be sturdy enough to withstand the impact of ordinary winds

The roof must be partially covered with a material that grows from the soil and has been completely detached from the ground.
The roof design and its covering should be sparse enough so that one can see the sky, yet dense enough so that it provides some protection from the elements. While innovative roof and wall shapes and geometries are encouraged, the Sukkah must provide a sense of shelter and offer respite from the elements.
The Sukkah may not be anchored to the site, but must be stabilized or weighted down without penetrating or damaging the property of the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art or exceeding the maximum permitted footprint.

Critical themes to consider:

The meaning of dwelling, especially in a temporary and modern sense
The characteristics of enclosure
The inclusion of new technology into the conception, execution, and realization of the Sukkah
The Sukkah as both architectural space and architectural object
Transformation from the traditional context of a Sukkah as a booth in the desert to the present context (exhibit space)
The intertwining of art and architecture
The Sukkah as an educational tool

Finalists will be responsible for the construction, installation and removal of their sukkot. Construction expense in excess of the stipend amount will be the responsibility of the entrant.
NOTE: IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT TEAMS CONSTRUCT THEIR SUKKOT IN A WAY SUCH THAT THEY CAN BE ASSEMBLED, DISASSEMBLED AND REMOVED IN THE ALLOTTED TIME.
Questions and Answers

Selection:
A maximum of twelve entries will be selected as finalists, and will receive a construction stipend of $1,800. One half of the stipend will be awarded on August 17th upon announcement of finalists. The remaining balance will be awarded on September 28th upon take down and removal of the Sukkah.
Awards and Prizes

Best in Show: $1,800
People’s Choice Award: $500
Merit Awards may be designated at the discretion of the jury.

Meet our Jury Panel

Festival Day Schedule

The festival and official opening event will take place on Sunday,
September 23rd, 2018 – 11.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
Museum of Biblical Art
Free Shuttle Service available to and from Temple Emanu-El – south parking lot.
Minimum Donation $5 per Adult
Food Vendors on Site (Vaad certified Kosher)
Kids Corner:

All day activities……
PJ Library stories
Arts and Crafts
Kids Activities
Puppet Show – Lynn Baskind
Puppet Show – Lynn Baskind

Artist Village and Vendors: All Day – 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Entertainment: All Day – 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. r

Puppet Show – Kids Corner
Levine Academy Choir, directed by Kira Figueroa – Main Stage
Official Opening and Award Ceremony – Main Stage
Dance Performance by DNAWORKS directed by Adam McKinney and music by Sarah Price – Main Stage
Dallas Street Choir – Jonathan Palant, Director – Main Stage
Puppet Show – Kids Corner

SUKKAH COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION 2018 – About the Competition

Events, Exhibition • June 1, 2018

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