NeFesha Yisrael

NeFesha Ruth Yisra’el is a New Jersey native who, through many fortunate circumstances, found a home in Fresno, CA. Yisra’el studied Fashion Design and Merchandising at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and in Milan, Italy at Neuvo Academia Di Bella Arte. Upon graduation, she spent time traveling as a fighter with Team USA, winning the Police Athletic League and the U.S. National Championships.

In 2016, NeFesha earned her Master’s in Urban Studies with a concentration in Community Arts from Eastern University. She worked as an Arts Administrator and Community Organizer in Philadelphia, PA before moving to Fresno, CA to be the Chief Organization Officer for Royal Roots. NeFesha has worked as a Program Developer at Another Level Training Academy and a Project Investigator for the Math and Science Teachers Initiative and the San Joaquin Valley Math Project at Fresno State. She is also the Executive Director of the African American Historical and Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley.

NeFesha’s interests are rooted in African American culture and her research has surrounded the impact of creativity in the communal efforts of Black life. She studies art history and material culture, focusing on 18^th and 19^th century Black folk artists as foundations for community development. NeFesha is also currently organizing the Black Folk Art collective to develop a platform for many Black artists in Fresno.

As a creative, NeFesha loves reading, writing, sewing, knitting, performing spoken word, and creating visual art, often out of found objects. She is a member of the Fresno (CA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She’s also the founder of Black Arts and Culture magazine and BlackFolkArt.com, which is a culturally specific platform that hosts a quarterly newsletter, both in print and virtually, and reveals the art of a culture full of sheer spiritual fortitude, creativity, and moral action.

NeFesha’s favorite pastimes are riding horses, running marathons, and skiing. She believes in the importance of archiving and continuing the work of her ancestors through the research, documentation, and practice of the Black folk traditions. A daughter of Yechezch’el and Robin Yisra’el and a descendent of Araminta Ross, more widely known as Harriet Tubman; she inherited the spirit of the woman they called “Moses” and works to liberate her community’s mind, soul and body as her ancestors before her.

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I first encountered mosaic art at one of the hardest most broken moments of my life. I was battling severe depression and felt like I was wandering, trying to find purpose and meaning to a life that had been shattered. I one day stepped into a community art center and that day changed my life. As I watched children taking small pieces of glass and broken ceramics and putting them together to create something beautiful, it felt as if the Creator himself was speaking to me, ensuring me that He would take my broken life and make something beautiful out of it. I went home that day and made my first mosaic. I have not stopped since. My two exhibiting pieces represent two of my favorite musicians. As an artist, music has played a powerful role in my life. I grew up listening to Bob Marley on Saturdays with my family and on my free time I would get every Prince cassette and cd that I could purchase to sing and dance to. I loved his funky nature. He did not have any boundaries. He seemed so free! They both remind me that when we walk in our freedom and be our truest selves, we give others the permission to do the same.