OKIE’s presentation of artist Paul Margolis’ “Israel Impressions” TONIGHT!



The OKlahoma Israel Exchange (OKIE) in partnership with the Oklahoma Arts Council is proud to present a black and white Israeli photographic exhibit by photographer Paul Margolis at the UCO Boathouse TONIGHT — Thursday, November 7. 
Opening night of this exhibition will be a sip & see [ART] – 5:30 p.m. with Israeli wine and savory nosh.
Mr. Margolis will present an artist storyboard that offers a glimpse into his journey through the Holy Land, capturing the spirit of everyday Israeli life. At the close of his presentation, Margolis will entertain questions from the audience about his methodology and inspiration for the series. 
Israel Impressions will be on display through January 7, and the UCO Boathouse anticipates a high volume of foot traffic through the holiday season, estimating close to 1000 viewers.

For more than 25 years, OKIE has captured the pioneering spirit, shared values, and parallel histories of Oklahoma and Israel. OKIE focuses on four main initiatives: agriculture, culture, education, and commerce that work to promote goodwill and understanding, foster people-to-people exchange, and create lucrative partnerships while advancing Israeli technologies that enhance the quality of life for millions around the world.
OKIE has hosted four official missions to Israel which included each of the last four governors and first ladies and their high-level delegations. Pack your bags — the next mission to Israel takes off late April 2020!

OKIE shares the magic of Israel through diverse cultural programming. The sip & see [ART] project captures the faces, scenes, and vitality of the Holy Land. Other popular events have included Israeli fare + wine pairings in private homes, An Evening with Author Daniel Silva, and OKIE’s Capes and Crowns luncheon featuring Miss Israel/Miss World. To celebrate the holidays, OKIE will host latkes vodkas & more… Saturday evening, December 7.  For more information about OKIE and the broad spectrum of programming, visit www.okisraelexchange.com.

About the Artist
Paul Margolis first picked up a camera at the age of 9. He is a documentary and fine art photographer, as well as a writer and lecturer. His subjects include people living on the margins of society, vanishing Americana, historic architecture, and the vibrancy of life on the streets. While he has adapted to digital photography, he still works extensively with black and white film, which he hand-processes and prints himself for the classic look that medium gives, as well as for its archival permanence as a historical record.

Margolis’ projects have included documenting the small Jewish communities of Cuba and Ireland, as well as Jewish poverty in New York City. After September 11, 2001, he recorded the effects of the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City. He also did the photography for a historical guidebook to the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

More recently, Margolis has been pursuing a number of ongoing documentary projects: photographing individuals who reenact the wars of the 20th century, traveling to Israel to record everyday life there, and photographing the political demonstrations in New York City that followed the 2016 election. His work has been exhibited in the United States, France, and Israel; he has been the subject of a feature TV interview; and he has had extensive press coverage in both American and Israeli publications.

Documentary and fine art photography have always been Paul’s first loves; however, his background includes working as an editor, teacher, photojournalist and commercial photographer. Largely self-taught as a photographer, he also has a M.A. degree in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a B.A. in History from Bard College. His work is found in museums, historical archives and private collections.
Paul lives in Manhattan and has recently retired from an agency of the City of New York in order to work full-time on his photo-documentary projects.