A 12-foot-long plywood wall reading “Peace, Art, Israel,” greeted students on the Plaza of the Americas on Wednesday.
This Is Israel, a pro-Israel UF club, held its first “Artists 4 Israel” event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Students wrote messages, including “Peace for Israel,” on the back of the plywood wall to promote peace and teach students about Israel.
Two internationally recognized graffiti artists, Yenia Jaramillo and Leon Rainbow, painted a pro-Israel mural on the front of the wall.
The artists also spray painted T-shirts for students to wear. Students chose designs for their shirts, including blue and white peace signs.
Johana Wiznitzer, a co-organizer of the event, said the group wanted to show that Israel is a peaceful country.
“We hoped this event can open up students’ curiosity to learn more about Israel and see that it’s a democratic country just like ours,” the UF public relations and political science sophomore said.
The 20-year-old said she worked with UF and national Jewish organizations, including Hillel and the Jewish Student Union, since the beginning of the semester to put on the event.
Nathalie Jaramillo, a UF health science freshman, said she thinks art is a great way to encourage peace.
“I think it’s really powerful that they’re doing this through art,” the 18-year-old said. “Art is universal and makes it easy to spread a message.”
