JUNE 8 • 2023 | 49
S
ince her parents moved to Grand
Blanc some 10 years ago, Flo Low
has spent intermittent times visit-
ing them and attending Jewish activities
scheduled in their community. That atten-
dance helped inspire her upcoming work
responsibilities in Washington, D.C.
Last year, Low founded and became
executive director of BAMAH, an orga-
nization established to bring artists from
Israel to North America. This year, she has
arranged for Studio Mela (Michal Evyatar
and Carmel Bar) to bring their unique
skills of combining culinary interests and
artistry to the Flint locale in the summer
and to Michigan State University in the
fall.
The two performing artists specialize in
large-scale, immersive public installations
that incorporate tastes, smells and sounds
with the goal of drawing out wonder and
delight in their audiences.
BAMAH, the Hebrew word for stage, is
a nonprofit organization established by the
Israel Institute, where Low had been asso-
ciate director of the organization’s Arts
Program now established on its own. For
10 years, the Israel Institute brought some
130 acts from Israel to the United States.
“I personally have a long commitment
to the Jewish community, Israel, arts and
culture,” Low said. “I worked at national
nonprofits in Jerusalem for over a decade
before completing my MFA at the Yale
School of Drama.
“The Visiting Artists Program brings
together my passions for cul-
tural dialogue and exchange,
specifically between Israel and
the United States, and so when
granted the opportunity to
expand arts-based program-
ming, cultural dialogue and
exchange, I jumped at it.”
BAMAH is funded strictly by
private donors. There is no gov-
ernment financing.
“Through the Visiting Artists Program
in the past, I was very focused on the
campus,” said Low, whose interest in
entertainment has been immersed in pro-
duction assignments. “Now, our program
focuses both on the campus and the com-
munity.
“BAMAH partners with communities
to design experiences that harness cul-
ture from Israel to inspire and connect to
people elsewhere, and we’re really excited
to be starting with a successful program
expanding its impact to reach more people
and more communities on and off cam-
pus.”
Low works across vast artistic fields,
covering those reaching success in theater,
TV, movies, dance, music, literature and
visual arts.
“
After speaking with host communi-
ties and gaining a deep understanding
of their programmatic interests, needs
and priorities, I identify and recommend
candidates,” said Low, who keeps
up with entertainment programs
popular in Israel.
“The board and I consider a
variety of factors when approving
and selecting participating art-
ists, including, of course, artistic
achievement and proficiency in
English, among other character-
istics.”
Among Low’s many independent proj-
ects have been conceiving and producing
Four Minutes From the Frontlines, a series
of animated documentary shorts ampli-
fying the stories of emergency workers
dealing with COVID. She also worked on
a reading tour of Come My Beloved, a new
play about the shared history and future of
Jewish and Black communities.
“We are a startup nonprofit, so right
now I’m the only full-time employee,”
said Low, 42, the daughter of Steve Low,
executive director of the Flint Jewish
Federation, and Susan Low, director of
the Senior Lunch Program of the Jewish
Community Services of Flint.
“I have an extremely supportive and
involved board. We are engaged in fund-
raising and want to expand the team over
the next three years to include another
program manager, someone overseeing
the educational content and fundraisers.”
Low earned two bachelor’s degrees
before going on to Yale. At Barnard
College, her focus was political science
and women’s studies. At the Jewish
Theological Seminary, her major resided
in modern Jewish studies.
Low’s earlier work assignments have
placed her as associate general manager of
the La Jolla Playhouse, associate general
manager of the Yale School of Drama and
manager of strategic projects in the former
Soviet Union Department of the Joint
Distribution Committee based in Israel.
“I’m a creative producer so my strength
lies in dreaming up large-scale opportu-
nities to bring people of different back-
grounds together through cultural pre-
sentations and opportunities,” said Low,
whose organization can be further under-
stood by going to its website at bamaharts.
org.
ARTS&LIFE
ART
DOR KEDMI
Nonprofit BAMAH brings Israeli performing
artists to North America.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Flo Low
Studio Mela
(Michal Evyatar
and Carmel Bar)
Cultural Exchange