Ben Uri Gallery & Museum

The Ben Uri Gallery and Museum began in 1915 as a humble initiative in the Jewish ghetto of London's East End. Its founder, a Russian émigré artist named Lazar Berson, established the society to support immigrant artists who were systematically excluded from the mainstream art scene of the time. Unlike other institutions that relied on wealthy patrons, the gallery was built with contributions of pennies from the immigrant community itself. It was named after Bezalel Ben Uri, the biblical craftsman credited with creating the tabernacle in the Temple of Jerusalem, honoring a tradition of artistic dedication and craft.