Daniel Cowen
Photo credit: Shulamit Seidler-Feller

GARRISON, N.Y. – Filmmaker Daniel Cowen of West Hartford was one of 70 top young Jewish artists from around the world selected to attend the Asylum Arts International Jewish Artists Retreat, held March 23 – 26 in Garrison, N.Y. The retreat was intended as a networking and learning experience connecting and empowering Jewish artists around the world, with the ultimate goal of cultivating an international community of Jewish artists.

Cowen, a graduate of the Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy in Bloomfield, has shot and directed documentaries in Greece, Germany, Israel, Portugal and Mississippi, on topics ranging from draft evasion to Chassidic missionaries to the evolution of Blues music. Daniel has worked with PBS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), Make Up Forever and the Metropolitan Opera.

Organized by Asylum Arts and launched with the support of the Schusterman Philanthropic Network, the retreat is the first-of-its-kind global network of Jewish artists that aims to engage more people with Jewish ideas, identity and community through the vibrant Jewish and Israeli cultural landscapes. Asylum Arts supports contemporary Jewish culture worldwide, bringing greater exposure to artists and cultural initiatives, providing opportunities for new projects and collaborations and elevating the level of excellence and artistic activity.