The Anna Ticho house

Before the state of Israel was established, the artist Anna Ticho lived with her husband, the eye doctor Avraham Albert Ticho in a stone home in the center of Jerusalem. Both left significant legacies, with Anna encapsulating the landscape of the Holy Land in her paintings and drawings, and Avraham Albert developing a treatment for the once-common eye disease of trachoma, and saving thousands of people from blindness. Now, the Anna Ticho House, is a branch of the Israel Museum, telling the story of this couple as well as hosting other art exhibitions. The rotating exhibitions– including one running through the end of 2021 by Israeli artist Inbal Hoffman, who makes sculptures and other installations from everyday objects, including styrofoam containers–hoses and garbage bags, usually also have some relation to the past or present of Jerusalem. “We always try to make sure that the temporary exhibits we have here have some connection to Anna,”  said Timna Seligman, curator of the Ticho House. In addition to this exhibit, the Ticho House is a place worth exploring. With its arched doorways and stone work, the house is also a well-preserved example of typical Jerusalem architecture.  Recent renovations have exposed ornate ceiling drawings on the top floor of the house. Entrance is free, and its location, near the main downtown thoroughfare of Jaffa Road makes it an ideal stopping place during a day of exploring the city. “Visitors can stop in, have a look around,” Seligman said.  “It’s really a lovely place, especially in the summer when the gardens are in bloom.”