DUBAI: The Arab Art and Education Initiative (AAEI) on Saturday launched a special year-long arts program in New York that will see exhibitions, artist talks and education programs in schools and universities spread the word about Arab art in the US.
The launch program is set to run from Oct. 13–23 and will feature special programs in collaboration with various cultural organizations.
A range of exhibitions and events are set to kick off during the week — read on for a rundown of what the organizers have in the pipeline.
Brooklyn Museum
Syria, Then and Now: Stories from Refugees a Century Apart
Oct. 13, 2018 – Jan. 13, 2019
This exhibition blends the discovery of medieval ceramics in Raqqa in the early 20th century with the present-day refugee crisis in Syria. A selection of artifacts from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection of Islamic Art will be paired with work by three contemporary Arab artists — Mohamad Hafez, Issam Kourbaj and Ginane Makki Bacho — to draw attention to refugees a century apart.
Washington Street Historical Society / Pioneer Works
Poets of Little Syria Guided Tours
Tours on Sunday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018
The Washington Street Historical Society will offer tours of what was once known as “Little Syria,” an enclave in the Washington Street area of Lower Manhattan that served as the cultural and economic heart of Arab America from the 1880s until the 1940s.
ArtX
Arab Street Artists Program
Oct.14 – 24, 2018
Made famous in New York in the 1970s, street art and graffiti have since transformed cities around the world. Launching with the first commission in October 2018, a series of artists from the Arab world, including Athier Mousawi and Abdullah Qandeel and Dubai-based Tahreek Studio will engage with the history of the form and its contemporary innovations in the Middle East.
2 Bridges Music Arts
October 14–24, 2018
2 Bridges Music Arts will showcase a curated selection of music, artists’ books, original artworks and graphic design posters from the Arab World in their Chinatown location.
The Museum of Modern Art
Modern Mondays – An Evening with Monira Al Qadiri
Monday, Oct. 15, 2018
In this evening of film and conversation, Kuwaiti artist Monira Al-Qadiri appears at MoMA to present a program of moving image works followed by a discussion.
The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts
Arab Women Artist Residency Launch and Open Studio with Farah Al Qasimi
The EFA Studio Program will host a series of Arab women artists in a year-long program as part of the AAEI. Working from a dedicated studio in the acclaimed 90-studio arts building in Manhattan, the artist will be part of a vibrant, cooperative community dedicated to fostering professional development and encouraging open exchange between artists, curators, critics and the public.
