[Archived] American Arabesque: A Celebration of Culture

For Immediate Release: November 23, 2016

The exuberant rhythms and vibrant sights of an Arabian bazaar will rock Alexandria during the inaugural American Arabesque: A Celebration of Culture on Saturday, December 3, 2016, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Durant Arts Center, 1605 Cameron St.

Foty Fusion, the Huda Asfour Quartet, and Ramy Adly are among the local Arab American professional musicians performing at the inaugural festival—with a debut performance by the exciting new Arab Jazz Collective!

Gorgeous Arabic calligraphy and henna designs will be available, with poetry readings by Alexandria Poet Laureate Wendy R. Kaplan and Palestinian American Poet Samar Najia.

Delicious Saudi Arabian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese, and Palestinian cuisine and sweets will be available for purchase from local restaurants and caterers.

Shop for beautiful holiday gifts made by Arab American artists and artisans from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen including exquisite Palestinian embroidery, Moroccan ceramics, Holy Land olive oil and beauty products, and Yemeni Bedouin silver jewelry.

Amr Mounib, Manal Deeb, Rana Al Amine, Mona Bayoumi, and Ahmed AlKharkh are among the Arab American artists exhibiting dazzling photography, paintings, and mixed media original art.  The Embassies of Jordan, Libya, and Oman will showcase their rich culture and heritage and tourism at American Arabesque.

The Embassy of Oman, Upcycle Creative Reuse Center, and Maktabatee are sponsoring educational activities for children, and world percussionist Tom Teasley will host an interactive workshop on traditional drumming.  

Entry fee is $5 per person. Children under 5 years old are free. ADVANCE PURCHASE visit www.alexandriava.gov/webtrac search activity code: 255207.01 or keyword American Arabesque.  Or, reserve then PAY AT THE DOOR, visit http://tinyurl.com/zcckewf

American Arabesque is a project of the Office of the Arts, a division of the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities.  For more information visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/Arts. 

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, contact Cheryl Anne Colton at 703-746-5565 (Virginia Relay 711) or cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov.