[Archived] American Arabesque: A Celebration of Culture Art Exhibition through January 12, 2017

December 22, 2016

A stunning art exhibition by contemporary Arab Americans and Arab artists is on display at the Durant Arts Center, 1605 Cameron St., through January 12, 2017. The exhibit is part of the inaugural American Arabesque: A Celebration of Culture events. Open to the public Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. All art is available for purchase.

Amr Mounib will lead free curator tours of the unprecedented exhibition of 34 Arab American and Arab artists on January 5 and 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the gallery. 

Amr Mounib, Nabil Makar, Manal Deeb, Mona El-Bayoumi, Hend Al-Mansour, Ahmed Alkharkh, Mo Shaban, Vian Shamounki, Jamal Sa‘d, Zainab Al Baghdadi, Miriam Yasin, and Hussain Jaafar Ali are among the Arab American artists exhibiting and selling dazzling photography, paintings, Arabic calligraphy, and mixed media original art. Also exhibiting is Lukman Ahmad a Syrian Kurdish American artist and musician. 

The artists’ inspirations are the farmers and landscapes of Egypt and Iraq; the coffee houses and cities of Baghdad; the elegance of Syrian culture; the graceful curves of Arabic calligraphy; the beauty of Arab women; and the struggle for freedom and human rights embodied in the peoples’ uprisings for justice and dignity.

Palestinian artists are well represented in the exhibit by Ahmed Hmeedat, and the artists of the Bright Stars of Bethlehem, including Sliman Mansour, Yousef Al-Rajabi, Layla Hamdieh, Amar Ghattas, Mohammad Harb, Benji Boyadgian, Bashir Qonqar, Ihab Sacca, Mohammad Mohalwis, Yasser Sahmeh, and Johnny Andonia. Produced with a scarcity of materials, their colorful paintings express a range of emotions from the pain of ongoing displacement to the hopes for a peaceful future in their homelands.

Exhibit curator, Amr Mounib, an internationally known Egyptian American photographer and visual media director, said, “Seeing the works of so many talented Arab American artists in one exhibition—including Egyptian, Iraqi, Kurdish, Lebanese, Palestinian, Saudi Arabian, and Syrian—is a rare and wonderful opportunity to experience the artists’ passionate love of the land, and their striving for peace, freedom, and happiness expressed through a variety of artistic mediums. This unique collection reflects the diversity and richness of Arab culture. It was an honor to curate it. I encourage everyone not to see this wonderful exhibit!” 

The exhibit will also showcases poetry by Alexandria Poet Laureate, Wendi R. Kaplan and Palestinian American Poet, Samar Najia.

For additional information, contact Cheryl Anne Colton, Regional Program Manager at 703.746.5565 or  cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov

American Arabesque is sponsored by the Office of the Arts, a division of the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities. For more information visit 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.