PHF Participates in ARABESQUE at Kennedy Center
On Monday,
February 23, the Kennedy Center, in cooperation with the
League of Arab States dedicated
ARABESQUE:
Arts from the Arab
World, an international festival showcasing the varie
d
cultures of the 22 Arab nations that represent the
Arab World.
The
three-week
festival brought together artists,
many of whom are making
their US debut, in performances of
music, dance, and theater, as well as exhibitions featuring
art instillations, fashion, cuisine, a souk (market), and
much more.
One aspect of
this festival is the costume show “Brides of the Arab
World”, featuring 48 traditional bridal outfits from all 22
member countries of the Arab League. The colorful
exhibit was on display at the Hall of Nations and the Hall of
States of the Kennedy Center and is a fascinating display of
rich textiles, embroidery and intricate jewelry.
The Pale
stinian Heritage
Foundation presented five costumes from Palestine representing Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Al-Khalil and Asduud, as
well as other costumes from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Tunis. The
costumes from Lebanon and Tunis come from the collection of
the late Dr. Hala Salaam Maksoud, donated by her family to
PHF.
The Festival
remained
open to the public through March 15, 2009.
Kindly note
the articles below by Ellen McCarthy of the Washington Post,
and Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab American
Institute .
BRIDES FROM PALESTINE
AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
Bethlehem Malak
front |
Bethlehem Malak back |
Ein Karem,
front
Jerusalem |
Ein Karem, side
Jerusalem |
Ramallah back |
Asduud front |
Asduud back |
Al Khalil front |
Al Khalil back |
Ramallah front |
Click images to enlarge
For more images of
the bridal dresses from the Arab world, go to Exhibits
and click
Arabesque: Arts from the Arab World
Arabesque
Dr.
James J. Zogby (c)
President
Arab American Institute
March 2,
2009
Last
Friday, the "Weekend" section of
the Washington Post
featured a cover story on
"Arabesque: Art of the Arab
World," the Kennedy Center's
three-week-long festival of Arab
arts and culture. There is no
better way to begin a reflection
on the program, than to quote
the opening lines of the
marvelous "Weekend" review by
Ellen
McCarthy. She wrote:
"The residents of Washington might not know it yet, but
something extraordinary is about to take place on the banks
of their Potomac.
Something that has never happened here - or anywhere,
really."
McCarthy was so right. From the moment the curtains opened
on "Arabesque's" first night, I knew something quite
remarkable was occurring, and I was, quite simply,
overwhelmed.
"Arabesque" is a
wonder. Negotiating the logistics and
politics necessary to assemble the festival was monumental.
Locating the talent, securing visas, transporting sets,
costumes and works of art was, itself, a remarkable
undertaking, a tribute to the foresight and vision of the
Kennedy Center's Director, Michael Kaiser, and the
determination and the commitment of his staff to see the
project to fruition.
Five years in the making, the Director and staff of
Washington's prestigious Kennedy Center, traveled across the
Arab world to assemble a wide range of artists from all 22
Arab countries. Eight hundred performers, in all, have come
to the U.S., from the traditional (Berber singers from
Morocco), to the more avant-garde (Marcel Khalife, or Debbie
Allen's remarkable "Omani Dancers"). There were musicians,
singers and dancers, poets and painters, story-tellers,
artists and craftsmen represented in the group.
"Arabesque" provides Americans and Arabs alike with a
profound learning experience. As Secretary General of the
Arab League, Amr Moussa, noted, never before have artists
from all 22 Arab countries been represente
d under one roof
in one festival. As the festival unfolds over its three-week
run, tens of thousands of Americans will see the richness
and diversity of Arab culture, in all its many exquisite
forms.
On each day of the program, there are multiple events taking
place on the Kennedy Center's many stages. On one night, for
example, there were Syrian dervish dancers, a performance by
a Palestinian theater troupe, and a Somali hip-hop group. At
the same time, the Kennedy Center's interior has been
transformed. There are exhibits of Arab bridal dresses and
examples of Arabic architecture. And the basement of the
Kennedy Center has become a veritable Arab souk, displaying
crafts from Morocco to Iraq, for appreciation by and sale to
the thousands of tourists who visit the Kennedy Center each
day.
Arabs, too, will learn. As I have come to note, not only do
Americans (and even Arab Americans) not know the richness
and diversity of Arab culture; but Arabs, too, have not been
exposed to the variety of cultural expression across their
broad region. We "know of" each other, but do not always
"know" each other. But, here we are, thanks to the Kennedy
Center, all under one roof.
The exp
erience of "Arabesque" will shatter stereotypes, and
put new definition to the meaning of being Arab. For too
many Americans, Arabs exist only as one-dimensional
political beings, lacking hearts or souls.
I remember what was, for me, a profoundly hurtful moment: on
the 25th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel,
hearing comments by them-Prime Minister Golda Meir, who
observed that she felt "so sad" for the "other side" (read:
"Arabs"). We (read: "Israelis") are a joyful people, who
laugh, make art, and love beauty. They, on the other hand,
know only how to be angry and make war. This, of course, was
but an elaboration of a theme developed by Chaim Weizmann in
the 1930s , when he characterized the conflict that was
unfolding in the region as being between "the forces of
civilization and the barbarism of the desert." This was
later given artistic form on the book and film "Exodus,"
which portrayed Israelis as fully human, and Arabs as
one-dimensional war-like figures, without value.
During the next three weeks, this caricature of Arabs will
be destroyed.
And so, when the curtain rose on the opening night of
Arabesque, and I saw 140 Syrian children of the Al-Farah
Choir, I was, in fac
t overwhelmed. Thankful, that after
thirty years of combating negative stereotypes and defending
my heritage, I would see the day when, in my nation's
premier cultural center there would be a celebration of Arab
arts and letters. The culture of my people was being
recognized. I looked at the smiles and joyful movements of
those youngsters and felt pride in their accomplishment.
They are our little ambassadors. They, and the hundreds of
others on the program who traveled thousands of miles to
join the festival, were defining, better than any
politicians, what it means to be an Arab, using the
universal language of art.
There are lessons to be learned from "Arabesque." It should
be repeated. The seeds that have been planted by this
festival will grow on their own - but how much better if
they are nurtured and cultivated? The lesson here is that,
not only is the Arab past glorious, but that the present and
future are, as well. All of us owe thanks to the Kennedy
Center for reminding us of that, and challenging us to do
better at remembering it.
For more media coverage of
Arabesque: Arts from the Arab World go to the
links below
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/19/AR2009021900901.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/03/dance-arabesque-immersion/
Culture in Context: A Tapestry of
Expression
Culture in Context: A Tapestry of Expression presented by
the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, New Jersey during
2008 came to a close February 2009. The exhibit
consisted of various sections,
each representing a different ethnic group residing in New Jersey. The
Palestinian section of the exhibit was represented by the
Palestinian Heritage Foundation and included Palestinian
traditional costumes from Bethlehem and Ramallah, along with art and
crafts from Palestine.
As
part of the museum's cultural activities series to celebrate this
exhibit,
Hanan Munayyer was invited to speak to school children and museum visitors
on December 11 and December 18,
2008. The lecture included history of traditional Middle Eastern
embroidery and crafts with live demonstrations of
embroidered costumes and crafts from Palestine.
Culture in Context
was co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the
Arts, and New Jersey Network Public Television and Radio.
Betty Sams Donates Antique Garments to Foundation
Mrs. Betty Sams donated three Syrian and two Palestinian
dresses along with several children abaye to the Palestinian
Heritage Foundation. The Syrian dresses come from the
Sarakeb region and the Golan, while the Palestinian
garments are from the Naqab area. The Foundation would like
to thank Mrs. Sams for her generosity and Dr. Clovis Maksoud for
being instrumental in introducing Mrs. Sams to PHF.
Martha
Wilson Donates Two Palestinian Dresses to PHF
Ms. Martha
Wilson, a friend of PHF, has
recently donated two Palestinian embroidered traditional dresses to the
Palestinian Heritage Foundation. One dress, made of green and red striped silk fabric
(known as Janneh-wa nar) and adorned with Bethlehem style
couching embroidery on the sleeves, side
panel and chestpiece, was worn in the Jerusalem area
villages. The other dress comes from the village of Beit
Dajan in the Jaffa region and is made of white linen fabric
embroidered with intricate cross stitch and Bethlehem
couching stitch. Both dresses were bought in Jerusalem in
the 1960s by the late Mrs. Leila Wilson (Martha's mother) whose
husband the late
Evan Wilson served as the American Consul General in
Jerusalem in the mid 1960s.
Sadly, Mrs.
Leila Wilson passed away last April 2008 at the
age of ninety six. Martha who inherited the dresses from her mother
was kind to donate both to the Foundation. The Foundation
would like to thank Martha for her kind gesture and
generosity.
Emily and
Stephen Ward Donate Palestinian and Syrian Garments to PHF
Emily and Stephen
Ward have recently donated two Palestinian
embroidered dresses and
two Syrian embroidered coats to the Foundation. These
garments were acquired by the Wards in the late 1960s while
Mr. Ward was serving as
the United States Vice Consul
to Syria and Jerusalem.
The Munayyers and the Wards first met in
Jerusalem in 1970, and kept in touch through the years. They
met again in
Washington DC when their daughter was studying at Georgetown
university in 1996. At that get-together, Emily told the Munayyers of
the Palestinian and Syrian garments that she owns, images of which she sent at a later date.
In March ,
2009 both families met again at the Kennedy
Center Arabesque
Festival, and
the Wards donated their
Palestinian and Syrian garments to the Foundation.
The Foundation would like to thank Emily and Steve Ward for
their gesture and generous donation.
