In harmony with the gallery’s 10th anniversary, Palisades-based art space Sharq has been invited to participate in the Los Angeles/Islam Arts Initiative sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs this fall.
A non-profit space, Sharq functions as an educational art space devoted to informing and entertaining the public with the works of bi-cultural Americans whose roots lie in Eastern culture. Since 2004, Robert Rosenstone and Nahid Massoud operated the gallery from their home in El Medio Bluffs.
To promote dialogue and understanding through the arts on a global level, Sharq has planned a series of cultural events for their fall programing, including an exhibition entitled Mother Egypt/Golden Nubia, which will run from Oct. 11 through Nov. 16.
“After 9/11, I was suddenly seen in a different lens. Being from Afghanistan, I wanted to open up the conversation not only about the horrible tragedy that had happened, but the many other facets of Middle Eastern Culture,” Massoud said. “Art transcends cultural barriers. Through art, we have built bridges and it has been an incredible journey.”
The show will feature work from Palisadian Michael Nelson, a renowned photojournalist who worked out of Cairo covering events in the Middle East for many years. His wife, Nubian-born Mona Sherif, will curate the show. The pair will host weekend discussions of the arts and tumultuous history of Egypt and Nubia, ancient and modern.
Nelson has covered the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf Wars, the Palestinian Intifada, the Israeli Invasions of Lebanon and famines in Ethiopia and Darfur as well as U.S. presidential campaigns, the World Cup, the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Oscars.
“This initiative is so important. There is more to the world of Sharq than war and terror. We want to show all of the beautiful parts,” Rosenstone said. “Michael’s work helps to build a greater understanding that there is great beauty in this part of the world even during this challenging time.”
The Los Angeles/Islam Arts Initiative will involve the Doris Duke Foundation and more than 30 major institutions, including LACMA, CalArts, the Museum of Tolerance, Skirball Museum, UCLA Fowler Museum, USC, the Goethe Institute, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and the Chinese-American Museum.
Sharq is also in need of volunteers interested in gaining hands-on experience participating in the photography exhibition opening reception on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 2-6 p.m. Contact gallery director at sharqart@gmail.com or call (310) 459-6041
In addition to the exhibition and gallery discussions, Sharq will host an evening slide show and discussion with the Nelsons at the Palisades Branch Library at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
