Posted by vrcvanderbilt on Monday, August 27, 2018 in Events, Fine Arts Gallery, HART, Lectures, News, Vanderbilt University, VRC.

The Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery will feature the contemporary artwork of Middle Eastern women in an East-West peace-building exhibition opening Thursday, August 30, in Cohen Memorial Hall on the Peabody campus, with a reception from 5 to 7pm in the atrium.

I AM: Middle Eastern Women Artists and the Quest to Build Peace showcases the work of thirty-one premier Middle Eastern women artists from twelve countries, visually celebrating the pivotal contributions that women make to the enduring global quest for harmony and peace. The exhibition, guest curated by Janet Rady, a specialist in Middle Eastern contemporary art, will be on view through October 10 and presents thirty-eight original works of art, including examples of painting, drawing, collage, photography, digital art, and mixed-media and sculpture

“This exhibition reflects the central role the visual arts can play in bridging world cultures,” said Joseph Mella, gallery director. “Having this take form through the work of prominent Middle Eastern women artists, each confronting conventions with innovative, arresting art, makes this exhibition especially relevant to our students and the greater university and Nashville communities.”

Offering remarks at the reception will be Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos, The Rev. Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler of CARAVAN—the nonprofit organization organizing the exhibit—and participating artist Sheikha Lulwa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain. “In the midst of the increasing chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the Middle East and West, the arts can be one of the most effective mediums to provide new pathways of understanding that transcend borders, helping us put ourselves in the other’s shoes,” said Chandler.

The exhibition premiered its global tour at the National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan, in May 2017 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah. It was then showcased on London’s Trafalgar Square at the historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and then premiered in the United States at the American University Museum in Washington, DC. The Vanderbilt presentation, brought to the Fine Arts Gallery with the generous support of the Vanderbilt Office of the Chancellor, will be one of six in North America.

In addition to the opening event, a panel discussion is set for Wednesday, September 12, in Cohen Hall 203 in conjunction with the Faith and Culture Center. Specific details will be announced on the Fine Arts Gallery website and university calendar.

Gallery hours are 11am to 4pm Monday through Friday, and 1 to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. All events are free and open to the public. Parking is available, free of charge, anywhere in Lot 95 on the Peabody campus, accessible from 21st Avenue South.

*Maitha Demithan, Emirati, Mother, 2017, Scanography, 39.4″ x 31.5″ framed. Courtesy of the artist.  Information for blog post courtesy of Nicholas Moore (Vanderbilt News, August 8, 2018) and the Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery.