Black Labor: Migrants’ Source of Living in Europe

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John Halaka (born in Egypt): “Resist”

A Century of Arab-American Art

Exhibition Shows Historical Arab-American Art Pieces

Jacqueline Salloum (born in Michigan): “Happy Birthday Dear Sister” Washington, Mohammad Ali Salih

The Washington-based Middle East Institute (MEI) is celebrating its 75th birthday this year and, as part of the celebration, has just opened a two-month-long exhibition of historical Arab- American art pieces, some of which are about a century old, such as a drawing by famous Arab- American Gibran Khalil Gibran.

MEI was founded 75 years ago on May 8, 1946. It was inspired by George Keiser, an architect and a student of Islamic architecture. He brought together politicians and retired diplomats who were not only interested in the Middle East, but also believed in its future importance to America.

The group included: Christian Herter, a congressman from Massachusetts who would go on to become Dwight Eisenhower’s Secretary of State; Ambassador George Allen, former lecturer at the American University in Beirut Harvey Hall; and, Halford Hoskins, who directed what would become the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University.

The MEI’s exhibition of Arab-American art also deals with history, bringing together pieces some of which are about a century old. Entitled “Converging Lines: Tracing the Artistic Lineage of the Arab Diaspora in the U.S.,” it was curated by Maymanah Farhat, a prominent Arab-American artist, who, among other achievements, was in Foreign Policy magazine’s annual list of 100 Leading Global Thinkers, in recognition of her scholarship on Syrian art after the uprising of 2014.

The exhibition explores how Arab-Amer-

MEI was founded 75 years ago on May 8, 1946. It was inspired by George Keiser, an architect and a student of Islamic architecture

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Etel Adnan (born in Lebanon): “Late Afternoon”

ican artists, while looking back to their origins, handled the complexities of migration, including invisibility, alienation, inter-generational trauma, and changing identities.

Featured artists (works of six of them shown here) included: Etel Adnan, Sama Alshaibi, Zeina Barakeh, Kamal Boullata, Huguette Caland, Yasmine Nasser Diaz, Dahlia Elsayed, Gibran Kahlil Gibran, Sherin Guirguis, Helen Khal, John Halaka, Jackie Milad, Mohammed Omar Khalil, Zeinab Saab, Jacqueline Reem Salloum, Nazar Yahya, and Helen Zughaib

The MEI’s exhibition of ArabAmerican art deals with history, bringing together pieces some of which are about a century old.

Kamal Boullata (born in Jerusalem): “Ana Al-Haqq”

Zeina Barakeh (Palestinian born in Lebanon):”Scenario of Return”

Sama Alshaibi (born in Iraq): “vs. Him”