Watch AANM Videos Online
Nothing compares to visiting in person, but you can get a taste of what it’s like to experience the Arab American National Museum by viewing new short videos on our website. These multimedia offerings include segments produced and presented by Michigan Public Television and www.metromode.com, as well as the AANM-produced video Telling Our Story. You can also hear a recent audio segment produced by Afropop Worldwide on the 2007 Concert of Colors. Click HERE to see a menu of our online multimedia offerings.
Film Fest Spotlight: West Bank Story
What happens when you take the famous romantic musical West Side Story and move it to the Middle East? It becomes an Academy Award winner. Director Ari Sandel’s West Bank Story is a 22-minute musical comedy that pits competing falafel stands against each other instead of rival gangs, while Fatima (right, played by Noureen Dewulf), a Palestinian cashier from one of the stands falls in love with David, an Israeli soldier. West Bank Story won the 2006 Oscar for Best Short Film, Live Action. It opens the Third Annual Arab Film Festival at the AANM, screening at 7 p.m. Friday, November 2 as part of a double bill. Click HERE to view the film festival schedule and buy tickets online.
November Free Craft Sundays
It’s time for another round of Free Craft Sundays at the AANM! Kids ages 6-12 are invited for free craft sessions from 2-4 p.m. on Sundays in November, including the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. On November 4, kids will make cross-stitch handkerchiefs inspired by the current exhibition Threads of Pride: Palestinian Traditional Costumes. The Palestinian version of the famous Arab dance known as debkeh is the activity on November 11. Then, on November 18, belts and necklaces will get beaded decorations inspired by a new AANM exhibition, Silver Speaks (see next item). And on November 25, bracelets will be made with knots and beads, and a video about Yemen, a jewelry-making hotspot, will be shown. No advance registration necessary; call Lynn at 313.624.0210 with questions.
Coming Soon: Silver Speaks
Opening Thursday, November 15 at the AANM is Silver Speaks: Traditional Jewelry of the Middle East, featuring selections from the David and Marjorie Ransom Collection. The Ransoms began collecting silver jewelry during their careers as U.S. diplomats in the Middle East, and became amateur preservationists as they investigated smithing techniques and the historical, cultural and social meaning of various jewelry designs. The show runs through March 30, 2008 in the Lower Level Gallery. Watch this space for details of the opening reception for this exhibition, which will include a silversmithing demonstration.
Arab Detroit Diversity Workshop
Actress and activist Kathy Najimy (right), author and media critic Dr. Jack Shaheen (below) and Dr. George Saliba, Professor of Arabic and 
Islamic Science at Columbia University, are set to speak Thursday, October 25 at Images and Perceptions of Arab Americans, a daylong conference at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. Subtitled From Immigration to Discrimination: Understanding a Diverse Community, the conference is recommended for business leaders, public officials, media and any community member interested in learning about Arab Americans. Click HERE for registration information about this annual cultural education workshop presented by www.ArabDetroit.com.
October 11:
Ford Comerica Global Thursdays: SHUSMO
New York City-based SHUSMO was originally formed by Tareq Abboushi (right) to mix various elements of jazz and Middle Eastern music, and to present them through powerful grooves. Since then the melodic melange has seen other elements come into play, including Latin rhythms, counterpoint, and spoken word. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the AANM’s Lower Level Auditorium. Tickets are $8 for Museum Members and students; $10 in advance in person at the Museum or by phone with a credit card at 313.582.2266 or 313.624.0215; and $12 at the door.
October 11 & 18:
Free Meditation Sessions
Positive response has brought the “Learn to Meditate Series” back to the AANM, with a new start time of 6:15 p.m. Thursdays, through October 18. Come see for yourself why so many people from every culture and walks of life are learning to meditate. Release stress and bring benefits to mind, body and emotions. Become a deeper, brighter person. Look and feel younger. In the Lower Level Classroom. Free and open to the public. Questions? Contact Terry at White Rabbit Resources at 248-227-7595 or tlf157@comcast.net.
October 18:
Threads of Pride Lecture & Embroidery Sale
The AANM’s current exhibition, Threads of Pride: Palestinian Traditional Costumes, is the inspiration for colorful embroidered apparel and accessories available now at the Museum Store and during a free event at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 18. Rabiah Shafie of the Palestine Aid Society of America will present a free lecture on Palestinian embroidery traditions, following by an expanded offering of embroidered items for sale. To extend your entertaining evening, consider buying a ticket for the 7:30 p.m. Ford Comerica Global Thursdays performance by Palestinian American actor/author Betty Shamieh. See next item for details.
October 18:
Ford Comerica Global Thursdays: Betty Shamieh
This award-winning Palestinian American playwright has two plays making their New York and world premieres this season. Shamieh’s off-Broadway debut, Roar, was selected as a New York Times Critics Pick for 2004. As an actor, Shamieh performed her play of monologues, Chocolate in Heat, at its sold-out premiere at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2001. This one-woman show, featuring excerpts from Shamieh’s many plays, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the AANM’s Lower Level Auditorium. Tickets are $8 for Museum Members and students; $10 in advance in person at the Museum or by phone with a credit card at 313.582.2266 or 31.3624.0215; and $12 at the door.
October 26-28:
AAI's Yalla Vote '08
The Arab American Institute’s 2007 National Leadership Conference, “Our Voice, Our Future, Yalla Vote 2008,” is set for October 26-28 at several sites in Dearborn. A key event in the Arab American political calendar, the conference draws hundreds of participants from around the country. Presidential candidates are expected to appear throughout the weekend; confirmed speakers include U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Michigan Department of Human Services Director Ismael Ahmed and Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean. For registration info, click HERE.
October 27:
Concert Gala with Umm Kulthoum Orchestra
Starting at just $25, you can have a fabulous seat at the ornate Detroit Opera House (right) for the 4th Annual Concert Gala featuring the Umm Kulthoum Orchestra – the national orchestra of Egypt. Order now to get great seat locations at all prices -- $25, $50, $75, $100 and $150. Premium seating is guaranteed for ticket holders at the $200 Patron and $500 Benefactor levels. Read more about the Gala and the Orchestra HERE. Order tickets online at www.accesscommunity.org or by calling Wafa Salah at 248.626.2522, the Museum at 313.624.0200 or Ticketmaster at 248.645.6666. Proceeds benefit the Arab American National Museum.
Through November 25:
Threads of Pride: Palestinian Traditional Costumes
Threads of Pride features over 40 Palestinian embroidered dresses and ceremonial costumes from the collection of Farah and Hanan Munayyer, founders of the Palestinian Heritage Foundation of West Caldwell, New Jersey and stewards of the largest collection of Palestinian embroidery in the United States. This exhibition is in the Museum’s Main Floor Gallery. A lecture and embroidery sale related to this exhibition is set for October 18; see Events item above.
This exhibition made possible in part by The Wallace Foundation.
Through October 28:
SURA Arts Academy Student Photography Exhibition
Images of family, friends and community as seen by 6th-9th graders from Dearborn and southwest Detroit, who were equipped with digital cameras, then instructed and inspired by professional photographers and educators. Through October 28 in the Lower Level Gallery. At right, Untitled, by Reine Hamdar of Dearborn.
This exhibition is made possible by The Skillman Foundation and the U.S. Department of State.
Membership
Receive the following membership benefits:
- Free AANM admission plus advance notice and invitations to upcoming events
- Reduced ticket prices for AANM events
- 10% discount at the Museum store
- 10% discount on Museum facility rentals
- Free guest passes
- Ability to borrow books from Museum Library & Resource Center
Call (313) 624-0200 today for your Museum membership or click here
