AANM Undertakes Assesment
Like most industries, the museum industry has its own set of standards and best practices. The AANM has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) administered by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Using self-study and peer review/consultation, AANM staff are evaluating current practices and establishing priorities for meeting standards. It’s the first step toward full AAM accreditation, which the Museum may pursue after completing its third full year of operation in May 2008, about the same time the MAP process will conclude.
Marketplace Vendor Deadline Nears
Artists, craftspeople and other creative types – sell your wares to an enthusiastic multicultural audience at the AANM’s 2nd annual International Holiday Marketplace & Fashion Show. Set for 6-9 p.m. Thursday, December 13, this free event includes a variety of multicultural merchandise, complimentary refreshments, music and a live fashion show. Nonprofit organizations may rent a 6-foot table for $30; all others $50. Vendors of culturally inspired apparel also get the opportunity to participate in the fashion show. Table rental deadline is Wednesday, November 21. Call 313.624.0215 for details. Space is limited, so register today.
AANM Honors Museum Adventure Pass
You can now visit your local library and “check out” a museum along withyour books and DVDs. Free admission to 25 Detroit-area culturalinstitutions, including the Arab American National Museum, is being offered to public library card holders through the Museum Adventure Pass presented by Macy’s. The program is designed to encourage attendance at both libraries and cultural institutions. Visit www.detroitadventurepass.org to learn exactly how the program works and to view a list of participating libraries and museums. The Museum Adventure Pass is good for up to four free admissions to the AANM.
Artifact Spotlight: Hebron Jacket
This jacket, embroidered with eye-popping color and design, was purchased by Leonard and Mary Louise Rynski at a shop in the old city of Ramallah, Palestine, in 1981. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan residents were told the jacket might be up to a century old and probably came from the Hebron area. It’s made of densely machine-woven fabric imported from Europe and covered with swirling couch-stitch patterns. The palm motif is a popular one in Palestinian embroidery traditions. Learn more about donating artifacts to the AANM by clicking HERE.
Service Matters at AANM
In Arab culture, hospitality is taken very seriously. At the Arab American National Museum and its parent company, ACCESS, this tradition plays out not only in the services we provide, but in the way we provide those services. So, we’d like to hear about your experiences, good or bad, at the Museum. Please call our Comment Line at 313-297-4531 and let us know how we’re doing.
November 8:
Ford Comerica Global Thursdays: Stratospheerius
These psychojazz trip funk masters fill their live performances with funky dance grooves; rip-roaring guitar/violin jams, and hooks that mix jazz,funk, and world beat. Featured in Relix Magazine's "On The Verge" section, they’re also "Best Jam Band" in the Musician’s Atlas Independent Music Awards and a winner of the BMI John Lennon Songwriting contest. Tickets are $8 for Museum Members and students; $10 in advance at the Museum or by phone with a credit card at 313.582.2266 or 313.624.0215; and $12 at the door.
November 8, 15 & 29:
Free Meditation Sessions
The “Learn to Meditate Series” continues at the AANM at 6:15 p.m. Thursdays until further notice (no session on November 22, Thanksgiving). 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 Freel at 248.227.7595 or tlf157@comcast.net.
November 11, 18 & 25:
Free Craft Sundays
Kids ages 6-12 are invited to 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 In The Galleries below). 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.
November 15:
Silver Speaks Opens
Ever wondered how intricate jewelry is made? See it done live at the Arab American National Museum on Thursday, November 15. It’s the opening reception for Silver Speaks: Traditional Jewelry of the Middle East, the new exhibition at the AANM. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments and live entertainment in the Museum’s Community Courtyard. Then, Silver Speaks jewelry collector Marjorie Ransom gives a lecture and gallery tour, followed by a demonstration by silversmith Kamal Rubaih of the World Friend shop in the silver souk of Old Sana’a, Yemen (a jewelry-making hot spot), and a live showing of silver and costumes by young women of Dearborn. To attend this free event, please RSVP at 313.624.0200 or fsaad@accesscommunity.org. Read more about the exhibition HERE.
November 15:
Ford Comerica Global Thursdays: Edmar Castaneda
Combining Latin jazz with traditional Colombian music, Castañeda has carved a firm place in the international jazz scene. A jazz harpist of imposing talent, he transforms the harp into a lead instrument to phenomenal effect. Castañeda produces cross-rhythms like a drummer, and smashes chordal flourishes like a flamenco guitarist. Tickets are $8 for Museum Members and students; $10 in advance at the Museum or by phone with a credit card at 313.582.2266 or 313.624.0215; and $12 at the door.
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.
This exhibition made possible in part by The Wallace Foundation.
Opening November 15:
Silver Speaks:
Traditional Jewelry of the Middle East
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. Click HERE to read more about the exhibition and details of the November 15 opening reception, including a lecture and gallery tour with Silver Speaks collector Marjorie Ransom and a demonstration by a silversmith from Yemen, a jewelry-making hot spot.
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
