As an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the AANM is taking part in Smithsonian Magazine’s 3rd annual national Museum Day. Last year, museums in 49 states took part in the event, in which free admission is offered to emulate the Smithsonian’s free admission policy in its own institutions. In order to gain free admission to the AANM on Saturday, September 29, visit www.smithsonian.com/museumdaycard to download a special card, good for you and one guest. See you there!
Free Student Photography Program
Middle school students from southwest Detroit are invited to take part in the fall 2007 session of the AANM’s SURA Arts Academy, a free student photography program based at Munger Middle School in Detroit. Students will learn to use digital cameras provided by the AANM, getting instruction and inspiration from professional photographers and educators. Sessions will be held after school at Munger on Tuesdays from September 18 through November 27. For registration details, email lblasey@accesscommunity.org or call 313.624.0210. This program funded by The Skillman Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of State.
September 6:
AANM Book Award Gala
Winners of the inaugural Arab American National Museum Book Award will be honored at the AANM, with entertainment by Arab American composer and violinist Riad Abdel-Gawad (at right). Click HERE to read about the winners. Museum Members wishing to RSVP for this event, which includes cocktails and dinner, should call 313.624.0223 as soon as possible. No admission charge for Members; cocktail attire, please.
September 8:
SURA Opening Reception
Celebrate the opening of the SURA Arts Academy Student Photography Exhibition in the AANM’s Lower Level Gallery. From noon-2 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, the student photographers will be on hand, along with refreshments, a performance by rapper Invincible, and a briefing on SURA Arts Academy. All are welcome; please RSVP by calling 313.624.0210.
September 9:
La Maison Saouli Fashion Show & Sale
The international fashion house La Maison Saouli is presenting its first-ever North American fashion show featuring conservative couture at the Arab American National Museum from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, September 9. Designer Karima Saouli, right, comes from a family of tailors; she created her own line to better express her identity as a Western Muslim woman. La Maison Saouli is based in Belgium; the garments are made in Paris and will be available for sale at the show. See designs at www.saouli.eu. Free admission.
September 9, 16, 23 & 30:
Ramadan Free Craft Sundays
Free craftmaking sessions for kids ages 6-12 resume this month at the AANM, marking the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. On Sept. 9, Arabic calligraphy and handkerchief design are on tap for the budding artists. Sept. 16, it’s decorative and functional rope baskets. On Sept. 23, children will paint pottery with Arabic designs and on Sept. 30, to mark the end of Ramadan, it’s a Happy Eid Party, with a greeting card craft and refreshments for the whole family. No advance registration necessary; call 313.624.0210 with questions.
September 13:
Free Meditation Sessions NEW TIME
Positive response is bringing the “Learn to Meditate Series” back to the AANM for six weeks with a new start time of 6:15 p.m. Thursdays, starting September 13. 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.
September 20:
Ford Comerica Global Thursdays: Lunasa
Ireland’s great 1970s group The Bothy Band inspired this gathering of Ireland’s top contemporary players. Lúnasa use melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments, pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in breathtaking configurations. Their inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves are steering Irish acoustic music into new territory. 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; and $12 at the door. Global Thursdays is also sponsored by The Wallace Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Metro Times, and DoubleTree Hotel Dearborn.
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; watch this eNewsletter for details.
This exhibition made possible in part by The Wallace Foundation.
Opening September 8:
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. A public opening reception from noon-2 p.m. Saturday, September 8, includes refreshments, live entertainment and a briefing on SURA Arts Academy. To RSVP for the opening reception, call 313.624.0120.
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
What do a west African griot (right), a Mexican flamenco dancer (below) and an Arab vocalist have in common? They’re all on the bill for the fall season of the AANM’s 
popular Ford Comerica Global Thursdays world music concert series. Contemporary Irish acoustic supergroup Lunasa opens the series September 20; a return of 2006’s colorful International Holiday Marketplace & Fashion Show concludes the season December 13. Click 
Back in 1970, Mona Salem Mulhair completed this intricate petit point needlework piece, with rose, green and metallic gold thread on a cream-colored background. Framed in wood, painted red and brushed over with gold, the piece is about 13” by 7”. It’s reminiscent of the embroidery styles featured in the Museum’s current exhibition