The Islamic Arts Society announced that Shaheen Rahman has been elected by the board to lead the Islamic Arts Society. She will take over the responsibilities from Dr. Khawaja Azimuddin who founded the society in 2014.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead this wonderful organization and to present and share Islamic arts in the United States”, said Ms. Rahman in an interview.

In her role as the Outreach Director of the Islamic Arts Society Shaheen has been instrumental in developing key partnerships with the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), Asia Society Texas Center, and the University of Houston. She has also organized IAS art programs and displays at several prominent institutions such as Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, The Jung Center, the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, MS and Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, OK.

In 2019, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner appointed Shaheen to the Board of Directors of Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) to help oversee and enhance the City of Houston’s arts and culture programs.

The outgoing President Dr. Khawaja Azimuddin welcomed Ms. Rahman and expressed confidence that the new leadership will take the Islamic Arts Society to greater heights. In her capacity as the President of IAS, Shaheen will be focusing on growing the organization and expanding its reach to bring the beauty of Islamic Arts to a wider audience.