7th Annual Islamic Arts Festival
The 7th annual Islamic Arts Festival took place on the 5th and 6th of December, 2020. The art show was held entirely online this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Islamic Arts Festival featured an online art mall, displaying artwork from over 60 artists. Visitors were able to literally walk through the gallery to view art in a museum like environment and buy magnificent artwork from the comfort of their homes. There were live interactive sessions on calligraphy, henna tattoo, Ebru and painting. Visitors watched in awe as master artists and calligraphers transformed random brush strokes into beautiful art
The Honorable Mayor of Houston inaugurated the festival which was attended online by thousands of visitors from all the United States and Canada. There were workshops on calligraphy, henna, geometric art and a children’s program as well. The festival featured short videos showing how Islam encourages the pursuit of art and beauty in our daily lives as well as a panel discussion “Seeking Solace in the Beautiful: The Spirit of Islamic Art” featuring eminent scholars of Islamic art in North America
ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS
Art Sales
The online 2020 Islamic Arts Festival featured an online art mall, displaying artwork from over 60 artists from all over the USA. Visitors were able to literally walk through the gallery and view art in a museum like environment.
3D Art Gallery
Opening Ceremony
The Honorable Mayor of Houston inaugurated the festival which was attended online by thousands of visitors from all the United States and Canada. There were workshops on calligraphy, henna, geometric art and a children’s program as well. The festival featured short videos showing how Islam encourages the pursuit of art and beauty in our daily lives as well as a panel discussion “Seeking Solace in the Beautiful: The Spirit of Islamic Art” featuring eminent scholars of Islamic art in North America.
The Islamic Arts Festival featured an online art mall, displaying artwork from over 60 artists. Visitors were able to literally walk through the gallery to view art in a museum-like environment and buy magnificent artwork from the comfort of their homes. There were live interactive sessions on calligraphy, henna tattoo, Ebru and painting. Visitors watched in awe as master artists and calligraphers transformed random brush strokes into beautiful art.
Masters At Work
Join renowned artists Nizar MacNojia as he creates life size murals of Islamic Art. Watch him start the mural in the morning and finish it by the end of the day. As the day progresses you will see the step by step transformation of random brushstrokes into beautiful art.
Enchanted Ebru
See the beautiful Turkish art of Ebru as our talented artists Nazli Cizmeci & Nihal Sonmez mystically create colorful art patterns on water. Each enchanting stroke creates a mesmerizing pattern on water which is then magically transferred to paper.
Nihal Sonmez
Nazli Cizmeci
Children’s Art
A full hour of Children’s art activities brought to you by The Asia Society. Learn to make the famous Moroccan lanterns, color the prayer rug, watch the Ottoman art of shadow puppets and draw geometric patterns.
Story Time
Listen to Master story-teller Benyam Van Hattum as he brings to life traditional stories from the Muslim lands. Get ready for a memorable a journey of entertainment, fun and wittiness not only exploring enduring questions about power, justice, knowledge and love but also divine interventions.
Muslim Journeys Art Spot
Short videos presenting Islamic Art forms as integral part of Muslim societies. See how Islam encourages the pursuit of art and beauty in our daily lives. Created by Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies and the National Endowment for the Humanities these videos are a treat to anyone wishing to learn the connection between art & Islam.
Calligraphy of Names & Duas
Watch our calligraphers Osama Qureshy and Huzaifa Taquee as they magically write your names or favorite Duas. Be mesmerized by the mysterious movement of the reed pen as it creates beautiful art on paper. Calligraphy is considered the highest form of Islamic art, emphasizing the importance of the written word in Islam.
Huzaifa Taquee
Osama Qureshy
Hooked on Henna
Learn to make beautiful and delicate henna patterns with our expert henna artist Zohra Siddiqui. The class will take you from the basics of henna tattoo to the most intricate patterns for creating beauty that will be a joy to remember forever!
Hooked On Henna with Zohra Siddiqui
Calligraphy Classes
Join our expert calligraphers Monther Yousef and Shabbir Saifee as they teach you the art of Islamic Calligraphy. The act of writing from the Quran is not only an exalted art form in Islam but also considered meditation in its own right. Challenge not only your artistic abilities but also gain some barakah by joining the class.
Monther Yousef
Shabbir Saifee
Panel Discussion
Join our panelists as they discuss “Seeking Solace in the Beautiful: The Spirit of Islamic Art”. In this segment renowned Islamic Arts Scholars Dr. Ali Asani from Harvard University, Dr. Dede Fairchild Ruggles from the University of Illinois & Dr. Farshid Emami from Rice University talk about the role of arts in the Islamic tradition and Muslim societies. Our experts are sure to blow your mind and show you the relevance of Islamic Art in your day-to-day life.
Panel Discussion
Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World
Watch a segment of the internationally acclaimed “Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World” specially prepared for the 7th annual Islamic Art Festival by the Unity Productions Foundation (UPF). Explore the themes of the Word, Space, Ornament, Color and Water and see the stories behind many great masterworks of Islamic Art and Architecture.
Closing Ceremony
The Board members of the Islamic Arts Society thank the visitors and volunteers for making the event a smashing success.
The 7th annual Islamic Arts Festival took place on the 5th and 6th of December, 2020. The art show was held entirely online this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Over 12,000 visitors saw the two day festival and enjoyed the art as well as the various art programs.
CO-SPONSORED BY
The Islamic Arts Festival is organized by the Islamic Arts Society. The Islamic Arts Society aims to share the rich heritage of Islamic Arts. The society organizes events to celebrate our culture and promote the positive image of our community among Muslims and non-Muslims. Art is a common language and binds diverse communities. By promoting Islamic arts, we hope to promote mutual understanding and to bring the broader American community together.
Sweet memories of Previous Art festivals
