Bellevue College’s Arabic Culture Student Association (ACSA) has been committed to educating the BC community on the Arabic culture through school-wide events such as last November’s Arabic poetry night. On Saturday, Jan. 17, the ACSA will participate in the annual Arab Artists and Arabic Art Exhibition at the Bellevue Art Museum. The exhibition will be a fundraising event to support ACSA’s growth.
At the exhibition, ACSA will demonstrate the creative diversity in the Arab world through various forms of art such as sculptures, paintings, photography and sketches with influences from the classical and modern era. Through these works of art, ACSA member SeifAllah Ashraf Bayoumi hopes to “encourage discussion on the impact of social and political issues, dispel stereotypes and foster understanding of shared human experiences.”
For this event, ACSA has invited many notable artists to the exhibition such as Rajaa Gharbi, Sabah Al-Daher, Ali Rouhfar, Farida Hakim, Umm Aminah, Tamila Akl and Kay Tarapolsi. These artists hope to convey not only their own culture, but also their happiness in using art as an outlet for their hardships. For example, Al-Daher, a sculptor, uses art as a medium to relieve his “intense struggle to survive during my lifetime in Iraq.” To Al-Daher, “art was an outlet for a kind of spiritual transformation during those difficult times that help me to heal and open to the beauty and joy of living.” These artists will convey their own culture through their displayed works of art. According to Hakim, “I was invited to participate in the Bellevue College Arabic Culture Student Association Art Exhibition for their annual fundraiser in January 2015. I am blessed to have the opportunity and privilege to exhibit my new paintings.” According to Hakim, her paintings “reflect the rich heritage of the Arabic language and culture.”
The evening will be filled with food, music and art that all represent different aspects of Arabic culture. Cilia Jurdy, the student leader of ACSA and coordinator for the art exhibition, hopes “to share Arabic art and culture with the community as well as gain funding to put on even more educational events in the future.” According to Bayoumi, students and guests who plan on attending will “enjoy an evening of amazing art work, representing the diversity of the cultures of the Arab world and the many facets of art expression.” Furthermore, attendees “will meet and get a personal exhibition tour by the Bellevue College Arabic Culture Student Association,” shared Bayoumi.
Sponsored by the City of Bellevue, the Bellevue College Foundation, the Arab Center of Washington and Basel Jurdy, ACSA plans to use this exhibition as a fundraiser to support their organization and foster knowledge of the Arabic culture. The Arabic Artists and Art Exhibition will be held from 6-9 p.m. There will be live music by the Arabic music ensemble, House of Tarab, and a three-course halal feast. Admission for students and educators is $125 and the regular price is $150.