Yesterday morning at 10 am, the Curatorial team selected the artwork to be displayed in the "Living in America" exhibit. The call for artists was posted and distributed last September. Our goal was to fill up an empty case the Ahlan wa Sahlan case, which in Arabic means Welcome! There are several variations to the term which basically all mean the same: ahlan wa marhaban, ahlan, marhaban, marhabtayn, ya ahlayn..... It is most likely that if you visit an Arab home, you would hear all or most of the variations in one sitting!

So, we are pleased to announce that we have some wonderful new additions to enhance that section of our gallery. Art work that will be displayed includes works by the following artists: Helen Zughaib, Sami Tabet, Amal, Alya Husseini, Fayeq Oweis, Hayat Gul, Sam Hassan, Jarie Saad Ruddy and Dr. Michell Shamat. We are ever so grateful to our wonderful artists for their support of the AANM and for their kind donations. At this time, our artists are getting ready to deliver the artwork but below are some examples of what is to come, so, make sure you stop by the AANM very soon and if I see you there, I am sure to greet you with Ahlan wa Sahlan! :)

The New Year is great for new beginnings and the AANM is kicking off the year with a new exhibit, From Mocha to Latte: Coffee, the Arab World and the $4 Cup (opening at 5:30pm January 28th in the Lower Level Gallery).

The exhibit explores the Arab World origins of coffee, it's spread through Europe and it's lasting impacts on the entire world. Visit my Flickr Gallery for a sampling of what you might see and learn!