On view November 19, 2025 – February 14, 2027 at various locations
Arab Massachusetts: Building Community in the Commonwealth
In November 2025, the Arab American National Museum (AANM) proudly launched the Arab Massachusetts: Building Community in the Commonwealth traveling exhibit, a groundbreaking initiative that sheds light on the vibrant stories of Arab American communities in the state from the late 19th century until present day. Informed by both meticulous archival research and input from Arab Americans residing in Massachusetts, the exhibit and accompanying programming is the first of its kind in both its scope and ambition, publicly documenting narratives from Arab Americans’ long presence in the state of Massachusetts; narratives that up until now have remained relegated to individual family histories or the confines of institutional records. In a time of rising xenophobia and nativism in this country, it is more urgent than ever to preserve these stories.
The exhibit kicked off in Boston at the Pao Arts Center and will now be on its way to Lawrence and Worcester. Through narratives from both historic and current Arab American communities in these locations, donated objects, and community history workshops, this project uplifts Arab American voices of the past and present, explores the layered tension between assimilation and the push to preserve one’s culture, examines how deindustrialization in Massachusetts affected urban Arab American populations, and ultimately celebrates the ways Arab Americans in Massachusetts have built and found strength in cross-cultural communities throughout time.
Click here to view photos from the exhibition Opening Reception which took place on November 15, 2025 at the Pao Arts Center in Boston!
Schedule
Boston
Nov. 19, 2025 – Feb. 13, 2026
Location: Pao Arts Center
Associate Programming
– Little Syria Walking Tour
Saturday, November 22, 2025, 2-4 p.m.
– Community Day
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 1-5 p.m.
Learn more about Pao Arts Center and each event here.
Lawrence
Aug, 1, 2026 – Sept. 12, 2026
Location: Lawrence Heritage State Park
Worcester
Sept. 26, 2026 – Feb. 14, 2027
Location: Museum of Worcester
Special thanks to our sponsors for helping make this exhibition possible
Underwriter
Patron
Dr. John I. Makhoul
Steward
Jeff Boshar
Ambassador
Cedar’s Foods
The SmithGroup
Drs. Ghaleb and Rima Daouk