5th Annual Juried International Exhibition of Contemporary Islamic Art

Opening Reception

We would like to congratulate and thank the Irving Arts Center Staff and the Islamic Art Revival Series (IARS) Team for an outstanding Public Opening Reception on September 17, 2016, of IARS 5th Annual Juried International Exhibition of Contemporary Islamic Art at the Irving Arts Center.

Fifteen of the participating artists were on hand to welcome over 200 guests at the private and public screening. Among the guests were Irving Art Center’s board members, and directors of the greater Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Fashion Design Department at UNT, the Arts and Technology Department at UTD, the Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and interfaith friends and community leaders from all over the Metroplex.  Aramco World Magazine’s editor Richard Doughty attended as well.

We are very appreciative of all the Irving Arts Center staff, especially, Todd Eric Hawkins, Executive Director, and Marcie Inman, Director of Exhibitions and Education, for graciously hosting and helping put together the exhibition.  Special thanks to the hard working IARS team, Shafaq Ahmad, Art Director and Exhibit Curator; Samia Khan, Program Director; Almas Muscatwalla, Workshops Coordinator; Tasnim McCormick Benhalim, Fundraiser Director; and Reshma Syed, Volunteer Coordinator.  A special thank you to Mr. Bassam Odeh, owner of Zonga’s Mediterranean Grill, for providing the delicious appetizers at the reception (thanks to Mr. Odeh and Zonga’s for also hosting September’s Ladies Only Monthly luncheon).

Much gratitude also to our very knowledgeable keynote speaker for the evening, Louise Mackie, the Curator for Islamic Textiles and Art at Cleveland Museum of Art, who taught us about the importance of textiles in Islamic art and gave us the foundation for further understanding of the beautiful exhibit.  Much thanks goes out to the esteemed juror of the exhibition, Dr. Maryam Ekhtiar, who is the Associate Curator of Islamic Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  And, of course, last but certainly not least, we applaud and greatly appreciate all the artists who applied to the exhibit and shared their expressive work for all to enjoy and ponder the message of art as a universal language and a connecting bridge between all cultures.

We were also honored to have had Richard Doughty, the editor of Aramco World Magazine attend the IARS 5th Annual Juried International Art Exhibition, and we thank him for including the event in the international magazine.

We cordially invite you to join us for  with your family and friends at this educational, contemporary Islamic art event, with workshops, presentations, musical performances, tours, and juried Islamic art exhibit of 54 artists from 23 US states and 9 countries.

Private tours may also be scheduled at your request, and all activities are free. The exhibit runs from now through November 13.  Gallery Admission is FREE. Click here for Gallery hours.

Click here to learn more about all the upcoming events. 

IARS 2016 program

Presented by the Islamic Art Revival Series in partnership with Irving Arts Center, the 5th Annual Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Islamic Art is a program of the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation. Dr. Maryam Ekhtiar, Associate Curator of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will act as juror for the exhibition which will be on display in the Main Gallery at Irving Arts Center September 17 – November 13.

“This prestigious international exhibition of artwork is inspired by Islamic culture, art, literature and architecture and features works in a variety of styles and media from artists around the world,” states Shafaq Ahmad, Art Director for the Islamic Art Revival Series. “Showcasing the work of artists from diverse backgrounds, the exhibit offers a window through contemporary art to one fifth of the world’s population, spread out over five continents.”