We have compiled a select list of organizations that do interesting work related to Arab culture and the arts.
PHILADELPHIA AREA
Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania
www.mec.sas.upenn.edu/
The Middle East Center, part of UPenn’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, is non-partisan and supports research, teaching, and an appreciation of things Middle Eastern. Through an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Middle East, MEC offers a wide range of educational opportunities to raise awareness of the region.
Villanova University Center for Arab and Islamic Studies
www.villanova.edu/artsci/arabislamic/
The Center organizes lectures, film series, conferences, and outreach programs about the Middle East to foster an understanding of Arab and Islamic international issues and culture.
NATIONAL
Alwan for the Arts
www.alwanforthearts.org
Located in New York City, Alwan for the arts serves the Arab community and educates the broader public by showcasing numerous cultural events to enrich cross-cultural relations.
ArteEast
www.arteeast.org
This New York-based international nonprofit organization supports and promotes artists from the Middle East and its diasporas by raising awareness of their most significant and groundbreaking work through public events, a biennial film festival, and a resource-rich website.
Bidoun
www.bidoun.com
Published in New York City, Bidoun Magazine is a quarterly cultural magazine that features art, architecture, film, music, and fashion from the Middle East. It aims to link the cultures of Middle Eastern nations with the West and acts as a platform for ideas and an open forum for exchange, dialogue, and opinions regarding arts and culture from the Middle East.
Calligraphy Qalam
www.calligraphyqalam.com
A very helpful resource for anyone interested in learning more about Arabic calligraphy.
Radius of Arab American Writers, Inc (RAWI)
www.rawi.org
A professional network founded in New York City, RAWI is open to fiction and non-fiction writers, poets, journalists, photojournalists, and academics of Arab heritage from the Arab lands–Magreb to Mashreq. RAWI’s members represent a progressive voice in the American community, and a voice for justice in the US and abroad.
Arab American Institute (AAI)
www.aaiusa.org
AAI works to increase Arab American participation in the U.S. electoral system. The organization, based in Washington, DC, also serves as a central resource to government officials, the media, political leaders, and community groups regarding public policy issues that concern Arab Americans and U.S.-Arab relations.
American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC)
www.adc.org
Based in Washington, DC, ADC is a grassroots civil rights organization that works to stop defamation and negative stereotyping of Arab American in the media, social society, and wherever else it is practiced. It acts as a framework through which Arab Americans can work toward unified, collective, and effective advocacy as well as being a reliable source for news media and educators.
Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
ccas.georgetown.edu/
CCAS was established over 30 years ago with a focus on the Arab world. Located in Washington, DC the Center provides access to government, the non-governmental policy-studies community, the media, and business as well as academia. Its educational outreach program offers programs for K-12 teachers and other educators in the District of Columbia and surrounding suburbs in Maryland and Virginia.
Arab American National Museum
www.arabamericanmuseum.org
The Arab American National Museum’s mission is to document, preserve, celebrate, and educate the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. Based in Dearborn, Michigan, the museum is a national resource striving to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in the United States.
Mizna Journal
www.mizna.org
Mizna Journal, published in Minneapolis, is the only journal of Arab American literature in the United States. Every year, it features publications of hundreds of Arab American writers and introduces readers to Arab American artists in the visual arts, stage, music, and film.
Saudi Aramco World
www.saudiaramcoworld.com
The Saudi Aramco World, published six times a year in Houston, Texas, seeks to broaden knowledge of the cultures, history, and geography of the Arab and Muslim worlds and their connections to the West. The magazine is distributed without charge, upon request, to interested readers worldwide.
ARAB REGION
Al-Jana, the Arab Resource Center for Popular Arts
www.al-jana.org
Al-Jana works with communities that face marginalization in Lebanon by engaging them in documenting their experiences and cultural contributions. The organization creates forum for exchange, skills development, and coordinates efforts with grass-root organizations that work with disadvantaged youth across Lebanon.
Ashkal Alwan, the Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts
www.ashkalalwan.org
Based in Beirut, Lebanon, Ashkal promotes the arts and aims to document and build an archival record of contemporary intellectual and creative activity. The organization hosts exhibitions, videos, lectures, performances and publications that support cultural understanding.
