Portrait of a Gentleman, Iran, Isfahan, Safavid period, ca. 1650–1675, oil on canvas,
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

(In Person) Art Outside: Celebrate Eid
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution
Saturday, May 7, 2-4:30pm
Free in person, outdoor program

The National Museum of Asian Art hosts a festive afternoon of music, food, and art to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Watch master calligraphers—Davut Bektas, Keniz Oktem Bektas, and Mariam Lodin—at work, make your own calligraphy-inspired art, enjoy henna designs and music by Syrian Music Preservation Initiative and the Zaynab Ensemble, and view art in the galleries, including the exhibition Engaging the Senses and Fashioning an Empire: Safavid Textiles from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, which closes on May 15th. Food from local favorite Fava Pot will be available for purchase. This event is offered in collaboration with the Qatar America Institute for Culture and the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts. In case of rain, this event will take place inside the museum.

Also at 2 and 4pm, join associate curator Simon Rettig for a gallery talk, Arts of the Islamic World: Qur'anic Inscriptions and Calligraphy, which will focus on the artistic expressions of the written word in the Arts of the Islamic World gallery. Learn about the art of Qur'anic calligraphy by exploring works from North Africa to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Read more and register, click here