Summit Artspace’s Transition Gallery will host contemporary works by artists from the Middle East and Africa May 5 through 7, with the hope of encouraging cultural understanding.
“The Other Face” will feature more than 100 pieces by artists from Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the United States.
The show opens May 5, 4 to 7 p.m. in the Transition Gallery with an artist reception. The exhibit can also be viewed Friday, May 6 from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 7 from noon until 9 p.m. It will be open during Akron Artwalk. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Show creator artist Jamila Alhaib, a Portage Lakes resident, imagined the show as a way for people of all cultures to better understand one another through the work of the artists. She credits international sculptor Abd Alrahman Almohammed with helping her make the show possible.
“I decided to name this show ‘The Other Face’ because I wanted to show a different side of art that isn’t dominant in the United States. Most of the art that will be at this gallery was originated and created by people from the Middle East and Africa,” Alhaib explained.
“In the future, I would like to bridge the gap in art between the United States and the rest of the world. I would like to host exhibitions in many different countries and create the opportunity for artists to be able to travel and visit these countries, have their art in museums and galleries around the world and become international artists,” she said.
A number of the featured artists are traveling to the United States to be present for the opening of the show. The exhibit will include paintings, sculpture and fine crafts.
Alhaib is a graduate of The University of Akron. She focuses on painting abstracts using acrylics. She has had paintings in shows at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the GAR Foundation Gallery. Abd Alrahman Almohammed has pieces at the Vatican and on display in Paris and London.
Summit Artspace is a community art center bringing together in one location some of the best local artists, art education and arts organizations of the Greater Akron area. It is a project of the Akron Area Arts Alliance. Summit Artspace is located at 140 E. Market Street in Akron.
For more information about the show, call (330) 696-7315 or visit www.summitartspace.org.
