The Art and Material History of Palestinian Culture

Class Description

What is the significance of Palestinian art and material histories? What are the themes that have shaped them over the last two centuries? How has Palestinian art and material art been utilized in resistance movements? In this class, we will look at the development of Palestinian material and visual culture and how it has, in turn, shaped the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause. We will look at different materials, how they are consumed, and question the line between art and craft through the use of different symbols and themes in Palestinian art. Students will learn to closely read Palestinian art and to use digital databases.

All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.

Nadirah Mansour is assistant curator of Islamic art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she cares for a 5000+ object collection spanning the entire globe. She writes widely on Palestinian culture and has taught Palestinian history for over a decade at both the university and community level.

What to Expect

Format: Virtual 

Class Capacity: 18 

Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged 

Materials List

Required

• Digital Course Packet

First Reading (in Digital Course Packet)

• Selections from Palestinian Art by Kamal Boullata

• Nisa Ari, “Competition in the Cultural Sector” in European Cultural Diplomacy and Arab Christians in Palestine, 1918–1948: Between Contention and Connection, pg. 213-239.

A Brief Syllabus

1. Palestinians Art before the Nakba (1948)
2. After the Nakba: Palestinian Posters, Magazines, and Ephemera
3. The Birth of Palestinian Fine Arts
4. Symbols in Palestinian Art
5. Palestinian Fashion
6. The Exhibition of Palestinian Art

Cost and Registration

6 Sessions, $245 ($220.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($245), Community Supported ($225), and Sponsor ($265). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

This class also has a special 40% discount for Palestinian folks. Please email us for more information.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

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