This fall the Larson Gallery presented 36 works highlighting the rich heritage of Islamic arts and created by contemporary artists living in the United States and Canada. The exhibition was presented in cooperation with the Islamic Arts Society, a non-profit organization that organizes art classes, workshops and exhibitions to introduce Islamic arts to the general public.
The final selection of works was juried on creativity, content, elements of art, composition, technique, execution, artistic talent, appearance, presentation and final product. Jurors included Khawaja Azimuddin and Zulfiqar Ali, board members of the Islamic Arts Society, and Larson Gallery Director David Lynx.
“The mission of Islamic Arts Society is to share the beauty of Islamic arts,” shared Azimuddin. “And through this exhibit with the Larson Gallery, we are able to reach out to the American public as far as Washington to share our heritage. We look forward to taking these exhibitions all over America so that our art pieces can serve as an inspiration to open up dialogue between communities of different faiths.”
The flagship event of the Islamic Arts Society is the annual Islamic Arts Festival held in Houston each fall. The event is the largest and oldest festival of Islamic arts in America. The Arts Festival brings people from diverse cultures, faiths and backgrounds together for a day of learning, fun and festivity. Lynx attended the Islamic Arts Festival in 2019 and decided he wanted to bring some of this culture to the Yakima Valley.
The Islamic Arts Society Exhibition was made possible through the support of the Larson Gallery Guild and the Fresh Hop Ale Festival.