I AM premiered at the National Gallery of Fine Arts in Amman, Jordan in May/June 2017, and was then showcased at London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square for July/August 2017, and then premiered its US tour last September 2017 at the American University Museum in Washington, DC. It then toured for 16 months around the United States – Jackson, WY, Cincinnati, OH, Seattle, WA, Nashville, TN and ended in Burlington, VT.(see tour schedule below).
At each exhibition venue, a variety of events and programs were planned to stimulate discussion, dialogue and education, promoting further understanding (talks, concerts, literary readings, film screenings, panels, forums, workshops, etc.).
I AM was a peacebuilding exhibition that premiered in Amman, Jordan under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah involving 31 of the Middle East's premier contemporary women artists from 12 countries that promoted and celebrated the many accomplishments of Middle Eastern women in shaping our world into a peaceful and harmonious one.
I AM celebrated the rich, diverse and crucial contributions that women from the Middle East make to the enduring global quest for harmony and peace. In this way, the exhibition aimed to challenge existing stereotypes and misconceptions about Middle Eastern women by showing how they dynamically and very significantly contribute to the fabric of local and global culture. I AM showcased the insights and experiences of Middle Eastern women as they confront issues of culture, religion and social reality in a rapidly changing world both in the Middle East and West. The participating artists came from both Muslim and Christian faith backgrounds.
Premiered in Amman, Jordan
Under the Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah
I AM
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2017 VENUES
July 2 - August 20, 2017
September 8 - October 22, 2017
2018 VENUES
January 12 - February 25, 2018
April 5 - May 27, 2018
June 10 - August 7, 2018
August 30 - Oct 10, 2018
Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee
ARTISTS
31 premier women artists of Middle Eastern and North African heritage were selected, covering a broad geographic area of 12 countries, from Morocco to Egypt to the Gulf States.
For more information about the artists and their work, please click their names below.
Janet Rady
Based between London and the United Arab Emirates, Gallery Director and Curator, Janet Rady is a Specialist in Contemporary Art from the Middle East, with over twenty-five years’ experience of the International Art Market including Leading Auction Houses and Major Commercial Galleries.
Janet Rady holds a Masters Degree in Islamic Art History from the University of Melbourne and a BA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She is a member of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Advisory Council of CARAVAN. Janet is also the Hon Lectures Secretary for the Iran Society, on the Editorial Board of the Middle East in London magazine, and a Judge for the Edinburgh Iranian Festival Art Prize. She is an Expert for Auctionata and Head of Development at ArtBahrain. Janet has recently edited the book “33 Artists… 33 Islands… A Kingdom of Art" - a comprehensive survey of the artists of Bahrain.
GUEST CURATOR
