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Beauty and Belief conference to take place at MOA

Join us March 15—16 at the BYU Museum of Art for the Hewaar-Dialogue: Meaning and Presentation in the Arts of Islamic Culture Conference, for an in-depth learning experience with Islamic art, in conjunction with the Beauty and Belief exhibition.

The conference speakers will delve deeper into the concept of “Beauty and Belief” by addressing what Hewaar means to them. Closer examination of the art and writings is just one example of how the speakers hope to give attendees a better understanding of not only the Islamic culture, but also of their own cultures.

The symposium includes two sessions on Thursday, March 15. The first session goes from 10 a.m. — 12:30 p.m., and will address “Meaning and Presentation.” Speakers and topics will include:

  • Dr. Sabiha Al Khemir, Project Director- “Beauty and Belief”
  • Sarah M. Berman, Seattle Art Museum- 'Fragments: Displaying Islamic Art in an American Museum'
  • Dr. Cynthia Finlayson, Brigham Young University- 'Cross-Cultural Exchanges: Teaching Western Students about Islamic Art and Culture'
  • Dr. Renata Holod, University of Pennsylvania- 'Making Beauty: Finding Artisans in Archaeological Contexts'

Session two will begin after the lunch break and will go from 2 p.m. — 5 p.m. Five speakers will address the subject, “Beyond Boundaries.” Presentations will include the following:

  • Philip Hu, Saint Louis Art Museum- 'Journeys from the West: Islamic Forms and Motifs on Chinese Art from the Tang through the Qing Dynasties'
  • Mina Moraitou, Benaki Museum- 'Glass from 19th Century Istanbul: Blending East and West'
  • Dr. Sitare Turan Bakir, Mimar Sinan University- 'Design and Technique of Turkish Ceramics: Past and Future”
  • Dr. Dalila Loviconi, Independent Scholar- 'From Object to Science, from the Human to the Divine'
  • Dr. Daniel Peterson, Brigham Young University- 'Of Translation and Bridge Building: Brigham Young University and the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative'

March 15 activities will end with the Simon Shaheen concert at the BYU Harris Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.

March 16 will open with a private tour with Dr. Al Khemir, beginning at 9 a.m. The tour will be followed by a panel discussion on “Open Exchange” from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. A light reception will conclude the symposium from 11:30 a.m. — 12 p.m.

The symposium is free to the public. Anyone interested in learning more about Islamic culture is invited to attend.