Saturday 25 February 2012

Brigham Young University Museum of Art: Beauty and Belief

The Brigham Young University Museum of Art is hosting an exhibit called "Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture" showcasing 250 works from 10 countries making it the biggest exhibit the museum has ever held.

The Salt Lake Tribune and The Deseret both cover the exhibition;

Salt Lake Tribune (25 February 2012): In what’s being hailed as the first time a Mormon institution has sponsored a traveling exhibition of Islamic art, “Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture” has opened at Brigham Young University. The 250 works represent art from 10 countries and dozens of institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the British Museum.

The Deseret (23 February 2012): Like stepping back in time, visitors to a new exhibit walk through the art and culture of Islam. Works from as long ago as the seventh century, from 10 nations and more than 40 private donors have been brought together to create an atmosphere of "Beauty and Belief." Visitors pass from one area of the exhibit to another through arches or bridges.

Each room has different colors, signifying different ideas, like light, which leads to knowledge. The exhibit, which stretches over 16,000 square feet, features masterworks from the al-Sabah Collection at Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyya in Kuwait, unique manuscripts from the Royal Library in Morocco and works from collections across the United States.

“When we have an occasion, we can bring people together, so we can understand each other and we are in one world, and we live together and this friendship is very important," said His Excellency Mohamed Rachad Bouhlal, Moroccan ambassador to the U.S. He says people better understand the Islamic culture by seeing the art, seeing what the artists have done and the message the pieces convey.



1 comment:

  1. I had forgotten you started this other blog. I read about this exhibit, and I keep thinking I need to go down and see it. I attended BYU, and I used to take my boys to this museum a lot. It has been harder since we got back to the States, because we live about 20 miles away, and now with my huge belly, it is hard to walk. I wanted to go before having my baby, but it will probably be after. If I go, I will give you a review...

    ReplyDelete