I AM
Contemporary Middle Eastern Women Artists and the Quest to Build Peace at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington, Vermont

The I AM exhibition organized by CARAVAN is currently being showcased at The Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington, Vermont through November 25, 2018, on the last stop of its 20-month global tour. I AM premiered at the National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan in May 2017 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah. It was then showcased on London’s Trafalgar Square at the historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and then in the US at the American University Museum in Washington, D.C., The Center for the Arts in Jackson, Wyoming, Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati, Ohio, Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery in Nashville, TN, before coming to Burlington.

As the world’s attention is focused anew on respecting women’s rights, and while there is an increasing need for developing understanding and encouraging friendship between the peoples of the Middle East and West, I AM is an East-West peacebuilding exhibition that showcases 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.

Designed to address stereotypes and challenge misconceptions of the “other,” the I AM exhibition is a visual celebration of the crucial role that Middle Eastern women play as guardians of peace, celebrating their strengths and rich and diverse contributions in the enduring global quest for a more harmonious and peaceful future.

The I AM exhibition is guest curated by Janet Rady, a specialist in Middle Eastern contemporary art, and features 31 acclaimed women artists of Middle Eastern heritage from 12 countries.

Various programs and events accompany the I AM exhibition at each venue to stimulate discussion, dialogue and education, promoting further understanding. In Burlington, an opening program was held on October 25, 2018 at The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, with special guest speakers Betsy Beaulieu of the Cathedral Arts Commission, Bishop Thomas Ely of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, Imam Abd’Llah Al-Ansari of The Islamic Society of Vermont, Rev. Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler, President of CARAVAN and participating Yemeni-Bosnian artist Alia Ali. On November 2 and 3, the acclaimed Lebanese-American artist Helen Zughaib gave an artist lecture on “The Arab Spring” and participated in a conversation with noted art historian Dr. Sarah Rogers on “The Power of Art”. All events are always open to the public.

For more information on I AM, see: www.oncaravan.org/i-am-exhibition.

About the Artists
The 31 women artists participating in I AM are premier artists of Middle Eastern origin from Muslim and Christian backgrounds and cover a broad geographic area from 12 countries. Some noted emerging artists have also been selected for participation. Each artist was invited to create one original two or three-dimensional work in any still art medium for this exhibition: painting, drawing, collage, photography, digital art, mixed media and sculpture.

About CARAVAN
CARAVAN, which originated out of Cairo, Egypt, is an international peacebuilding arts non-profit affiliated with The Episcopal Church that focuses on building bridges through the arts between the creeds and cultures of the Middle East and West. CARAVAN’s experience has shown that the arts can serve as one of the most effective mediums to enhance understanding, bring about respect, enable sharing, and deepen friendship between those of different cultures and faiths. Past CARAVAN exhibitions have resulted in unprecedented gatherings of renowned Middle Eastern and Western artists who use art for intercultural and interreligious dialogue, and have garnered attention from the international press, media and art world, attracting thousands of visitors. For more information on CARAVAN, see: www.oncaravan.org.

For more information

I AM
October 25 – November 25, 2018
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul
2 Cherry Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401

To read more about the I AM exhibition: www.oncaravan.org/i-am-exhibition
To read more about the exhibition organizers: oncaravan.org
For photographs or press information, email: oncaravan@gmail.com
To contact The Cathedral Church of St. Paul about the exhibition: Tel (802) 864-0471 or email: betsypetunia@yahoo.com