Seattle Arab Festival 2015 (wrapup)

This past weekend I took part in the Arab Festival at the Seattle Center. I co-Lead the lecture series, was a major donor, participated as an artist in the art show and (wo)maned A Crafty Arab craft book.

 

 

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It was very rewarding to fill the series with lecture topics about figs, hamas, and very well attended fashion show.  Unfortunately, since I was at my booth both days, I was not able to attend a single one.

I think the Festival staff, especially the Director, Laila Taji, did a marvelous job of thanking me as a major donor. I was compensated my booth, had my logo on the poster, was added to the postcards, given special t-shirts and received recognition on stage both days. I really felt that my dollars to the Festival were wisely used as the Arab Festival itself was very well run and efficiently organized. 

I displayed four art pieces in the upstairs gallery and they were well received. Three of the pieces had been seen previously. Camel Crossing was at the Bellevue Art Museum and Camel Border were at the 2014 Onyx Fine Arts Fine Arts Exhibit , while Kalamat Ball was at the International Refugee Committee. I created Standing Kalamat specifically for this show.

Standing Kalamat

The weather however, did not cooperate, and attendance was extremely low. 

Seattle had a brutal storm come in. The booths that would have gone on the Fisher Pavilion rooftop were forced to move to a new indoor location. This put them further away from the other booths in the Armory on the Seattle Center grounds.  Since the decision had to be made a few days out, there was no signage or extra volunteers available to direct attendees to the new location.

Needless to say, booth sales were the lowest I've seen in years, so low that when I did my cost analysis, I discovered I had made $3.25 an hour. Sigh. 

I've set up a meeting with a business adviser to discuss if booths might not be a good fit for this business. I'll keep you updated!

There were plenty of high notes to the events, including my favorite: seeing friends. Shukran to everyone that came to say hello. Your smiling faces and hugs of encouragement really made the event lovely.

Here are some highlights from the Fisher Pavilion rooftop stage that was relocated inside the Seattle Pavilion that was close to my booth.

MasterChef 6 Contestant Amanda Saab did a cooking demo. Both days!

 

The Gaza Mama Laila El-Haddad made some treats from her cookbook.

 

 Poems and conversation with Palestinian American poets Laurel Albina and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.

 

The Iraqi Women Association Dancers packed the house!

Naseem Band created many rounds of impromptu dabke dancing.

Main headliner Shada Mansour gave a hip hop performance.

 

 My oldest daughter got a dragon henna tattoo from Henna Dervish.

 

I really loved the attention to detail, including these little Fun Facts boards that were scattered about the Festival for kids to find.

 

These are 2 inch buttons I created, along with the top part of my ad in the sponsor page in the Festival guide.

One of the (few) items I sold was this Mohammed name sign. I loved that it went to a grown man named Mohammed.

 

The Arab Festival photographer was able to snap this photo of me in the A Crafty Arab booth.

 

Be sure to save the date for Seattle Arab Festival 2016, July 23 and 24th, 2016!

Seattle Arab Festival 2015

Today and tomorrow is the Arab Festival as part of Festal, happening at the Seattle Center. 

Please check out this link for the program and stop by.

A Crafty Arab is a proud sponsor of the 2015 Arab Festival at the Seattle Center

A Crafty Arab is a sponsor and will have a booth at the Seattle Center Pavilion. I will have products to sell, including debuting the brand new, hot off the presses Arabic Colors Poster, prizes to give away, and have even packed my Sarcastic cards, so be ready to have a laugh!

I was proud to help serve on the programing committee to make this event a reality and will also have several art pieces in the gallery space.

Please come to enjoy some great music, hear some educational lectures and eat some fabulous food!.

Bellevue College 2nd Annual Arab Heritage Week

It was an honor to once again be asked to vend at the Bellevue College Arab Heritage Week.  I had such a great time at last year's event, I was excited to come back to hang out on campus.

The Bellevue College Arabic Culture Student Association once again did an impressive job of producing this much needed experience. 

This year the booths were closer to each other, giving more of a souk feel, there were backdrops on all of them to tie the look together and the best part was they were next to the Jean Sarto Floten Student Union.  There was far more foot traffic then the previous year.

Other then moving locations from in front of the library, the other prime change this year was it was a three day event instead of two. I think this was a great idea as it exposed more students to the Arab Heritage Week.

Helping bring in the foot traffic was free baklawa, free henna, free music and spontaneous dabke dancing over the 3 days!

A Crafty Arab booth being set up the first day

Free delicious baklawa was given out, always with a smile.

Check this lady out for any henna designs, she was talented!

The Saudi booth with free coffee and dates.

Arabic educational booth

Try on Saudi clothing and take a selfie

Free henna all three days at two booth




Laila Taji, Producer of the August 2015 Arab Festival, handing out flyers (with babe in arm!)

George Saddak and his performers were top notch as always

Spontaneous dabke happened almost every half hour, always ending in laughter

A Crafty Arab booth on the last day

A fun request for henna behind the ear

Henna on a boy usually means no flowers, but a spade will do.

Henna flowers flowing down the hand.

I did use a few stencils from Jordan when my hand started hurting :)

Nawal wanted her nane to remind her of her heritage.

 


Osama, my business card holder, had a great time and hopes to see you next year

Arab Artists & Arabic Art Exhibition at the Bellevue Art Museum

Tomorrow night, the Bellevue Art Museum will have the privilege of premiering the Arab Artists & Arabic Art Exhibition, curated by the Bellevue College Arabic Culture Student Association.

This ground breaking exhibit will feature art created and influenced by the Arab world from renowned and local artists.

I am so honored to have been asked to include my pieces Camel Crossing and Border Camel.

The exhibit will start with a fundraiser gala at BAM on Saturday January 17, 2015 starting at 6pm.  It will include an evening of Arab music and a catered dinner.  For tickets, please visit this link.

Featured artists include:

Award-winning photographer, Tamila Timm Akl and her beautiful photographs hope that an image will inspire you to get out there and explore the world.

Umm Aminah speaks about art as a medium of culture sharing: “Arab and Islamic art has always been an important and influential contribution to world cultures. The Quran teaches that we were created in different nations and tribes to know each other. I believe that art can be a profound medium through which to hear each other’s voices and learn from what different people have to share.”

Sabah Al-Dhaher speaks about why art has importance & great meaning to him: “Art is a thread that has sustained my spirit from childhood and through my intense struggle to survive during my life in Iraq. Art was an outlet for a kind of spiritual transformation during those difficult times that help me to heal and open to the beauty and joy of living. Art is a place of expression and meditation in which I celebrate and connect with that joy. The intention of my work is to share this celebration with others.”

Rajaa Gharbi and her works will be at the Arabic Artists and Arabic Art Exhibition Fundraiser Gala! Her work has been described as “Resplendent…”, “Enchanting”, “Having subversive compositional techniques”, “Thought-provoking”, “Engaging”, “Visual poetry”, “Highly evolved work”, “…which collected power is a stain that leaves the page and enters your chest” by fellow artists and viewers.

Farida Hakim speaks about her participation in the upcoming Arabic Artists and Arabic Art Exhibition; "I am blessed to have been asked to showcase the opportunity and privilege to exhibit my new paintings, which reflect the rich heritage of the Arabic language and culture.”

Naj is a Palestinian-American Christian woman. Her art work reflects her beliefs in the celebration of Life, Truth, Freedom, Beauty inspiring to break away from convention for a personal understanding of the world.

Koloud ‘Kay’ Tarapolsi is a Libyan American artist who creates art to promote a positive image of Arab culture.  Kay is the owner and craftsperson behind A Crafty Arab!

Ali Rouhfar is world renown for his expertise in Arabic calligraphy art forms, Ali’s work epitomizes the integration of both Persian & Arabic cultures. His artwork is inspired by the verses of the Quran providing spiritual meaning & inspiration to the human experience.

If you are unable to support the fundraising gala, please do come by BAM to see the exhibit. It will be there until January 31st, with a closing reception at 5pm.

Vending at the Olympia Arab Festival – Shuruq II

Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim friends!  What a joyous day for celebrations.  Our family will be gathering with loved ones tomorrow for our party.

Today I had the honor of vending at the Arab Festival – Shuruq II, which was held south of Seattle at the Olympia Center in beautiful Olympia, Washinton.

I took my grid wall instead of a table because so many of my items are now vertical.  I had brought fabric to drap behind my wall because I had anticipated being behind another vendor.  They came in really handy once I was moved over to a window wall.  Here is my completed booth space.

I love this event because it's always fun to see friends and catch up.  I'm always amazed at the sheer number of Seattle Arabs that make the trek to Olympia. The Shuruq, which means sunrise in Arabic, really brought the community together for a day of eating, listening to rhythmic music, watching little girls giggle in a fashion show, eating, touching rich textiles, getting educated, and more eating.

Shukran to the generous volunteers of the Rachel Corrie Foundation for making this event possible.  And a special Eid Milad Said to Farihan Bushnaq, the Festival Coordinator, for her dedication to the success of this important event.  It in highly needed in these turmoil times of our beloved Levant.

The Mural café and Hookah Lounge outside.

Beautiful program guides.

Rachel Corrie Foundation Booth

Hookahs ready to rent out.

Free Gaza.

Children learning about inventions of Arab origins.

Ayyam Wa Layalli (Days and Nights) Arab Summer Festival

I'm excited about the Ayyam Wa Layalli (Days and Nights) Arab Summer Festival and Outdoor Cinema at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA that will be happening on August 15th, 2014.

The organizers are planning a small family fun festival before the movie (an Egyptian black&white musical with a live sing along!).  Unfortunately I am already committed to an earlier event, so I was not able to apply for a booth. I was excited to hear who else will be there, not just product booths, but Arabic food booths too. 

Undaunted, the organizers asked me to provide them with a few products to sell until I could get there later in the evening to enjoy the movie. I've been trying to decide what to give them, since I really wanted to play off the theme of the event.

While at the best kept secret in Redmond on Wednesday with my daughters, I came across a box of vintage cards.  I knew right away that the cards would be perfect to sell at the movie.  I went home, torn them apart then reconfigured them to face the Arabic direction when they opened. Now they look like this


From a vintage boring card to a colored and bright Arabic Shukran Card.

You'll have to come to the movie to see what the rest of the box looks like! Click here to order your tickets.

Here is a preview of one of the songs:

Tobah - توبة

توبة توبة توبة إن كنت أحبك تاني توبة (1

To-bah x2 to-bann kun-ta a-Hib-bak ta-ni, to-ba

Never again, will I love you, never again

بس قابلني مرة وتبقى دي آخر نوبة

Buss ah-bill-nee mar-ra w’ tib-a d’ ah-kher nu-ba

Just meet me one more time, it'll be the last time

 وبعدها توبة توبة

Wa’ ba3-da-ha to-ba to-ba 

And after that never again

(Repeat 2x)

 توبة إن كنت أخاصمك وأرجع أصالحك تاني (2

To-ban kun-ti ah-khas-mak werr-g3a sal-Hak ta-ni

Never again will I stop talking to you

only to make upagain

ياما البعد سقاني وياما القرب ضناني

Ya-mal ba3-di sa-3a-ni, w’ya-mal kur-bi da-na-nee

Distance has always been good for me,

while being with you tires me out

(Repeat 5 times)

وإن فات طيفك يوم في منامي وجه صحاني (3

Win fat ti-fak yoom fi ma-na-mi wa-gah sa-Ha-ni

If your image appeared to me in my sleep

and woke me up

برضه أصالحك بس أهي نوبة وبعدها توبة

Bar-do a-sal-Hak bas a-hi nu-bah wa b3a-da-ha to-bah, to-bah

I'd make good with you again but after that never again

(Go to first verse x 2)

توبة إن كنت حصدق تاني كلامك (4

To-ban kun-ti Ha-sud-da’ ta-ni ka-la-mak

Never again will I believe anything you say

مهما حتسأل مش راح أصدق حتى سلامك

Mah-ma Ha-ti-sal mush ra-Ha sud-da’ Hat-ta sa-lam-ak

No matter what you ask I will not even believe your greetings

(Repeat 3x)

بس أوعدني أوعى تبكي وأنا قدامك (5

Buss ew 3-id-ni ew 3a tib-ki wa-na oo-dam-ak

Just promise me you will never cry in front of me

أحسن أكذب روحي وأقول أهي نوبة وبعدها توبة

AH-san a-ked-dib roo-Hee wa-ool a-hi no-bah

It's best that I lie to my soul and say just this once

wa ba-3a-da-ha to-bah

and then never again

(Repeat (1) x 3) then (4) x 3) then (5) x1 then (1) x 3)

آه من حيرة قلبي وآه من دمعة عيني (6

Ah min Hee-reet al-b’–oo , w’ah min dam-3et 3a-ni

Oh, my heart is so confused! Oh, how I've cried!

كل ما أقول أنساك توحشهم نارك وتصحيني

Ku-li ma-ool an-sak to-Hash-ni nar-ak wa-tsaa-Hi-ni

Whenever I say I'll forget you, your fire makes me miss you

and wakes me up

(Repeat (6) x 3)

أجري وأسأل عنك قبل ما انت تجيني (7

Ag-ri wa ‘sal 3an-ak ab-li man-ta tig-nee

And then I run around asking about you

before you even come to me

أضحك نوبة وأبكي نوبة وبعدها توبة

Ad Hak no-ba wab-ki no-ba,  wa ba3-da-ha to-ba, to-ba

I'll laugh once, cry once and then never again

(Repeat (1) x 3)

Bellevue College Arab Heritage Week

Today I was a vendor at the Bellevue College Arab Heritage Week.  What a fantastic job these college kids did in putting it all together! Shukran to Orchideh for organizing it all in less then a month's time!

Here is A Crafty Arab all set up.

A Crafty Arab Booth

There was music on the main stage in the student cafeteria, one building away. Unfortunately I couldn't enjoy it because I had to sit at my booth, but I'm sure it was lovely.

Other vendors included Byblos Mediterianian Deli, AlSundus from Bellevue, fresh fruits, vegetables, Arabic sandwiches and desserts.  Here is a photo of them all lined up. The gorgeous fabrics flying in the background add to the look and feel of a souk.

Other vendors included the Arab Center of Washington, a booth for Palestinian/Syrian refugees and the Palestinian Heritage Club. The Arab Student Organization also had a booth for information, books to browse and a longstanding flow of Arabic music from several loudspeakers. It was so wonderful to hear all day long.

I'll be there again tomorrow, we are right behind the Library.  So stop by, say hi, and get your name in henna by my mom!