University of Houston Hosts Islamic Art Festival

HOUSTON (KI) -- The Islamic Arts Festival kicked off at the University of Houston Saturday, bringing a dizzying array of textiles, calligraphy and geometric art to the campus. 

The Islamic Arts Society, a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting art from across the Muslim diaspora, has hosted the event each year over the past decade. 
“This is the 11th year that we’re having this festival,” said Shaheen Rahman, board president of the Islamic Arts Society. “It’s basically meant to bring the broader community together so we can share our Islamic art and culture with everyone.” 
It’s UH’s first year hosting the event. Prior festivals were hosted at a mosque and Islamic community center in Spring called Masjid As-Salam, but the event has since outgrown the space, Rahman said.  
There are more than 50 artists from a range of countries with works on display at the festival, according to Rahman. The Islamic Arts Festival also features vendors with food from an assortment of Islamic cultures, a comedy show and a film festival. 

“We are here this year for the first time at UH, because our festival had grown by leaps and bounds and we needed a bigger space,” Rahman said. “We decided to bring the festival to the heart of the city, here on the beautiful campus of UH ... it’s a great place to connect with the artists who created the artwork.” 
The Islamic Arts Festival hopes to showcase artwork from a variety of the nearly 50 Islamic countries across the globe, according to Rahman. The event is family-friendly and offers a little something for everyone, she said. 
“Islamic art dates back 1,400 years, and Muslims come from all over the world. And so this Islamic art represents different cultures, but they all have a common faith,” Rahman said. “There’s something for everyone. There are live art performances, and people have the opportunity to create their own piece of Islamic artwork.”