On April 21st, 2021, Al-Bustan hosted students and their families, educators, and community members for the grand opening of Creative Quarantine, our latest gallery exhibition featuring students’ artworks from the After-School Arab Arts Program. The afternoon was a windy celebration of our students this year, who have shown resilience and creativity each Friday on Zoom despite the challenges of remote learning. It was a special afternoon for all of us, as we had the opportunity to see our students and their families in-person for the first time.
Al-Bustan’s After-School Arab Arts Program has continued remotely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, our committed teaching artists Hafez Kotain, Lisa Volta, and Serge El Helou have adapted their classes to serve students on Zoom from over 20 schools in Philadelphia.
Students in Drumming with Hafez, have refined their dums and taks to create a progression of rhythms, from Balady to Fox Kabeer, Shaftatelly to Hajaa. For each rhythm, they learned how to read the musical notes and the meaning of the name in Arabic.
In Visual Art with Lisa, students used clay to create sculptures reminiscent of those of Naguib Moen, paintings inspired by Samia Halaby, and collages in the style of Inas Al-soqi, amongst other artist-inspired prjects. Visual Artist Lisa Volta led her students through a succession of projects inspired by contemporary Arab artists which are displayed in the Al-Bustan Hub!
In Singing with Serge, students learned breath control and how to read music. These skills were tested as songs in English, Arabic, and French were introduced to the students each week. As the weeks continued, students’ voices filled with greater confidence and feeling. The Marhaba song continues to be a favorite.
At our gallery celebration, Master Percussionist Hafez Kotain drummed alongside his student Janyla, who demonstrated the culmination of the rhythms that the students’ have honed over the past year. Students of Artist Lisa Volta proudly pointed out their artworks in the gallery to parents and family members and all students were delighted by the drumming and storytelling of Storyteller Nashid Ali, who ignited the imaginations of students as always. At the end of the evening, students were invited to create a link of clay which were connected to create a connected chain, showing the strength of our community despite the distances between us.
Shukran to students and families for joining us in celebration! Alf Shukr to our supporters: The William Penn Foundation and The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, to our incredible teaching artists: Hafez Kotain, Serge El Helou, Lisa Volta, and to our school partners.
Missed the celebration? View our student artists’ works in Creative Quarantine by appointment and check out photos from the afternoon above and on Al-Bustan’s social media.
