Artists & Poets

Solidarity with Al Mutanabbi Street Project, 2018

Bookmark Workshop, Street Festival

 This workshop was one of the many activities performed for AMSSH Project, Street Festival,

With artist Cheryl Edwards in Studio # 9 Monroe Street Market Place. Washington D.C,  March 19th, 2016. 

Participant enjoyed learning about Arabic alphabet and the project. More than 300 bookmarks prepared for this workshop.

Mythical Tigris River from Baghdad and Potomac River in the heart of Washington. D.C will be connected by hands of local artist Nasrin Navab. She would weave the River to the stage fence on Saturday March 19th, 2016 in Arts walk at Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here DC 2016. She encourages people to join her to create the River by weaving their words of solidarity and support with people of Iraq and in celebration of freedom of expression. 

Eternal River of knowledge, vision and beauty has been flowing through history, irrigated our souls by poetry, music and art,by books of wisdom and love.

People whispered their stories to the River . Currents mesmerized back other' stories to them. The River connects people to each others and to themselves. River would not be dried out by bombs, destruction and wars . Al Mutanabbi Street has been the Riverbank for centuries. It has been damaged by bomb but restored by people. 

The Street Festival was on the last day of winter and marked the beginning of spring on March 19th, 2016 on Monroe Street Arts Walk in Brookland, DC. Nasrin wove the river into the fence in a project that was at once an installation and performance art.

Reach the River by celebrating culture, creating art, reading books, and stand for writers,artists, publishers and local booksellers.

 — with work by Nasrin Navab, for Street Festival , March 19th,DC.

In the day of Street Festival rain, wind and cold weather forced all the activities to move indoor.  Weaving interrupted but did not stopped.  The inspiring books of DC steering committee were displayed in the hanging banners.   

In George Mason University preparing banner for festival with Helen Frederick

pic: Nikki Brugnoll

HUSHED REVOLT

Nahid Navab, Nasrin Navab McLean Project for the Arts - Atrium Gallery, Jan 14 – March 5 2016

Reception: Jan 14^th, 2016, 7pm.

Nahid Navab and Nasrin Navab are two Iranian-American artists based in Fairfax, Virginia. Along with project, “Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here” DC – 2016, they have started a life journey by exchanging their memories of time, space and social events. 

                                                   Nasrin Navab, details of Identity-Code

The day of reception, Jan14th, 2016

Their expressive art is challenging the media’s fabricated image of the Middle East. Following in the tradition of Shahrezad and her sister Shahrnavaz, they tell stories to each other and for others to hear. They make the unspoken to be heard. Their collaborative art is reflected in a series of prints, artistic books and installations, which will be presented in the McLean Project for the Arts, Atrium Gallery, Jan 14 to March 5 2016.

This is a work Nahid Navab made  for a group show,that started in Bay Area" Center for Books,.as art of growing project of "Al Mutanabi Street Starts Here ". This is an international effort for promoting culture of book, book reading and more, in solidarity with people of Iraq. The show will travel to Arab American National Museum-Dearborn/Detroit, Michigan
March 6-July 12, 2015.

Poetry Reading

In the International Women's day  gathering Nasrin Navab introduced "Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Project DC 2016". She red poems from Arab women poets. She also discussed future cultural activities related to the project in D.C. area. 

Nasrin  is one of the coordinators of Al Mutanabbi Street  Starts Here D.C. 2016.  She is participating as an independent  activist and artist. Street festivals, art exhibitions, popup arts, book readings will be held during the first three months of 2016 in various locations in DC area.

 Bookmark Project

Nahid Navab made  a collection of bookmarks in response to Beau Beausoleil’s Bookmark Making Project, one of the projects related to  “Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here ". The project in celebration of “book culture” and in solidarity with people of Iraq. Bookmarks were  distributed in the International Women's Day  gathering of ”Pajohesh"  an Iranian women group in D.C. area ” .  More bookmarks have been distributed between friends in other occasions.