LOS ANGELES
Iranian New Year Celebration
Celebrate the Iranian New Year (Nowruz) at LACMA’s 7th Annual Nowruz (Iranian New Year) Celebration at LACMA Sunday, March 22 on the first day of spring with a full day of exciting activities. This vibrant event features live performances, music, dance, storytelling and calligraphy for children, a traditional Iranian costume parade and more.
The official Nowruz program “The Sounds of a Persian Spring” by Zohreh Jooya begins at 1 p.m. There will also be a free outdoor concert by Kiosk, at 5 p.m.
Nowruz is a free event and open to all. Ticket required for “The Sounds of a Persian Spring” by Zohreh Jooya. 7th Annual Nowruz (Iranian New Year) Celebration at LACMA Sunday, March 22, 2015 | 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM
Farhang Film Festival
On March 21st, Farhang Foundation will be hosting an awards ceremony and after party at LACMA’s Leo. S. Bing Theater celebrating the top six nominees of the 7th Annual Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival. This event begins at 6:00 PM with Navid Negahban as the master of ceremonies and will include a screening of this year’s top six nominated films, which represent a variety of genres and styles, including drama, romance, animation, stop motion, and more.
An award ceremony will follow, during which we will announce the festival’s winners. The top prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the winning submission. The second place winner will receive $5,000, and $3,000 will be awarded to third place winner. After the awards ceremony, join us as we celebrate this year’s filmmakers with music, refreshments, and Persian-themed delights.
This special evening is co-sponsored by LACMA’s Art of the Middle East CONTEMPORARY and Farhang Foundation. Tickets are $35 for LACMA members and $45 for non-members. For more information, please visit FarhangFilmFest.org.
LOS ANGELES
Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East
Islamic Art Now marks the first major installation of LACMA’s collection of contemporary art of the Middle East.
In recent years, the parameters of Islamic art have expanded to include contemporary works by artists from or with roots in the Middle East. Drawing inspiration from their own cultural traditions, these artists use techniques and incorporate imagery and ideas from earlier periods. LACMA has only recently begun to acquire such work within the context of its holdings of Islamic art, understanding that the ultimate success and relevance of this collection lies in building creative links between the past, present, and future.
As the first of a two-part program, this exhibition features approximately 25 works by artists from Iran and the Arab world, including Shirin Neshat, Susan Hefuna, Lalla Essaydi, Mitra Tabrizian, Mona Hatoum, Hassan Hajjaj, Wafaa Bilal, Barbad Golshiri, and Youssef Nabil, among others.
This exhibition is included in General Admission.
The Los Angeles County Museum Art (LACMA) 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
STANFORD
Photography Exhibit from Middle Eastern Photographers
A major new exhibition at the Cantor Arts Center, She Who Tells a Story, presents the pioneering work of 12 leading women photographers from Iran and the Arab world. The artists explore identity, narrative, representation, and war in daily life, inviting a broader understanding of the Middle East.
The 79 photographs and two videos-a collection of stories about contemporary life-especially refute the belief that women from this region are oppressed and powerless. The exhibition was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) and runs at the Cantor, its only West-Coast venue through May 4.
The 81 works, created almost entirely within the last decade, range in style from fine art to photojournalism and represent the women’s diverse perspectives. The photographers are: Jananne Al-Ani, Boushra Almutawakel, Gohar Dashti, Rana El Nemr, Lalla Essaydi, Shadi Ghadirian, Tanya Habjouqa, Rula Halawani, Nermine Hammam, Rania Matar, Shirin Neshat, and Newsha Tavakolian.
In Arabic, the word rawiya means “she who tells a story,” and through their work, these 12 pioneering artists collectively portray a region that has undergone unparalleled change and endured continuing conflict.
She Who Tells a Story at Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University 328 Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford, CA 94305, (650) 723-4177