Press Release

The celebration will feature performances and workshops from both institutions at the Field Museum

Left: Folk dancer/multi-instrumentalist, Karim Nagi, will perform on April 10th in Stanley Field Hall © Karim Nagi Right: Calligraphy workshop by calligraphy artist Ismail Hummos on April 18th in the Grainger Science Hub © Ismail Hummos

The Field Museum proudly announces its first-ever Arab Heritage Month Celebration in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago Arab American Cultural Center. The two organizations will host joint events and activities about Arab Americans’ contributions to science, culture, and museums throughout the month to celebrate the month.

The celebration will kick off on April 10 at 1 pm with a performance by Karim Nagi, a multi-instrumentalist and folk dancer, in Stanley Field Hall, demonstrating two styles of community folkloric dance. Other highlights include Storytime for families featuring books about Arab heritage, an Arabic Calligraphy demonstration with teacher and artist Ismail Hummos, a discussion with Dr. Nadine Naber, researcher and author, and Itedal Shalabi, co-founder of Arab American Family Services, about groundbreaking studies on Arab American communities in the Chicagoland area, and more.

Full schedule of events at Field Museum:

Performance - April 10

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM - Arab Music, Dance, and Culture with Karim Nagi - Stanley Field Hall

Museum Free Day - April 18

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Arab American Heritage Month Storytime- Crown Family PlayLab 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist: Arabic Calligraphy Demonstration with Ismail Hummos - Grainger Science Hub

Presentation - April 19

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM - Armour Seminar: Dr. Nadine Naber and Itedal Shalabi - Ward Hall Dr. Nadine Naber and Itedal Shalabi will discuss a groundbreaking new study on Arab Americans in the Chicago land area, the community-based research methods, and advocacy outcomes outlined in the report Beyond Erasure and Profiling: Cultivating Strong and Vibrant Arab American Communities in Chicagoland.

Museum Free Day - April 25

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CDT - Arab American Heritage Month Storytime- Crown Family PlayLab

Visit the Field Museum’s Arab American Heritage Month activity page for more information.