GAMA Arts and Culture Exhibition - 2017 Presents “Building The Muslim Narrative”

Aug 18, 2017 Tara Geigel

GAMA (Gathering All Muslim Artists) is an organization that was founded in the Bay Area in September 2016 which seeks to unite creative Muslims under the umbrella of expression. Our organization hopes to transcend the social barriers between all races and sects of the Muslim community: Arab, South Asian, Black, Shia, Sunni, Sufi etc. in order to build a platform that will support and empower visual artists, painters, calligraphers, digital artists, and photographers in the Muslim community.

Photo Credit: Audree Marsolais, website: audreemarsolais.com IG: @audreemarsolais

The Muslim narrative is one that is often expressed from misinformed or biased sources. The narrative of Muslims represented in mainstream media and politics is one that is far from the truth.. and far from the people who are actually living and experiencing it. It is up to the creatives in the Muslim community to express that truth, since not many other entities have the perspective or the ability to do so. Abbas Mohamed, Executive Director of GAMA poses the question: “today, we ask ourselves- what is the narrative of the American Muslim? Our response? It lies deep in the artistic response and cultural history.”

The method of bringing this dream to fruition is through building a platform for open and honest expression for creatives via events such as the upcoming “Building the Muslim Narrative.”
GAMA, in collaboration with the Muslim Writers Collective, would like to cordially invite the Bay Area community to join us at the GAMA Art Exhibition on Sep 16th. We will celebrate each artist's submission to the theme "Building the Muslim Narrative" through an exhibition of visual art and photography, as well as a full line up of spoken word artists, live musicians, stand up comedians, and rappers.

GAMA hopes that everyone may learn about the growing organization as a home for Muslim artists, and may also profit from the empowerment of speaking truth into the Muslim narrative.
“Within our own separate communities, we have many people who have deeply rooted beliefs in their own modern definition of Islam, and find channels and portals to express that belief,” says Mohammed Abbas, a co-founder of GAMA. “As an artist I find that the best type of exposure is through drawing and painting my emotions and beliefs that beautify them.”

For more information about our event please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1404782582892085/
WHEN: Saturday September 16th, 2017 from 4pm to 8pm
WHERE: Alena Studios, 2725 Magnolia St, Oakland, CA 94607
Tickets: $20 online / $25 at the door; BuildingTheMuslimNarrative.EventCombo.com

GAMA: Gathering All Muslim Artists
Our VISION is to weave the arts back into the mainstream Muslim narrative, to provide a platform that nurtures Muslim artists and to cultivate the understanding and appreciation of Islamic art within the broader Muslim community.
Our MISSION is to provide opportunities for Muslim artists, to advocate for the arts in the broader Muslim community, and to change the narrative about Islam in the United States and beyond using visual art and creativity.
Media Contact:
Abbas Mohamed
925-548-6530
info@thegamacollective.com
https://www.facebook.com/theGAMACollective/
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The GAMA Collective