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ACF: John Malik Art Exhibition

Date: May 13, 2024

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation is thrilled to announce our upcoming art exhibition, The Art of John Malk.

Join us on July 21st for an exquisite exhibition, where Malk’s masterpieces unfold in all their splendor.

Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty and history.

#Assyrian #ACFChicago #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #AssyrianArt #Art

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation Presents: The Assyrian Renaissance

Date: May 17, 2023

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation Presents: The Assyrian Renaissance

 

Please join us for…
The Assyrian Renaissance
July 2nd 2023
Art Gallery opens at 4:00 pm, Concert at 6:00 pm
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
Featuring exclusive works by Rasson Bet Yonan performed by the Northbrook Symphony and the Andrew Major Chorus

 

Tickets go on sale June 1
Starting at $25, up to $100 based on seat location
Students in our music, art, and tutoring programs are entitled to free tickets (limited availability)
Email tickets@acf-us.org for more information, or to request a purchase
Tickets can be purchased at the door on July 2

 

Music and art have always been foundational to the Assyrian Cultural Foundation. Through our diverse programs, it is our mission to uplift Assyrian artists of all ages and shed light on their incredible achievements. The Assyrian people have long since been creating impressive pieces of art to be admired, but to many people, the Assyrian people fell into obscurity with Mesopotamia.

 

That is far from the truth—and this is from where the Assyrian Renaissance rises. In Latin, the word “Renaissance” translates to “rebirth.” On July 2, we illustrate that this group of people has always been with us, and always will be, in the Assyrian Renaissance produced by President and Music Director, Tiglat Issabey, and Assistant Music Director, Barbara Bright-Read. Through the gorgeous work of talented musicians and artists, the achievements of these perseverant people in art and culture are reborn to the eyes and ears of a new generation.

 

The Assyrian Renaissance takes place on July 2, 6:00pm, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. There, attendees can explore a world of Assyrian culture, beginning with a gallery entirely comprised of work by Reni Stephan. Then, guests will enter the concert hall to explore Assyrian folk songs and stories through a series of etudes, an Assyrian Rhapsody, and a symphony titled Khwara Khwara, Khawara Kooma.

 

Learn more about the brilliant musicians bringing the Assyrian Renaissance to life.
•Rasson Bet-Yonan (composer)— Rasson Bet-Yonan helps keep the Assyrian culture alive in his music—from composing full-scale orchestral works that highlight Assyrian folk melodies to providing Assyrian students high-caliber music education. Through his teachings, he hopes to cultivate the next generation of bright, well-rounded Assyrian students.

 

• Hannibal Alkhas (lyrics)— Hannibal Alkhas was an Assyrian sculptor, painter, and author, born in 1930 in Iran. He pursued his passions all his life, from moving to Chicago to study at both Loyola University and the Art Institute of Chicago, to teaching in both the States and Iran. Though his poetry and artwork gained him much acclaim, it is his children’s story, Khwara Khwara, Khawara Kooma, that he is potentially best known for. The final performance of the night uses the text of Khwara Khwara to tell the beautiful story of finding friends in the most unlikely of places.

 

•Mina Zikri (conductor)—Mina Zikri is a professional violinist and conductor who has led renowned ensembles such as the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago and the National Symphony in Egypt. He currently serves as a faculty member of DePaul University Community Music Division, the resident conductor of the Lira ensemble, and the Music Director of the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra.

 

•Andrew Major (conductor)—Andrew Major is a versatile conductor, singer, and pianist interested in exploring historic and contemporary choral music to ask questions about the world in which we live. Andrew has a proven track record of culturally-relevant programming, dynamic collaborations, and community building as the artistic director and conductor of Roots in the Sky, a chamber choir that he founded as an undergraduate at Montana State University. Andrew holds graduate degrees in choral conducting from the Bienen School of Music (DMA and MM).

 

•Benjamin Taylor Watkins (pianist)— Benjamin Taylor Watkins is a versatile musician who believes in the power of artistic collaboration to transform lives and communities. He was educated at Northwestern University (B.M. in piano, cum laude) and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music (M.M. and D.M. in piano). In praise of his performance of Joseph Schwanter’s In Evening’s Stillness, the Herald Times proclaimed “Watkins Conquered the Steinway.”

 

•Sargon Sargis (tenor)—A powerful tenor, Sargon Sargis was born in Chicago, Il to Assyrian parents. Since early childhood, he had dreams of becoming a singer. He first developed a love for Italian songs through classic American cinema, then for Assyrian singing through the influence of his father. Striving for excellence and continuous learning, he began studying with Rasson Bet Yonan in 2012. The two formed a strong bond as student and teacher, inspiring one another. The two are working on an album to be released sometime this year.

 

•Leah Rose Fisher (soprano)—Assyrian-American, Leah Rose Fisher, is a New York City-based singer, voice teacher, and performing artist. She holds a Master’s Degree in Music from New York University with an advanced certificate in Vocal Pedagogy. Leah is active in film and television, in the recording studio for both albums and voiceover work, and on stage in concerts, theater, musical theater, and opera. Over the years, Leah has been able to sing for audiences large and small both nationally as well as across the globe.

 

•Reni Stephan (multi-medium artist)— The Assyrian Renaissance art gallery is entirely comprised of work by multi-medium artist, Reni Stephan. From a young age, Stephan’s artistic prowess was easily recognizable. In his work, he combines his passion for the Assyrian culture with his love of art. His art can be found in prominent places of worship, community organizations, and commercial establishments across the United States.

 

Tickets go on sale on June 1 through the Assyrian Cultural Foundation. Email tickets@acf-us.org to request a purchase, or purchase them at the door on July 2. We look forward to sharing with you a beautiful world of music and art unlike any other.

Maria Nissan

Date: April 22, 2023

In honor of Earth Day, the Assyrian Cultural Foundation’s Fine Arts Department is honored to share the environmentalist art of Maria Nissan. Nissan is an Assyrian environmentalist artist, who uses her work to raise awareness about plastic pollution. Maria is the co-founder of MicroPlaticsJO, a non-profit organization created in 2022, striving for a radical change in behaviors toward the way plastic is consumed and how it is disposed of. Nissan uses her art as a means of educating the public, and hosts workshops about the social and environmental impacts of overconsumption and single use plastics. Her art ranges from individual sculptural pieces to immersive installations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MicroPlasticsJO has done incredible work in Amman, Jordon, collecting trash off the streets and turning it into art. Nissan has recently relocated to Thailand in her continuous efforts to expand the company and its influence.  Nissan’s Assyrian background plays a significant role in her work. As she puts it: “I bring together thousands of years of Assyrian legacy with recent materials such as plastic. This heritage survived through time; the plastic waste we generate daily might as well remain for hundreds of years as well.” Her most recent painting series is entitled “The Heart of the Assyrian Legacy”.

 

It is a series of paintings that represents the unique beauty and distinctive traits of Assyrian women. Nissan sees women as pioneers in the battle for equal rights and opportunities in the middle east. Through this art series, Nisan uses distinctive elements, colors, and shapes to personify a precious cultural heritage that has prevailed through time by means of strength and courage through adversity. Nissan is particularly focused on educating children through her work, as she believes they are our future and deserve a better world to live in. Her work is a testament to the transformative power of a creative vision, and the positive influence art can have on public awareness and understanding.

 

To find out more about MicroPlasticsJo, and the art of Maria Nissan, please visit the following links below;

 

Website:

https://www.microplasticsjo.com/

Instagram pages:

@microplasticsjo

@marianissanart

Noora Badeen

Date: July 1, 2021

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation currently offers eight virtual art classes to children between the ages of 7 to 16.  Half of them are taught by Hannah Hummel, and the other half by Noora Badeen.  Hummel first joined us in 2015, when she spotted our job ad looking for an art teacher with a classical fine arts background.  Badeen started working with us in 2019, initially as a substitute teacher.  In the summer of 2020, she shifted roles, and is now one of our main art teachers.   

Noora Badeen was born in Baghdad, Iraq and lived there prior to arriving in Chicago as a refugee in 2012.  Although she lived through the brutality of the Iraq War, her experiences are what inspire her artwork today.  For example, her art often focuses on representing social justice, responding to human suffering, and raising awareness to the plight of women and children in war.  Even though Badeen had to start life anew in the United States, she did not give up on her dreams and recently graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020.

Both Hummel and Badeen love teaching art.  They believe that art helps expand children’s minds, helps them to better understand the world, and helps them with their problem-solving abilities.  If you are interested in enrolling your child in one of our art classes, contact Stella directly at:

Stella.sweiss@acf-us.org
224-935-2366