Category: travels

seeing ‘the changemakers’ at RMSC

at the rochester museum & science center today where we saw ‘the changemakers’ exhibit which is stunning. recognized so many beautiful women friends who are part of the exhibition. two pieces from my art series ‘this heirloom’ are on display there. one is a graphic collage with my mom and her sister, when they were little girls. the other is called ‘embroidered dreams’ and it’s a tribute to my paternal grandmother, niaz fatima. my grandmother became a widow when she was quite young and struggled to raise and educate her children, in a highly patriarchal family system. i was wondering how she would feel about her picture hanging in a museum in rochester, new york, a tribute by a granddaughter she didn’t see grow up. it felt empowering.
.
rmsc #thechangemakers #beachangemaker #womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment #pakistan #rochesteny

more elijah pierce

in his many religiously inspired, biblical wood carvings, jesus and his companions are always black. pierce’s work is fiercely political, from depicting police brutality and the violence of imperial war to the corruption of the white house. he lived until he was 90 and witnessed a lot of tumultuous history.
.
philly #philadelphia #barnesfoundation #elijahpierce #woodcarvings #exhibition #blackart #blackartmatters #politics #war

elijah pierce at the barnes foundation

an extraordinary exhibition of elijah pierce’s work at the @barnesfoundation in philly:

‘Elijah Pierce’s America presents the exceptional work of self-taught woodcarver Elijah Pierce (1892–1984), known best for a tour-de-force volume of biblical scenes. His carvings depict remarkable narratives—religious parables, autobiographical scenes, episodes from American politics—and sometimes include figures from popular culture and sports. A barber by trade and a preacher by calling, Pierce reacted to life in 20th-century America through his handcrafted works, which also reflect his experience in one of the first generations of African Americans born into freedom.’
.
philly #philadelphia #barnesfoundation #elijahpierce #woodcarvings #exhibition #blackart #blackartmatters

cafe la maude and reading terminal market

brunch at @cafelamaude a french lebanese cafe strongly recommended by aisha. we had green shakshuka and smoked salmon. extraordinary flavors and textures! then trip to reading terminal market. tried some shoofly pie made by a place serving homemade dutch food. not as sweet as i expected (it’s made with molasses), actually quite good:)

boathouse row and belgian food

yesterday we strolled along boathouse row on the schuylkill river. its placid surface is ideal for rowing. ordered pick-up from monk’s cafe, a belgian restaurant close to our airbnb, for dinner. these key lime and peach almond tarts were delicious:)
.
philly #philadelphia #boathouserow #schuylkillriver #walkingeverywhere #belgianfood #minitarts

mural capital of the world

philly is the world’s mural capital (with some 4000 artworks throughout the city). today we did the north side of philly’s mural mile and walked through and along chinatown, the convention center and city hall. one of my favorite murals is ‘the philadelphia muses.’ it’s located at the corner of 13th and locust streets and features the nine classical greek muses of the arts, each modeled after a real philadelphian. so beautiful!
.
philly #philadelphia #muralmile #northphilly #philadelphiamuses #streetartispolitics #streetartispower

back in long island

hit the cross bronx expressway at 5-530pm and was stuck in rush hour traffic hell. added another hour to my 7 hour drive, but in the end, i got home to my favorite human. thank u to everyone in rochester – all the friends who worked with me on the shoots, met up, tried to meet up, dropped by, went on walks, had coffee or dinner in all kinds of weather, cooked, baked, shared gifts, acquired art, supported fundraisers, turned their backyards or decks into socially distanced meeting spaces, and created community. am so grateful for all of u. à la prochaine inshallah!
.
rochesterny #longisland #friendsarefamily #communitylove