TYO and the National Children’s Museum Celebrate Nablus!

On Saturday April 9, TYO and partner, The National Children’s Museum (NCM), celebrated the 1-year mark of the Launch Zone’s exhibits about Nablus, which has provided communities with incite to children’s lives in the city. Over the past year, Launch Zone visitors from across the United States have learned about Nabulsi food, play, and celebrations through three interactive exhibits created in collaboration between TYO and NCM. Throughout the festive day, families enjoyed delicious Arabic food, arts and crafts activities, and storytelling from around the world.

 

Attendees snacked on delicious Maamoul, Spinach Fatayer, Manaeesh with Zaatar, and Hummus!

In addition, TYO proudly unveiled the Suwarna (Our Pictures) photography exhibit for the fist time in the US! Suwarna is a collection of images taken by the participants in the Triple Exposure Program, a TYO initiative that promotes art education for youth, community access to public art, and a better worldwide understanding of Palestine.

Suwarna Images on display at the Launch Zone

The Suwarna and the Nablus Celebrations exhibits will be displayed at NCM’s Launch Zone at the National Harbor for only a few more weeks. Take advantage of the spring weather with a day at the Harbor and catch them before they’re gone!

The TYO Team sends a special message of gratitude to our friends at NCM for very special day and to all the families who joined in the fun!

 

Stitching a Palestinian design at the Nablus Celebration

 

First TYO Exhibit Opens at the NCM’s Launch Zone

On Saturday, January 25th TYO’s first exhibit at the Launch Zone of the National Children’s Museum opened to a crowd of nearly 300 people. The exhibit featured images and narratives highlighting the children of Nablus and their thoughts and feelings on traditional Palestinian food. “The exhibit itself is a fantastic anchor for all that happens in the Launch Zone and between the communities in the DC area and those in Nablus. I had a great time at the celebration and it was really good to see so many kids and families deeply engaged in the experience,” said NCM Director of Partnerships Mark Wright.

The exhibit also included several hands-on activities such as writing a postcard to the children of TYO, learning about the spices used in Nablus, and learning to spell your name in Arabic with the help of three volunteers from The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. Throughout the celebration, visitors were encouraged to sample an array of Palestinian foods like grape leaves and manakish. and they enjoyed performances by George Mason University’s Dabkeh Dance Troupe!

Mickey Bergman, Director of the US-Palestinian Partnership at the Aspen Institute really enjoyed the interactive aspect of the exhibit. He said, “It is a great way to engage the kids in fun activities while exposing them and familiarizing them with elements of a culture they would otherwise feel foreign towards.”

Here in Nablus, we are thrilled that those of you in DC were able to experience a taste of our lives. We look forward to continuing to bridge the gap bring Nablus and the DC area through engaging and interactive art exhibits thanks to our partnership with the NCM.

A special thank you to Mariel, our illustrious US-based intern, and Lisa Hershey of the NCM for the wonderful photos of the event!