Explore the rich history and cultural significance of Tatreez, the traditional Palestinian embroidery in this workshop.In this workshop, we will explore the rich history and cultural significance of Tatreez, the traditional Palestinian embroidery. Participants will learn about the origins of this art form, the different techniques used, and the symbolism behind motifs and patterns. We will learn about thobes from different Palestinian cities, understanding how each region’s style is unique and represents its local heritage. Then, each participant will have the chance to practice Tatreez techniques and create their own piece of art, Either a framed design or bookmark.  Class run time: 2

Join us for the closing reception of Stories My Father Told Me, featuring artist and author Helen Zughaib.Join us for the closing reception of Stories My Father Told Me, featuring artist and author Helen Zughaib. This special evening will celebrate the exhibition’s final day and the release of Zughaib’s accompanying book, which brings her vibrant gouache and ink paintings to life alongside the stories her father shared about his youth in Damascus, village life in Lebanon in the 1930s, and his journey to America after World War II.Helen will be present to discuss her work, share insights into her creative

Join Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture via Zoom to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Naomi Shihab Nye Prize.Join Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture (located at 310 W Master St) on January 6th, 2026 at 12 PM via Zoom to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Naomi Shihab Nye Prize, honoring Arab American and Arab Canadian voices in middle-grade fiction!Our First Place winner, Salam Zahr, will share from The Serious Life of Talia Khalil, and Second Place winner, Rym Tina Hickey, will read from Haunted. The event will also feature a special reading by Naomi Shihab Nye herself, the renowned poet for

Join us for Al-Bustan’s 2nd Annual Souk on Sunday, December 20th, from 12-4pm.Join us for Al-Bustan’s 2nd annual Holiday Souk on Sunday, December 20th, from 12-4pm. This will be the perfect opportunity to get your holiday gifts from local artists and makers!A souk is a traditional market or bazaar commonly found in Middle Eastern and North African countries. Souks are often lively markets where vendors sell a wide range of goods, including textiles, spices, jewelry, handcrafted goods, food, and other items. These markets are central to cultural and social life, providing not only a place for shopping but also a

Join us for Al-Bustan’s 2nd Annual Holiday Souk on Sunday, December 14th, from 12-4pm. This will be the perfect opportunity to get your holiday gifts from local artists and makers! A souk is a traditional market or bazaar commonly found in Middle Eastern and North African countries. Souks are often lively markets where vendors sell a wide range of goods, including textiles, spices, jewelry, handcrafted goods, food, and other items. These markets are central to cultural and social life, providing not only a place for shopping but also a hub for community interaction and cultural exchange. Al-Bustan is so excited

Join us on Thursday, December 11 at 7 PM for a screening of Love Sick in the West Bank & Coyotes, the acclaimed 20-minute short film recently awarded Best Short at the BFI Film Festival. About Love Sick in the West Bank A Palestinian family hosts a young American tourist after a simple misunderstanding. But as chaos unfolds in their village, it doesn't take too long for them to become part of the absurd mayhem that immediately ensues. About Coyotes Set on a desolate night in the occupied West Bank, Coyotes follows young surgeon Lubna as an unexpected breakdown on

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture Gallery is pleased to present Stories My Father Told Me, a solo exhibition by renowned artist Helen Zughaib. The exhibition opens Thursday, November 13th, from 6–9 PM at Al-Bustan’s gallery, located at 310 W Master St, Philadelphia PA. Through 25 paintings, Zughaib brings a vivid world alive—a world derived from the stories that her father would relay to her and her siblings while growing up in Lebanon. Though rooted in her specific familial experience, the exhibition speaks to something universal: the enduring power of storytelling to bridge generations and preserve identity. Each painting invites viewers to

Join Al-Bustan for a community gathering of live music and togetherness with a live performance from Amanda Ekery.Afternoon Concert with Amanda EkeryLive Performance by Amanda EkeryJoin Al-Bustan for a community gathering of live music and togetherness. The Árabe Mahrajan is built around the album release and live performance of Amanda Ekery and her touring musicians. Ekery is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer with roots in Syria and Mexico, her work explores the shared history and culture of her heritage. Árabe contains original songs and accompanying essays written by Amanda with the stories and history behind each track, covering everything from

Join Al-Bustan for a community gathering of live music and togetherness. The Árabe Mahrajan is built around the album release and live performance of Amanda Ekery and her touring musicians. Ekery is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer with roots in Syria and Mexico, her work explores the shared history and culture of her heritage. Árabe contains original songs and accompanying essays written by Amanda with the stories and history behind each track, covering everything from food, gambling, and evil eyes to immigration law, biracial identity, and the fraught relationship between immigrant entrepreneurship and workers’ rights. Joining us for the Songwriting

Join vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Amanda Ekery and her band for a songwriting workshop! This songwriting workshop will focus on using research and personal history to write music using techniques Ekery used to write Árabe, her new album. Árabe is about Syrian and Mexican shared culture and history, and covers everything from food, gambling, and evil eyes, to immigration law, biracial identity, and the fraught relationship between immigrant entrepreneurship and workers’ rights. Participants will leave the workshop with a short song they have created, along with tools and tips to continue songwriting. Tickets are $30 and include complimentary admission to

An Exhibition Fundraiser for Relief in Palestine.Opening Reception of "Anatomy of Grief" by Tremain Smith. Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture Gallery, 310 W. Master St. Philadelphia PA.

Dancers from El-Funoun will be at Al-Bustan to lead dabke workshops for beginners and advanced dancers.Dancers from El-Funoun will be touring the United States in August 2025 to carry out a series of dabke workshops for beginners and advanced dancers. These gatherings promise to provide an inspiring opportunity for participants to learn more about Palestinian dabke, develop dabke skills, and make connections with community members. Further, they will support the work of a vital Palestinian cultural institution to remain steadfast in the face of overwhelming attempts by Israel to silence, suppress and erase Palestinian society and culture. More about learning Dabke

Dancers from El-Funoun will be at Al-Bustan to lead dabke workshops for beginners and advanced dancers.Dancers from El-Funoun will be touring the United States in August 2025 to carry out a series of dabke workshops for beginners and advanced dancers. These gatherings promise to provide an inspiring opportunity for participants to learn more about Palestinian dabke, develop dabke skills, and make connections with community members. Further, they will support the work of a vital Palestinian cultural institution to remain steadfast in the face of overwhelming attempts by Israel to silence, suppress and erase Palestinian society and culture. More about learning Dabke

Imagining and Drawing Alternative Futures, Led by Rayan ElnayalJoin us for a hands-on drawing workshop that invites participants of all ages to dream, design, and draw imaginative spaces inspired by the people and places we love.Led by Al-Bustan exhibiting artist, Rayan Elnayal, this workshop explores themes of futurism, speculative design, and magic realism. Rayan will share her creative process, how she transforms memories of real places into visionary digital and fictional spaces. Participants will then begin their own creative journey: envisioning what a beloved space might look like 500 years from now, shaped by future social, economic, and environmental changes.Using

Join us for the opening reception of the next exhibition at Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture.Opening Reception of "Digital Sanctuaries" by Rayan ElnayalJuly 10, 2025, 6 - 9 PMAl-Bustan Seeds of Culture Gallery, 310 W. Master St. Philadelphia PA

Join us at Al-Bustan Gallery for the opening reception of “Digital Sanctuaries” by Rayan Elnayal. Rayan is a Sudanese artist, designer, and educator that combines her research and architectural background to imagine futuristic spaces deeply rooted in Sudan and its diaspora. Her work serves as a speculative exploration of futuristic and fictional spaces that embrace our cultural heritages and resist harmful Euro-centric design principles.

Street Movies! is a free screening and performance series bringing artists and independent short films to vibrant community spacesPresented in partnership with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, join us on Thursday, April 3rd for a curated screening of Middle Eastern shorts that combine politics with sci-fi and the supernatural. This program is co-curated by Joseph Fahim and will feature an opening performance by Palestinian composer and Buzoq player, Jiryis Murkus Ballan.Film Program:In Vitro (Dir. Larissa Sansour & Soren Lind, Palestine/Denmark/UK, 2019, 28 min): Commissioned by the Danish Arts Foundation for the 58th Venice Biennale, In Vitro, co-directed with Søren Lind, is

Kan Yama Kan Storytime with Ms. Dina In both Arabic and English Featuring Hantush, a story written by Salha Hamdeen, a 14 year old Palestinian girl from the Jahalin Bedouin tribe, where her imaginary pet lamb, Hantush, helps her escape her reality and roam the world.First, Ms. Dina will read the story using Arabic and English interchangeably. Then, together, we will revisit key terms from the story while practicing the Arabic alphabets. For example: ح for حنتوش. Finally, together we will discuss the lessons we draw from the story. Tickets are $5! If you or your child are in one

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is thrilled to announce an extraordinary evening of live music featuring former Syrian prisoners of war Hassan Abd Alrahman, Asaad Shlash, Faraj Birkdar, Kesra Kurdi, Ibrahim Byrakdar, Haitham Alkatreb and Adnan Hassan. These seven musicians will perform the live in concert on March 22nd, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, located at 310 W Master St. Philadelphia, PA. Thirty years ago, a group of political prisoners formed a band inside the cells of Syria’s notorious Sednaya Prison—dubbed the "Human Slaughterhouse" by Amnesty International in 2017—to resist the oppressive noise that deepened their suffering.

All year long, Al-Bustan's After School Arab Arts Students make artwork with their instructor, Saria Rosenhaj. The program introduces students to technical art forms while celebrating the depth and cultural significance of Arab arts. "Al-Bustan" is Arabic for "The Garden." The objective of the program is to plant seeds of creative expression through cross-cultural exchange and arts education. Al-Bustan is excited to welcome students from John Moffet and Samuel Powel schools into the Al-Bustan Gallery to showcase their artwork through an exhibition entitled Storyburst. Over the past few months, students at both schools participated in visual storytelling through a multitude

Tatreez Workshop with Johara Shamaa February 22nd, 2025 at 6 PM In this workshop, we will explore the rich history and cultural significance of Tatreez, the traditional Palestinian embroidery. Participants will learn about the origins of this art form, the different techniques used, and the symbolism behind motifs and patterns. We will learn about thobes from different Palestinian cities, understanding how each region’s style is unique and represents its local heritage. Then, each participant will have the chance to practice Tatreez techniques and create their own piece of art, Either a framed design or bookmark. Class run time: 2 Hours Class price:

Join us for our second gathering, we will read the story بطريق أضاع الطريق (Batriq ada3a altariq; A penguin lost his way) by Palestinian Kuwaiti author Hooda Shawa Qaddumi. The story chronicles the journey of a penguin displaced by climate change as he roams the world in search for home. First, Ms. Dina will read the story in Arabic, with consecutive English translation. Then, together, we will revisit key terms from the story while practicing the Arabic alphabets. For example: ش for شوكة and ز for زيتون. Finally, together we will discuss the lessons the kids draw from the story.

OPENING RECEPTION: IMPRINTS OF TIME AND PLACE ceramics & photographs by zami Reflections on identity, community connections, and acts of resistance Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture Gallery is pleased to present the first exhibit in our new space, featuring the work of our founder Hazami Sayed. Imprints of Time and Place is both a homecoming for Hazami (aka zami) and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Al-Bustan. The exhibit moves from photographs of youth's hopeful joy and an enduring cultural heritage, to documentation of tumultuous times. Through the tactile art of clay, zami finds solace, expressing connection through an

Join us for a special screening of Bye Bye Tiberias, followed by a conversation with the film's director, Lina Soualem.Join us for a special screening of an intimate documentary featuring Emmy-nominated actress Hiam Abbass (Succession, Ramy, Blade Runner 2049) as she returns to her Palestinian village with her daughter after years of pursuing her acting career in France. The film explores the powerful legacy of separation across four generations of Palestinian women.Date: Saturday, October 26th, 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PMLocation: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, 310 W Master St, PhiladelphiaFollowing the screening, there will be a conversation with renowned Egyptian