WASHINGTON, June 16 (NNN-TELESUR) – The first Palestinian museum in Washinton D.C. opened its doors Saturday, displaying priceless collections of art and documents gathered from around the world for visitors.
The Museum of Palestinian People (MPP) is the second museum of its kind in the U.S. and is currently showcasing work by five artists. The temporary exhibit is called “Reimagining a Future” and features art by talents such as Ahmed Hmeedat, Manal Deeb, Mohammad Musallam, Dalia Elcharbini and Haya Zaatry.
With the motto, “Many Stories, One Heart,” Museum Curator Nada Odeh organizes the permanent exhibit, focusing on displaying the culture and history of Palestine in four parts: “A Remarkable People,” “Nakba and the Diaspora,” “Occupation” and “A Resilient People.”
“We want this exhibit focusing on the stories of the people and to tell how Palestine was before and how it’s now,” said Odeh, the curator. “Not from the political side but from the people’s side: what the people are doing what they’re accomplishing in their lives – in the US, or Palestine, or Israeli territory, all the combinations. That’s very important to reflect.”
Nizar Farsakh, Chair of the Board of MPP told Al Jazeera, “We see that the Palestinian story has been told by others, it’s reduced to a single story, so this museum is the space where we’re really trying to showcase the richness of the Palestinian stories and to have Palestinians tell their own stories their own ways.”
Formerly a traveling exhibit, after years of traveling, the museum finally set down roots last year in Woodbridge, Connecticut, the nation’s first Palestinian museum.
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