Friday, January 18, 2013

Art making at Dar Al Kalima College

photo © George Anderson Photography
STORIES FROM THE ROAD:

BETHLEHEM, PALESTINE. Our trip to the Holy Land was layer upon layer of experience that will require a lengthy time to process. In addition to visiting ancient sites, experiencing the contemporary culture of Israel and Palestine, we were met with heartfelt hospitality. We also had the privilege to lead an art workshop with the art students at Dar Al Kalima College and our group from Bethlehem Lutheran in Minneapolis. This tempera painting is a collaborative work created 4 January 2013 by twenty Muslim and Christian artists at Dar Al Kalima College in Bethlehem, Palestine. We gathered for a day of creative, artistic and spiritual exploration and concluded our time together by offering painted prayers on the World Canvas.

Dar Al Kalima is located in the West Bank and was created and founded by the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, a Palestinian Christian. Dar Al Kalima College promotes ideals of tolerance and respect for the thinking and beliefs of others. It encourages active communication between educators, theologians, journalists, musicians, and artists from Palestine and the rest of the world cultivating the region’s renewal and sustainability in a time plagued by destruction and unemployment.