Muslim Students Visit the DMA and Learn More About Their Faith

On Friday, February 5, Art History teacher Becky Daniels initiated a special opportunity for Greenhill students of the Muslim faith. She invited a group of Muslim students to the Dallas Museum of Art to view the Keir Collection of Islamic Art and visit with distinguished Islamic Scholar, Sabiha al Khemir.

Why I Teach
by Becky Daniels

Walking out of the Dallas Museum of Art today, a well-educated high school student commented, “I had no idea that this museum could help me explain what it means to be an American Muslim.” Moments like this are the reason I teach. Understanding the journey to this moment requires a step back in time.

When the Dallas Museum of Art officially announced in 2014 that it would receive a significant collection on long-term loan, the Keir Collection of Islamic Art, I immediately began thinking of how to use the collection to expand my high school art history students’ understanding of non-western art. Even though the Advanced Placement Art History curriculum is making steps toward a more thematic and globalized approach, accessible resources about Islamic Art on a high school level are hard to acquire. For those of us who began a broad study of art history decades ago, our exposure to Islamic art and culture was limited, further compounding the problem. Art Historians and educators in the Dallas area also have another invaluable resource to address this problem: the passionate and articulate Sabiha Al Khemir, the DMA’s Senior Advisor of Islamic Art and Distinguished Scholar of Islamic Art in Residence at the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at the University of Texas, Dallas. Her philosophy of using Islamic art as a cultural bridge presented an opportunity: How could Muslim teenagers in Dallas use the Keir collection to present a positive view of their culture? These teenagers live in a world dominated by negative media coverage about Islam. They live in a time of fear and misunderstanding about their own religious beliefs. Yet Greenhill’s dynamic Muslim teenagers are forces for positive change in our own school and throughout the Dallas area. What could be the impact of introducing Greenhill’s Muslim teenagers with art in the Keir Collection?

Creating this opportunity to connect teenagers with art rests on the support of three institutions. I am lucky to teach at Greenhill School, an independent private school that actively supports a global view of history, involvement in our own urban community, and alternative forms of assessment. Greenhill allows me the freedom to let student’s interests and local resources shape the Art History curriculum; I am not bound by an Advanced Placement test. Greenhill also supports faculty in life-long learning. As a result, I am a doctoral fellow Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at the University of Texas at Dallas. The coursework, research, and continual support of Dr. Richard Brettell and Ms. Bonnie Pitman have created exceptional opportunities in the Dallas area. Finally, the rich resources of the Dallas Museum of Art have provided a place to connect teenagers with art.

Greenhill’s Art History students had their first exposure to Islamic Art when they visited Nur: Light in Art and Science from the Islamic World at the DMA in the spring of 2014. The teenagers were captivated. This first trip spurred research, countless questions and the acquisition of several magnifying glasses. The second trip lasted longer than planned; the students did not want to leave. They questioned the museum’s guards. They analyzed the details of each work. Students got into a heated debate about repatriation on the bus trip back to school that continued in the following weeks. They read about the DMA’s 2012 repatriation, which spurred more debate. They spoke with previous Art History students, who had invited SMU Law Professor John Vernon to speak about his work with Mayan artifacts. They had a two-hour Skype conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Andrew DeJesse, U.S. Army’s Cultural Affairs Officer in Arts, Monuments, and Archives, concerning his work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Students went on their own to see Nur again, bringing friends and family. Then these teenagers graduated from high school.

This school year brings new students and a new Islamic Art exhibition at the DMA: Spirit and Matter: Masterpieces of the Keir Collection of Islamic Art. Greenhill’s Art History students continue to work with the Keir collection. However, I had never attempted to bring students that I do not teach to the museum. Greenhill’s Muslim Affinity Group, its faculty sponsor Dr. Youssef Oumanar, and our Upper School Head, Mrs. Laura Ross, all supported the idea. On February 5, ten Greenhill students joined two Muslim Greenhill alumni, currently students at SMU and UTD. Sabina Al Khemir was kind enough to join us, inspiring students by explaining the history, imagery and ideas held in these works. Her message about the power of the collection was received. Students chose their favorite works. One realized how the décor in his home reflected Islamic culture. Another was drawn by the intricate details, realizing that the closer she looked, the more she saw. Dr. Oumanar related her thought to fractal geometry, spurring more discussion. Students read Arabic, helping each other decipher the ancient script. Two girls discussed Sabiha’s comments about listening to the quiet whisper of Islamic art. Two others discussed the way this art brought the beauty of the words of the Koran to life. Before we even left the museum, students had texted four local instructors at Muslim Saturday Schools to discuss setting up tours of the Keir. They began talking about another Greenhill trip, when they would invite non-Muslim friends and lead them through the exhibition. Others discussed introducing the exhibition to Greenhill’s Lower School students.

As this new adventure begins, I do not know where it will lead, but I do know that these works of art are already serving as a cultural bridge for Dallas teenagers.

 

My experience visiting the DMA truly changed my perspective on Islam as a whole. I never imagined the glory and beauty of Islam to be depicted in such an artful and descriptive way. From elaborately decorated bowls and cups, to intricate rugs, ornate glasswork, as well as mathematical and scientific devices, Ms. Khemir opened my eyes to a whole new way of approaching my religion. One artifact I found particularly interesting was an engraved padlock. This padlock not only had Arabic engravings, but also Turkish engravings, and Persian writings. Similarly, many other objects were the creations of Muslims, and non-Muslims coming together, which further emphasizes the collaborative spirit Islam encourages.

This very collaborative spirit is what I believe needs to be further emphasized around the world. I believe that by creating a cosmopolitan society, bridges between diverse religions and cultures could become whole. This exhibit demonstrates the fact that through appreciation for the culture, and exquisite history of Islam, many people can become more knowledgeable on the essence of Islam and appreciate its welcoming call towards a more cosmopolitan society. Sabiha al Khemir said, “This is not art that was produced to be hung on the walls. The scale is much smaller, which calls for an intimate relationship. Basically, it is calling you to come close and look, to accept that it is different and try to understand that even though it’s small, it might have something to say. Maybe it’s whispering. Maybe you need to get closer.”

This trip allowed me to better understand a quote from the Quran: “We are all born from the same soul." In essence, we are all from the same source, but it is a beautiful idea that we are all so diverse, yet internally the same. However, it is also the attitude with which individuals may approach this that also plays a key role. Rather than looking upon the differences between two people with a sense of incompatibility, these very differences are the ones that must be celebrated. With the diverse and welcoming environment that Greenhill provides, it is crucial to look upon those who may have varying lifestyles, cultures, ethnicities, race, etc., with pride and honor, because it is this very pride that makes Greenhill, Greenhill.