Samia Halaby (b.1936, Jerusalem) is a leading abstract painter and an influential scholar of Palestinian art. Although based in the United States since 1951, Halaby is recognized as a pioneer of contemporary abstraction in the Arab world. In her renowned paintings, Halaby draws inspiration from nature and historical movements, such as early Islamic architecture and the Soviet avant-garde. Displaced from Palestine in 1948 with her family when she was eleven, Halaby was educated in the American Midwest at a time when abstract expressionism was popular but female abstract painters were marginalized. Halaby believes that new approaches to painting can transform our ways of seeing and thinking, not only within aesthetics, but also as a way to discover new perspectives for advances in teaching, technology, and society at large. This conviction has inspired her to pursue additional experiments in drawing, printmaking, computer-based kinetic art, and free-from-the-stretcher painting. Her work is exhibited throughout the world. Halaby is in the permanent collections of museums such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Art (New York and Abu Dhabi); The Museum of Modern Art; Tate; and Centre Pompidou. She was included in the 2024 Venice Biennale.
Kevin Nathaniel Hylton is a celebrated mbira and kalimba master, band leader, composer, and music healer. He is a new voice in “world music” because he plays traditional music as well as creative jazz and contemporary music. He builds many of his instruments. Kevin tours often in Japan, and in Europe as headliner for the Heart and Mind Festival. He is the producer of a popular cultural series in NYC called Afro Roots NYC. He has worked with a wide variety of artists including Alice Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Jonathan Demme, Samia Halaby, Thomas Mapfumo, Miriam Makeba, Bobby McFerrin, Niles Rodgers, Madonna, Philip Glass, Nana Vasconcelos, and on and on. You can find his music on Spotify, You Tube, iTunes, Apple Music, Pandora, Cdbaby, and many other outlets. He also holds a healing music vigil called “The Unity Prayer” in New York City’s Union Square daily
Hasan Bakr is a multi-percussionist, singer, and composer whose career spans 5 decades. He has studied with a number of master percussionists such as Chief Bey (shekere and bell), Babafeami (Conga), Nana Vasconcelos (berimbau and caxixi), Little Ray Romero (timbales), and Mbemba Bangoura on (Djembe). Bakr, born in Savannah, Georgia and is of Gullah Geechee heritage. He is a musical guardian, who benefits from the immense blessings deep in this culture. In addition to his many percussion talents, Bakr has molded a dynamic vocal ability for three groups: Spirit Ensemble, Heritage OP, and Afara. Bakr has written a collection of works for dance and the media arts and, in July 2023, participated in the Dunham Legacy program at Jacob’s Pillow under the artistic guidance of Mr. Reginald Yates—choreographer whose focus is the dances of the African diaspora. In numerous musical applications, Bakr has performed with a vast number of musical artists including The Winard Harper Sextet, Snow, Hassan Hakmoum, Zimbabwean Mbira Master Ephat Mujuru, Salieu Suso, Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya, The Meditations, Madonna, Rise Robots Rise, Vieux Diop, Rez Abasi and many more.
