Syrian Art Exchange Program

The Open Hands Initiative has temporarily postponed its third program in Damascus, Syria: a cross-cultural art exchange program. The first two programs were comprised of the Youth Ability Summit (a Disability & Accessibility project) and our first Music Exchange (part of our Culture & Creativity projects).

Program Partners & Experts

The Open Hands Initiative has partnered with the Mustafa Ali Gallery, a leading non-profit art gallery in Damascus, Syria, to provide a platform for cultural and artistic exchange for Syrians and Americans through a four-day workshop.

This workshop will bring together Master artists from Syria and the United States, as well as aspiring student artists from both countries. During the workshop, the young artists will participate in Master classes taught by internationally acclaimed American artist Eric Fischl and prominent Syrian artist Nizar Sabour.

Ultimately, works created by the master and amateur artists during the workshop will be displayed in leading galleries in Syria and the United States in an exhibition tour designed to expose new audiences to Syrian art and culture, and showcase the combined artistic talent of both countries.

Learn more about our partner, the Mustafa Ali Art Gallery, and our master artists Eric Fischl and Nizar Sabour.

About the Art Exchange

The program's purpose is to have American and Syrian artists share their talents with each other, foster understanding and friendship, and expose Syrian traditions and culture to Americans.

The goal is for the students to explore the idea of “commonalities through differences”. Every artist is unique, yet there are also underlying commonalities that unite artists. In the same way, every person and culture is unique, but we share universal values. By bringing together artists of different cultures, we hope to explore the idea of how these differences and similarities intersect, and how they can be harnessed to create collaborations that couldn’t exist on their own.