Mizna will soon be leaving the California Building and Northeast Minneapolis! So this year's Art-a-Whirl is a last-Northeast-hoorah. Stop by sometime on Saturday or Sunday, May 19 and 20, to view Fatima Zahra's visual art, catch Fatima doing some live painting, or hear the music of Amwaaj, an Arab music ensemble.

Visual art Saturday and Sunday. Occasional live painting
Exhibition reception Saturday, May 19, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Performance by Amwaaj, Sunday, May 20, 3 p.m.
Mizna, Suite 109A, California Building
2205 Californa St. Suite 109A, Minneapolis, MN 55418.

Amwaaj's performance is co-sponsored by the Arab American Cultural Institute.

Fatima Zahra is a visual artist from Morocco. Moving to the United States six years ago sparked in her a curiosity about identity and perception, specifically how others perceive and subsequently affect one's self. Her art is an attempt to capture this reciprocal relationship. She is interested in the figure, in its standing with or without its surroundings, and its emotional relevance.

Tim O'Keefe and Salah Fattah, two members of Amwaaj. Photo by Marc Norberg.

Amwaaj is a classical Arabic Music Ensemble comprised of Salah Fattah (violin, oud), Tim O'Keefe (riq, tabla, oud), Laura Harada (violin, oud, percussion), and Dawn Doering (nay, flute). The idea of Amwaaj was born during an Arab music retreat twelve years ago. Amwaaj strives for a musical balance between classical and traditional/contemporary forms of Arab music. Classical forms are a reservoir for the rich and complex maqam (scale) system of music with distinctive microtones. They were influenced by Turkish music and include samae, beshraf, and longa. Traditional music is a natural evolution of the Ottoman-influenced music into music that reflects and expresses each region and culture of the Arab world.