Artistic culture: BYU issues invitation to See Islamic Art up close at 'Beauty and Belief"

DAILY HERALD
By Cody Clark

Griffin, cast bronze with engraved decoration, made in Spain
(possibly Cordoba) in the 11th century. (Copy in exhibition).

UTAH - Sabiha Al Khemir, the author, illustrator and art historian who created “Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture,” doesn’t entirely understand why fate brought her exhibition to the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University. Starting out in a setting where a non-Islamic faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which owns BYU), is predominant, she said, “actually strengthens the message of the exhibition.” The idea, that is, that art can bridge the gap between different cultures. There’s actually a strong scholarly interest in Islam at BYU — MOA director Mark Magleby said that the university has an ongoing project to translate and interpret historic Islamic manuscripts — and that made Al Khemir feel welcomed as well. [link]