Ahla friends,
The weather finally got the memo, which means New York remembered it has a body, and we've been ready. Events dropping almost daily on the site. No excuses.
In other news: Coachella is happening. Apparently. Coachella, Burning Man, Lollapalooza, at this point it's the same festival in a different costume, and I've quietly stopped pretending to care. There's something deeply liberating about no longer feeling obligated to have a take on everything the internet decides matters this week. Including Sabrina Carpenter.
Maybe it's age. Maybe it's the emotional overwhelm of the last few years settling into something quieter. Or maybe it's just clarity. Either way, I've stopped chasing someone else's culture calendar. We have our own. And it's looking pretty good.
Samar
THE SHORTLIST
Handpicked events worth showing up for
THEATER
Home By Hend Ayoub
Thurs April 16th, 6:30-8:30pm
Taub Center For Israel Studies, NYU
I saw this play early in its development, and it was already exceptional. Hend is a force of nature. In this one-woman show, she alone carries the stage inhabiting multiple characters with remarkable ease and power. Drawing from her own personal experience, the play is at once poignant, witty, and deeply reflective. Interesting note: it will be performed in NYU Center for Israel Studies.
PARTY
Yallah Habibi World Tour
Sun April 17th at 7:30pm
Eden, Midtown
The trio behind this Montreal-born party is making its way to NYC.
They’ve just dropped the lineup with favorites like DJ Faten and Sarah Sadaka, plus a performance from world-renowned violinist Yasmine Azaiez and Yasmine is incredible.
Promocode: menna10
PHOTOGRAPHY
Aisha By Yumna Al Arashi
Sun April 17th at 6pm
SpoonBill Books, Williamsburg
Yumna Al-Arashi, a Yemeni-American photographer, explores how women carry culture across generations.
In conversation with Celine from Slow Factory, she reflects on her first book Aisha, touching on traditional tattoo practices, intimacy, and presence in the SWANA region.
LITERATURE
This Queer Arab Family
Sunday April 19th, 3-5pm
Bureau Of General Service-Queer Division, Greenwich Village
Journalist & writer Elias Jahshan is launching his latest book, This Queer Arab Family, a celebratory book that explores how queer Arab communities reimagine family beyond traditional expectations. The book features 10 queer Arab writers with stories that honors kindship, kindness and resilience. Seating is first come, first served. Livestream available.
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WORKSHOP
Introduction To Arab Calligraphy
Sunday April 19th, 12-4pm
Reed Society For The Sacred Art, Chelsea
An immersive Arabic calligraphy workshop with master calligrapher Khalid Casado, introducing the fundamentals of this sacred art through history, discipline, and practice. Open to all levels, with materials provided and guidance from a leading figure in the Ottoman calligraphic tradition.
MUSIC
Souhail Nassari
Tues April 22d, 7-9pm
Klavierhaus, Midtown
An Iranian-American classical pianist with a curatorial ear, bringing lesser-heard compositions into focus alongside the classical canon. This time, along Wagner, he will be bringing Hormoz Farhat.
THE FREE ONE
One free event that got us excited
MUSIC
Michael Sarian | Trumpet: Celebrating Jazz & Armenian Heritage
Wed April 22d, 7-8pm
The National Art Club, Gramercy
It’s not every day you find yourself inside the National Arts Club, one of New York’s most iconic, almost mythical spaces. This time, it’s to watch a talented brother play jazz.
A drink in hand, surrounded by a velvety, sultry atmosphere. just iconic.
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COMMUNITY DISPATCH
People, projects, and news from across the community
Shirin Nashat x Avant Arte
Shirin Neshat is one of the most recognized SWANA artists in the world, and even after more than 40 years, her work still feels strikingly relevant, as if it’s speaking directly to today’s conversations.
She’s just released a new collaboration with Avant Arte, revisiting some of her most iconic works through a series of four limited-edition prints.
The release brings together her signature visual language, photography layered with Persian calligraphy, with pieces drawn from Unveiling (1993), Women of Allah (1994), and Fervor (2000). If you’ve followed her work, it’s very much the world she’s built over the years: identity, feminism within Islam, exile, and everything in between.
With prices ranging from $660 to $1,100, it’s a rare opportunity to access her work in a more approachable, collectible format. Collab is released on April 28th and prints will be available for sale for 48h.
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WE SHOW UP
Ways we can show up for each other
A round Up Of Events To Support Lebanon
Atelier Dalal Stamp Making
April 16th · 6:30–8:30 PM
Design and carve your own rubber stamps. Beginner-friendly. 100% of proceeds go to the Lebanese Red Cross
Tickets
The Party Is Not Over
April 18th at 9pm
Beats for mutual aid in Lebanon
Tickets
Resonance 101, from BK to Beirut
April 19th at 11pm
A collective participatory sonic experience. Virtual event
Tickets
Kris Pina Josephine EP
April 19th at 7pm
Concert. Proceed will go to Lebanon if the event sell out
Tickets
Films For Lebanon
April 23d at 6pm
3 movie screenings. All proceeds will go to The Great Oven towards helping displaced people and families in Lebanon.
Tickets
Seal Gala
April 23d
Formal fundraiser
Tickets
Painted Pantry Watercolor Workshop
April 26th · 12:00–3:00 PM
Paint fruits and pantry staples in watercolor. Proceeds benefit Beit El Baraka for Lebanon relief.
Tickets
Figure Drawing Salon
April 29th · 7:00–9:30 PM
Draw from a live model. All skill levels welcome. 100% of proceeds go to Haven for Artists in Beirut.
Tickets
To better days -
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As always, thank you for being here.
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— Menna curates cultural content and events for informational purposes only. Event details are subject to change—
