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Qatar Tribune
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
QM chairperson opens expo on cultural role of food in Islamic world
QNA Doha Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani inaugurated the exhibition 'A Seat at the Table: Food & Feasting in the Islamic World' at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA). The exhibition is exploring the cultural role of food across the Islamic world and within Muslim traditions. The compelling exhibition is organised by MIA in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and will be on view till November 8, 2025. It is curated by Senior Curator of Decorative Arts & Design at Lusail Museum Dr Tara Desjardins and Curatorial Affairs Researcher at Museum of Islamic Art Teslim Sanni. This exhibition is also a legacy project of the Years of Culture initiative, a programme of collaborations between Qatar and partner countries that seeks to nurture mutual respect and understanding by building long-term cultural, social and economic ties. Director of Museum of Islamic Art Shaika Nasser Al Nassr said, 'Food has always been a powerful expression of culture, identity, and hospitality across the Islamic world. With A Seat at the Table, MIA is proud to present an exhibition that not only celebrates the beauty of culinary traditions but also invites reflection on how this food continues to shape the present. This collaboration with LACMA, inspired by their seminal Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting exhibition, has allowed us to build a uniquely local perspective, weaving together the historical and the contemporary to tell a story that is deeply resonant and richly layered.' Featuring artworks and objects from the collections of MIA, Qatar National Library, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Lusail Museum and Qatar Museums' General Collections, the exhibition highlights the central role dining plays in Islamic cultures. The exhibition also delves into the evolving culinary traditions of the Islamic world, revealing both the distinctions and common threads that have shaped its rich gastronomic heritage over time. Al Nassr said that the exhibition is presented in five main sections that reflect the diversity of culinary traditions in Islamic societies and highlight the richness of this cultural heritage throughout the ages. Al Nassr explained that the exhibition offers an immersive experience, beginning with the 'Breaking Bread' section, which focuses on the concepts of continuity, change, and the spirit of community through representing the tannur, a traditional oven used by different cultures from around the world to bake various types of bread, including Arabic bread, Iranian flatbread, and Yemeni Lahoh bread. She added that the 'Food and Faith' section explores Islamic customs related to food, displaying manuscripts and artifacts bearing Quranic verses. It also highlights Islamic occasions associated with food, namely Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. Moreover, the 'Itinerant Ingredients' section explores the history of global exchanges that arose as a result of the spice trade and the transfer of food ingredients along ancient trade routes, all the way to Qatar. It also showcases the intertwined historical relationship between food and medicine in Islamic civilisations. Al Nassr added that the 'Dining with the Sultan' section offers a glimpse into the traditions of banquets in the courts of kings, where royal banquets were a symbol of wealth and influence, the grander the occasion, the more elaborate the dishes. Attending these lavish banquets required the wearing of fine clothing and the use of luxurious utensils, along with entertainment shows that added to the palace atmosphere. The final section, 'Contemporary Cuisine: We Are What We Eat,' exhibits modern food habits through three key themes: agriculture as a tool for nation-building and a way to shape identity; the growth of fast-food and food-truck cultures; and farm-to-table practices that emphasise a return to 'slow food' and sustainability in food production and consumption.
Qatar Tribune
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
MIA exhibition explores cultural role of food across Islamic world
Tribune News Network Doha The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) has announced 'A Seat at the Table: Food & Feasting in the Islamic World', a large-scale exhibition exploring the cultural role of food across the Islamic world and within Muslim traditions. The compelling exhibition is organised by MIA in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and will be on view from May 22 to November 8. It is curated by Dr Tara Desjardins, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts & Design, Lusail Museum, and Teslim Sanni, Curatorial Affairs Researcher, Museum of Islamic Art. This exhibition is also a legacy project of the Years of Culture initiative, a programme of collaborations between Qatar and partner countries that seeks to nurture mutual respect and understanding by building long-term cultural, social and economic ties. Shaika Nasser Al-Nassr, director, Museum of Islamic Art, said, 'Food has always been a powerful expression of culture, identity, and hospitality across the Islamic world. With A Seat at the Table, MIA is proud to present an exhibition that not only celebrates the beauty of culinary traditions but also invites reflection on how this food continues to shape who we are today. 'This collaboration with LACMA, inspired by their seminal Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting exhibition, has allowed us to build a uniquely local perspective, weaving together the historical and the contemporary to tell a story that is deeply resonant and richly layered.' Featuring artworks and objects from the collections of MIA, Qatar National Library, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Lusail Museum and Qatar Museums' General Collections, the exhibition highlights the central role dining plays in Islamic cultures. Additionally, the exhibition delves into the evolving culinary traditions of the Islamic world, revealing both the distinctions and common threads that have shaped its rich gastronomic heritage over time. Dr Tara Desjardins and Teslim Sanni said, 'This exhibition explores culinary traditions and practices from the emergence of Islam to the present day, highlighting key historical developments and contemporary challenges that shape our relationship with food. It also examines how trade and the introduction of new ingredients transformed dishes, and how feasting and dining etiquette defined courtly culture.' The exhibition has five sections: Breaking Bread: This section focuses on continuity, change and community. Designed as an immersive experience, this section is installed in a gallery representing a tannur, a traditional oven used by cultures around the world to bake breads, including pita, Iranian flatbread, and Yemeni bread lahoh. Breaking Bread emphasises the universal pleasure of dining and how it brings people together. Food and Faith: This part looks at Islamic religious practices and customs around dining. Through manuscripts and objects featuring Quranic verses about food, it also discusses two of the most important festivals in Islam, both of which are connected to food: Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, which traditionally includes the sacrifice of an animal. Itinerant Ingredients: The third section explores the global trade in spices and ingredients. It traces the expansion of Islam and trade networks across both nearby and faraway regions, including the introduction of foods such as wheat and barley grains and date seeds into Qatar, as well as the link between food and medicine. Dining with the SultancSize:> The section explores royal dining traditions where feasts represented wealth, power, and authority. The grander the occasion, the more elaborate the dishes, prepared with the finest ingredients. These opulent banquets were accompanied by extravagant attire, objects and entertainment, reinforcing the splendour of the ruler's court. Contemporary Cuisine: We Are What We Eat: The fifth section examines contemporary dining customs. This section explores three key themes: agriculture as a tool for nation-building and a way to shape identity; the growth of fast-food and food-truck cultures; and farm-to-table practices that emphasise a return to 'slow food' and sustainability. Each section includes a video of a contemporary chef preparing a dish that reflects his or her traditions. In addition, an extensive series of interactive displays will invite children and families to engage in hands-on activities related to the sections of the exhibition. In conjunction with the exhibition, A Seat at the Table: Food & Feasting in the Islamic World will offer a series of engaging public programmes designed to further explore the exhibition's themes and deepen the connection with the diverse cultural traditions highlighted.
CBS News
26-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Elk Grove bookstore wants everyone to have A Seat at the Table
A look inside Elk Grove's A Seat At The Table bookstore and its mission to do more A look inside Elk Grove's A Seat At The Table bookstore and its mission to do more A look inside Elk Grove's A Seat At The Table bookstore and its mission to do more ELK GROVE — It's time to crack open a new book because Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day, a time to shop local and celebrate reading. CBS Sacramento took a look inside one Elk Grove bookstore that is on a mission to do more. For many people, nothing beats a good cup of coffee and a good book. But Emily Autenrieth had a bigger vision when she opened her independent bookstore, A Seat at the Table Books, on Laguna Springs Drive three years ago. Emily wanted everyone to have a seat at the table. "We're here to meet community needs," she said. "We're here to serve the people in Elk Grove." Emily's days are long. She spends her mornings homeschooling and her afternoons running her business, which includes 8,000 books and items and eight employees — some of whom started out as customers. In this tough economic climate, owning and operating a small business involves a lot of risk and a lot of challenges. "It's a really tough industry anyway, particularly when there are concerns about the economy and how tariffs are going to impact everyone," Emily said. "We don't have room to raise our prices at a bookstore the way that other retail might be able to." Despite the uncertainty, bookstores are making a comeback. The American Booksellers Association says its membership has doubled since 2016, now at 2,400 stores nationwide. Many shops like A Seat at the Table Books are reaching more customers by standing up to book bans and doubling down on diversity. "People belong here at A Seat at the Table, no matter who they are or what their background is," Emily said. "Specifically, we celebrate what makes us different and what makes us unique." It's not just a bookstore or cafe but a community hub with a mission to make a difference. "Not ever expecting to make money out of this, I'm just trying to keep the 'third space' going," Emily said. "So that's really the goal, is to make enough to keep covering our costs and keep this space open to the community." A Seat at the Table will be part of a book crawl this weekend for Independent Bookstore Day, encouraging readers to visit their store and nine others in the region.
Washington Post
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
With ‘Matriarch,' Tina Knowles finally takes center stage
Among pop culture aficionados, few surnames have the cachet of Knowles. The family exploded into popular awareness when Beyoncé found fame as lead singer of the futuristic R&B girl group Destiny's Child then reached superstar status as a solo artist, becoming one of our era's most important cultural figures. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Solange, gained critical acclaim as a singer-songwriter with the release of her 2016 album, 'A Seat at the Table.' Their talents were honed by their forward-thinking manager and father, Mathew, who taught them the ins and outs of the music business, and their mother, Tina, who nurtured her daughters but also their fanbases. Despite being household names, one of the defining qualities of the family is their tight-lipped control of their story. Beyoncé and Solange rarely speak to the press and, much like the royal family, avoid commenting on negative stories. In 2011, when media reports began questioning whether Beyoncé was really pregnant with her first child with husband Jay-Z, the response from Knowles HQ was a firm 'no comment.' At the time, Beyoncé told her mother, 'Mama, you cannot address these ignorant people.' And yet, Ms Tina, as she's affectionately known by fans, is ready to address everyone. Her new memoir, 'Matriarch,' gives readers a peek behind the curtain at the successes and tragedies that shaped the famous family. Tina Knowles was born Celestine Ann Beyoncé in the tight-knit, coastal community of Galveston, Texas, in 1954, to a seamstress mother and longshoreman father. Affectionately known as Badass Tenie B in her youth for her propensity to find trouble wherever she went, Knowles paints a detailed portrayal of her early childhood as the youngest of seven children. Readers can envision the sturdy pecan tree that stood tall in the family's backyard, the dizzying rush of the crowds at the beach amusement park and the pounding patter of her padded feet as she ran across the floor in all-in-one pajamas. Knowles's descriptions of her youth, even her youngest years, are told in rich color with flourishes so detailed they may have come from stories shared by her older siblings and elders, possibly even from sessions spent rifling through local archives. Whatever the case, they conjure a fully realized world the reader can inhabit. As a fan of the Knowles family music empire, I was not expecting to uncover information I did not already know, but Knowles proved wrong. She delves deeper into her own backstory than ever before, and she gives an honest (although probably one-sided if we asked her ex-husband) account of the problems in her marriage, including Mathew's many affairs. As forthcoming as she can be, there are also portions of history that have been conspicuously excised, namely the exit of the early Destiny's Child members; perhaps this is too contentious a topic to bring up, even now. It is clear from the title of her memoir that Knowles is keen to examine the female lineage, what it means to be a mother and how to find your identity as a woman both within and beyond those definitions. Across her life, we see Tina form a girl group (the Veltones), move to Los Angeles, marry and start a family, launch several thriving businesses (including her famous Houston hair salon Headliners), and divorce twice. While her business acumen and drive are clear themes throughout the book, so is her propensity to be a surrogate maternal figure to friends, family and young mentees. There is a way to see this as purely positive, an example of her open-minded philosophy on motherhood. 'Family isn't just about blood,' she writes. 'It's who you show up for.' But there was another side to her need to boost others up and live vicariously through them while she played down her own achievements. She recounts that, later in life and with the help of a therapist, she finally came to terms with her rocky relationship with her own mother, who taught her to 'dumb yourself down a little bit, hide your light so people won't be offended.' It is only later that Knowles learns that shame is not the same thing as humility. She continues to rediscover herself, even in the face of a breast cancer diagnosis that she reveals late in the book. As her daughters accompanied her to a surgical appointment, she recalls, Solange lightened the mood by sharing the 'very demure, very mindful' viral meme of TikTok influencer Jools Lebron. 'I entered the surgical room laughing, thanks to them,' Knowles writes. It's a poignant moment of a lifelong caretaker being lovingly tended to, and an example that no identity is fixed. Although it took her until she was 71 years old, with 'Matriarch,' Knowles finally becomes the star of her own story. Stephanie Phillips is a music journalist and the author of 'Why Solange Matters.' A Memoir By Tina Knowles One World. 432 pp. $35
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ohio State club displaying art exhibit for Black History Month
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio State University Faculty Club is honoring Black History Month with an exhibit that is on display for free and will be open until March 6. The curator Arris Cohen explained this exhibition shines a light on local Black artist, giving them the space to be seen, heard and celebrated. 'There are so many artists in this city who have a legacy here and are legends here,' Cohen said. 'And just to be able to have some of them in this space where usually we don't have representation like that is important, is important.' The work of nine local artists at the exhibition 'A Seat at the Table' is making history as the first exclusively all-Black group display at the OSU faculty club. Cohen noted it took four months to complete this project, from picking each artist to choosing the themes of the show. The hilarious, Ohio-made Doritos ad you didn't see during the Super Bowl 'In terms of getting all of their work together, it was an arduous process, but the process is the best part of the journey as it pertains to art, so it was fun,' Cohen said. 'There was a lot of communication with the different artists that I wanted to be in the show, as well as the fact that you have two posthumous artists in the show.' Uplifting the voices of these artists was imperative to Cohen as he was curating this show, especially as it runs through Black History Month. Citing a desire to celebrate and honor the work they have shared with the world in an impactful way. 'The timing of the show is really important to show that our culture, our creativity, our prowess is not negotiable,' Cohen said. 'And we do deserve the representation that we do receive. And it's not a fad or just something that is for now is here to stay.' Cohen also expressed the immense privilege it was to create this display and hopes the stories told through these pieces from Black creatives around the community continue to bring people together. 'I really look for it to evoke conversation, to continue the conversation of why representation of all types of people matters,' Cohen said. 'We are more alike than we are different.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
