Local Palestinian Artist: Talib Dweik

event: Art Exhibition Tour & Lecture with Palestinian Artist Talib Dweik
location: Dar Annadwa (I.C.B.), Bethlehem
date: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
description: SOS Students (grades 6 & 8) toured the "Waiting" exhibition, and then listened to Palestinian Artist, Talib Dweik, discuss his artwork and answer student questions. http://talebdweik.info/ Coordinated with SOS Field Trip Director (Rafat) & Palestinian Artist (Talib Dweik).




Students drew studies of their favorite works from Dweik's exhibit into their sketchbooks.

Sketchbooks: Hand-made sketchbooks were created by each student in art class at the beginning of the year. We recycled found cardboard objects from the construction site at the school, and turned them into the front & back cover for each sketchbook.



I witnessed a wonderful site during our fieldtrip to Dweik's "Waiting" Exhibit. All of a sudden, my SOS Students appeared before me to look like university Art Students at the Louvre. Everyone had their sketchbooks out, and everyone was sketching away. It was at this moment, that I felt so proud & so good to be a teacher. In the above photos, you will see some studies the students drew from Dweik's work.




event: Art Workshop with Palestinian Artist Talib Dweik
location: SOS Children's Village, Bethlehem (Activities Room)
date: Friday, December 7, 2007
description: Approximately 20 SOS students from the village participated in an art workshop with Palestinian Artist, Talib Dweik, where they created artworks for the upcoming winter holidays. Coordinated with SOS Activities Director (Nabeel), SOS Village Volunteers (Leo, Thilo) & Palestinian Artist (Talib Dweik).

I can only emphasize the importance of art to a certain extent with my students because I am not a native Palestinian. Therefore,it's important for them to meet local Palestinian Artists, such as Taleb Dweik, in order to discover a connection to art through their own people & culture (rather than through a foreign teacher being their main source for art). During an openQ&A session with Artist Taleb Dweik, students asked such questions as "How is Art important to the Palestinian people? And Why?" and received superb answers that from Dweik which exemplified that unique link they must be made aware of -the link between art and people.