Niyū Yūrk: Memory, Migration, and Middle Eastern Art in the City

Curator Fawz Kabra and artist Rhea Karam explore the histories and lasting contributions of Middle Eastern and North African communities in New York.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Library’s latest exhibition, Niyū Yūrk, which explores the often-overlooked history of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigration to New York City, from the first waves in the late 19th century to the present. Curator and writer Fawz Kabra and artist Rhea Karam, whose work is featured in the exhibition, will discuss the histories, identities, and artistic practices highlighted in the show, including Karam’s 2021 print series Come Together, which documents her urban interventions—geometric designs painted on the corners of walls and buildings throughout New York City.

Niyū Yūrk: Middle Eastern and North African Lives in the City is on view in the Celeste Gottesman Bartos and Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos Exhibitions Gallery from October 4, 2025 to March 8, 2026.

To join | Please register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open around 1:30 PM. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Fawz Kabra is curator of the Art and Design Gallery at FIT’s School of Art and Design, and co-founder and director and curator of Brief Histories, an art gallery and publishing platform that presents curatorially driven programs. She was Assistant Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York and has curated exhibitions at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, NY; BRIC Arts and Media House, Brooklyn; Art Dubai Projects, and organized symposia at Global Art Forum, Dubai and The Armory Show, New York. Her writing and interviews are published in Art Papers, Canvas, Ibraaz, Protozine, and Ocula.

Rhea Karam’s work focuses on deconstructing the urban landscape with an emphasis on public walls and the role they play in our daily lives. The enriching dialogue created around and upon walls allow her to explore various themes such as history, displacement, identity, communication, architecture, and the environment. Although mainly photographic, her practice also includes painting, printmaking, public street installations, and a particular focus on unique handmade artist books.