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CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF MANHATTAN TO MARK EXTENSION OF POPULAR “AMERICA TO ZANZIBAR: MUSLIM CULTURES NEAR AND FAR” EXHIBITION WITH ADDITION OF ARTIFACTS FROM THE HISPANIC SOCIETY MUSEUM AND LIBRARY

New York, NY – November 14, 2016 – The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (212 West 83rd Street, NYC, NY) is pleased to announce that its “America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far” exhibition has been extended through 2017 due to popular demand. The groundbreaking, family-friendly exhibit, which has been seen by more than a quarter of a million visitors since opening last February, celebrates the diversity of Muslim cultures in New York City, the United States, and abroad. The addition of artifacts on loan from the Hispanic Society Museum and Library will highlight how Muslim cultures have been intertwined with Spanish culture for more than a thousand years.

“Like today’s New York City, medieval Iberia (today’s countries of Spain and Portugal) supported a multi-ethnic culture including Christians, Muslims, and Jews. We are pleased to loan our artifacts to the Children’s Museum as part of the Hispanic Society’s ongoing effort to promote awareness and appreciation of Islamic culture,” said Dr. Marcus Burke, senior curator at the Hispanic Society Museum and Library, built in 1908 and located on Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets in Manhattan.

The historical objects include two 19th century pieces: a miniature reproduction of the Door of the Mosque, Alhambra, Granada by famous Spanish architect, restorer and Spanish writer Rafael Contreras y Muñoz, and a winged amphora, also based upon the styles found in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. The Alhambra was built in the 13th century as a fortress and palace for a Muslim ruler and is considered one of the finest examples of Muslim (or Moorish) architecture in Spain. Visitors will also be able to view eight authentic 15th and 16th century Spanish ceramic tiles from Seville and Toledo, Spain. The tiles illustrate the confluence of Spanish-Muslim craftsmanship, design, and production techniques.

“We are excited to share the artifacts from the internationally renowned collection at the Hispanic Society Museum and Library with our visitors. It is through partnerships like this one that our Gateway to the Arts initiative introduces children to the very best of the city’s arts and cultural institutions,” said Andrew Ackerman, executive director, Children’s Museum. “Being able to add this selection of historical Spanish-Muslim objects to the exhibit’s existing series of art work by emerging American Muslim artists and objects on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art enhances ‘America to Zanzibar’ and enables it to continue to be an exciting and authentic experience for families near and far.”

In addition to its Islamic collection objects, the Hispanic Society is loaning a unique object, one that has never been publicly displayed: a 14th century Mamluk candlestick from Egypt. The candlestick, which is brass inlaid with silver and gold, will complement the exhibit’s collection of objects from around the world.

The 3,000-square-foot exhibit is the fourth in the museum’s Global Cultural Exhibition Series, following exhibits about the cultures of Ancient Greece, China, and Japan. The series celebrates the diversity of cultural expression across our interdependent world. An important part of the museum’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the next generation of global citizens, the series offers family-friendly, hands-on experiences designed to engage the the senses and appeal to a wide variety of learning styles.

Funding for America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, MetLife Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Open Society Foundations, The Violet Jabara Charitable Trust, El-Hibri Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Goldman Sachs Gives, National Endowment for the Arts, Maison de l’Artisan in Morocco, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan’s Board of Directors and scores of individuals.

Citywide program funding has been provided by the New York City Council under the leadership of Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

Following its run at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the exhibit will travel to other cultural institutions around the country.

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About Children’s Museum of Manhattan

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan – a citywide resource for children, families, and educators – works to ensure children thrive at home, at school and in the community. Based on West 83rd Street, with over 350,000 visitors annually, the Museum creates hands-on learning environments, programs, and curricula through an alchemy of fun, research and museum science. In addition to its commitment to delight and educate visitors, the Museum offers resources and strategies for parents, caregivers, and educators to help children become lifelong learners. Thousands more New Yorkers also benefit from the Museum’s offering through its outreach programs at schools, Head Start centers, shelters, libraries, and hospitals. For more information, please visit www.cmom.org.

About the Hispanic Society Museum and Library

The mission of the Hispanic Society Museum and Library is to collect, preserve, study, exhibit, stimulate appreciation for, and advance knowledge of works directly related to the arts, literature, and history of ancient and medieval Iberia, Spain, Portugal, Latin America, and other countries where Spanish or Portuguese have been spoken languages, all in the service of the public and in accordance with the highest professional standards. The collection of the Hispanic Society is internationally known, and the Hispanic Society often shares it with other institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Smithsonian’s Sackler-Freer Gallery in Washington. Learn more at www.hispanicsociety.org