THE US Consulate in Jeddah hosted a rich evening resplendent with art focusing on women featuring poetry, photography and plays, on Mar. 21. Hosted by the Consul General's wife, Mrs. Quinn, “Women in the arts” promised to be a night full of intellectual creativity. The evening kicked off with a welcome speech by Consul General Martin R. Quinn and was followed with performances by various artists. The artists entertained and impressed guests with a profound articulation of their artistic emotions. Singer Janna Baarmah's powerful and melodic voice overwhelmed the crowd with a song - “The Greater Future” - that she had composed herself. “Singing and songwriting is my passion,” she told the audience. Writer Esraa Al-Harbi, whose mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer, also read her story - “My mother and breast cancer” - with much heartfelt emotion. Injecting humor into the evening, poet Lama Al-Sharif recited a poem called “So what if I'm a poet?” that was inspired as a retort to her brother's opinion that ‘poetry is gay.' A brief recess was granted as the prayers were in progress, and was a great opportunity to explore some of the exhibits that were on display. The Help Center booth was eye-catching as it showcased the work of many talented handicapped children from within the Kingdom. Among the handicrafts featured were homemade soaps and candles. “This is a way of creating awareness about how special needs' children think out of the box to create such designs,” said Lina Assi, manager of the Center. Diana Moaghrabi, the Domestic Manager of the Help Center also shares this view. “It is always a pleasure to see what the children will come up with,” she said. “It is very unique how they blend styles,” Lina piped in. The next booth exhibited Esraa Al-Harbi's work, whose description of the pain she experienced when dealing with her mother's cancer diagnosis was a genuine tear-jerker. Al-Harbi's brother, Abdullah Al Madani Al-Harbi, also wrote about the experience in a book titled “A Son's View”. Their mother, Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, is a consultant obstetrician gynecologist at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. Her goal is to break the silence associated with this issue and raise public awareness about breast cancer, and is proud of the support she is getting from her children. Saudi photographer Susan Baaghil's photographs managed to attract much attention during the evening, because of the depth and intensity of the messages they were illustrating. Not to be left far behind, much of the artwork on display was also highly eye-catching. Lina Gazzaz's paintings were on display, focusing on the themes of nature and human relationships. Her first painting “Soul Mate” portrayed the emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of romantic relationships, while the second piece - “Wires of Sin” - highlighted the importance of giving women a larger role to play in society, placing emphasis on the idea that cultural bonds have influenced a woman's role far more than true religious bonds. Her third painting “Stages of Creativity” uses flowers to portray human beings and relationships. “God has created so many beautiful things and flowers are a natural inspiration,” remarked Lina. Refreshments were being served continuously, with the smell of freshly popcorn wafting through the room. After the recess, Elaph Othman recited the poem “The Argument” which managed to capture the inspirational atmosphere of the evening perfectly. Another poem recited by Raheed Bin Mahfouz, highlighted the importance of friendship and being unafraid of one's own identity. It was followed by another poem by Lama Al-Sharif called “The world from where I stand”, which was about having sustainable peace in the world without any prejudices or corruption and forming healthy alliances with one another. A brief drama - written, directed, translated and performed by two aspiring talents, Hind Al-Karimi and Taif Kadasah - gave the audience much to laugh about. The drama was about a young man dating two girls at the same time and the hilarity that ensues from such a situation. The performers' mentor, Maisah Sobahi - an acclaimed dramatist and academic - was among the audience and was welcomed on to the stage to answer some questions. “It is time to focus on art and express yourself through art,” she stated, and added that Saudi society needs to be introduced to outsiders in a new, and much lighter way. She expressed hope that aspiring writers would take up the responsibility for this. Sobahi also performed a segment of her own play “Head over heels”, which required audience participation and managed to get everyone on their feet. Based on situations that women normally face in Saudi Arabia, Sobahi's play managed to cleverly infuse the situations with comedy. She referred to it as ‘social light comedy'. A farewell speech by the hosts ended an entertaining and inspirational evening.
