How a Groundbreaking Art Show About Contemporary Islam Came to Rural New England

How did a groundbreaking group show on contemporary Islam happen in rural New England? It all started with a simple conversation. Megan Whilden, Director of Cultural Development for the City of Pittsfield, was interviewing me for a summer position in her Office through the Berkshire Hills Internship Program. The Boston Marathon bombing was a recent memory, and the need for a more expansive, nuanced understanding of modern Islam culture(s) was at an all time high. (A Pew Research Center’s poll this year showed that Americans believed Muslims were more discriminated against than any other group in the U.S.) As a Pakistani art history major with experience organizing exhibits at the American Islamic Congress Cultural Center, I suggested that the Office organize an exhibition around arts and Islam. Megan enthusiastically agreed and ‘Islam Contemporary’ was born.