Dearborn Museum Celebrates Arab American Heritage Month With Events, Exhibitions
The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn invites residents and visitors to explore the stories of Arab American life through events and exhibitions as part of Arab American Heritage Month….
April is Arab American Heritage Month background template. Holiday concept.
The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn invites residents and visitors to explore the stories of Arab American life through events and exhibitions as part of Arab American Heritage Month.
Recognized nationwide as the country's only museum dedicated to Arab American stories, the facility is marking its 20th anniversary this year with the theme "AlBayt Baytak" — Arabic for "This home is your home."
Learn more about some of the events taking place through the museum this month:
Saturday, April 19
From noon to 2:30 p.m., attendees can explore Arab American food culture on a guided tour of East Dearborn called Yalla Eat!, which means "Let's go eat!" Participants will sample bites and sweets from grocery stores, restaurants, spice shops, and bakeries along Michigan Avenue. Tickets are available for $50 for museum members and $60 for members of the public.
Saturday, April 26
Zawaya, meaning "corners" in Arabic, is a book launch celebrating recent works that explore the intersection of various literary perspectives by Arab American writers. Moderated by the museum's artist-in-residence, Mariam Bazeed, the panel will feature works from authors such as Tarik Dobbs, Hadeer Elsbai, Laila Lalami, and Youssef Rakha.
The event is free to attend with an RSVP. Details about the writers and their work can be found on the museum's website.
Exhibitions Through April
The museum will offer free admission through April in recognition of Arab American Heritage Month. Admission includes access to the following exhibitions:
- "Seeing the Southend: A Photography Exhibition by Tony Main" | On exhibit through July 31, photographs will be in the main floor gallery of the Arab American National Museum. The exhibit showcases what Maine recorded while growing up in Dearborn's Southend during the 1970s and 1980s.
- "الفلق // al-Falaq" | Now through Dec. 31, visitors can discover this octopus-shaped sculpture by artist Alia Ali. It's designed as a futuristic Yemeni starship reclaiming looted artifacts. The work features 81 digital screens on its tentacles that stretch across the atrium. Experimental videos describe Yemeni history, culture, and identity.
- "Waiting for Peace" | On exhibit through August 2026, this exhibition highlights the work of Palestinian American artist Rajie Cook, who died in 2021 at 90. Cook spent the last two decades of his life fashioning sculptural collage boxes that illustrate the suffering Palestinians have encountered under decades of occupation.
