The Misk Foundation - the Saudi Arabian Youth Empowerment Nonprofit Established by H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - Announces Events in Six U.S. Cities in Conjunction With Royal Visit

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In concurrence with the U.S. visit of H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Misk Foundation – a non-profit established by the Crown Prince in 2011 to empower Saudi Youth through cultivating learning and leadership for the Saudi Arabia of tomorrow - today announced that it will hold a series of "Misk Talks" and Misk Art Institute cultural events in six U.S. cities in the next three weeks, including Washington DC, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.

The Misk Foundation's mission is to develop and empower Saudi youth to become active participants in the knowledge economy. Misk specifically focuses on four key areas: education, creative and digital media, technology, and culture and arts. Misk pursues this agenda both through its own programs, and through partnerships with local and global organizations

On the occasion of the U.S. visit of the Crown Prince, the Misk Foundation will hold events that, for the first time in a generation, will demonstrate not only the talents of the youth of Saudi Arabia, but also create lasting dialogue and thought leadership between the next generations of Americans and Saudis.  All U.S. events are open to credentialed members of the media.   

The centerpiece of the U.S. tour will be the presentation of "Misk Talks", which are interactive discussions of ideas and experiences between Saudi and American youth.  Misk Talks will feature presentations from Saudis living, working or studying in the U.S. about their unique life stories, and offering inspiring reflections on how to succeed in the new, global economy. (Visit https://misk.org.sa/en/misk-talk-usa/ for more information.)

Mohammed Abuazzah, the Misk Foundation's chief marketing officer, said: "Hosting Misk Talks in six U.S. cities during His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's visit is fully in keeping with the founding mission that he gave us, to discover, develop and empower Saudi youth to become active participants in the knowledge economy. Beyond our programs in Saudi Arabia, a vital part of our work is bringing young Saudi leaders, creators and thinkers together with young people and innovators around the world so that they can explore, experience and experiment with ways to meet the challenge of change. We're confident that the audiences at Misk Talk events will be treated to insights from young people that show their generation moving beyond defining the challenges of today, towards shaping the solutions of tomorrow. Misk stands ready to help equip them the skills and opportunities to do this."

In the selected cities of the tour, the Misk Art Institute will exhibit never-before-seen displays of art by an array of critically acclaimed Saudi artists, including women artists. These exhibits signal an expression of art that has been hidden from the world for generations.  By presenting a global stage for artists to engage with audiences around the world, these artists are telling the continuing story of change in Saudi Arabia. 

"For decades, reviving Al-Qatt Al-Asiri traditional art, was no more than a dream," said Saudi writer Ali Moghawi who led the Al-Qatt Al-Asiri mural paintings project.  "Now, we are witnessing the realization of this dream as we are provided with an international platform where we can share it and provide art lovers and enthusiasts with the opportunity to behold the beauty of this ancient art and delve into its shapes, colors and geometric angles."

Distinct from most foundations, the Misk Foundation seeks to grant knowledge rather than just money.  The Foundation works closely with elite academic institutions and corporate partners to foster incubators and opportunities to stimulate learning. 

In observance of the visit of the Crown Prince, the Misk Foundation will hold its first events in District of Columbia on March 21 and 22. 

Wednesday, March 21 – The Misk Art Institute has organized two events in the city in collaboration with the Middle East Institute's Arts and Culture program.

Misk Talk at the Intercontinental Willard Hotel (Ballroom - 5:30 PM EDT) – The second event will be a Misk Talk to be held at the Intercontinental Willard Hotel.  And will feature speakers Usman Ahmed, Head of Global Public Policy, Paypal; Matt McGrath, Director of the Albright Stonebridge Group; Mentor Dida, Senior Intrapreneur at Ashoka; as well as students from Georgetown, George Mason and other universities. 

Art Exhibition at John F. Kennedy Center (North Atrium and Foyer - 6:30 PM EDT) – The first event is a pop-up exhibition to be held in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, featuring major works by 33 artists from across the Kingdom, workshops, live music and remarks by Misk Foundation representatives. The exhibition includes the first showing in Washington D.C. of the specially commissioned Al-Qatt Al-Asiri mural paintings by women artists from southern Saudi Arabia. This specific tradition of collective mural painting was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.

Thursday, March 22 – An invitation-only panel discussion at the Newseum called "Changing Landscapes" moderated by CNN Diplomatic Correspondent Michelle Kosinski. 

This panel discussion will be open to exploring the narrative of change in Saudi Arabia, through the lens of an artist and photographer from Saudi Arabia and a veteran journalist to provide an American perspective on social change.  

Kate Seelye, Vice President of the Middle East Institute, will introduce the panel comprising:

• Ahmed Mater, Saudi artist and Misk Art Institute director;
• Ayesha Malik, a young photographer based between Riyadh and New York; and
• Deborah Amos, an award-winning journalist who has visited and reported on Saudi Arabia for decades.

Images from MEI's Colbert Held Collection, a unique collection of over 18,000 color Kodachrome slides of photos of the Middle East donated by Colbert Held in 2014 will also be featured.

The Misk Foundation will be announcing Misk Talks and/or Misk Art Institute cultural events and meetings in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston in subsequent media announcements.  The next city on the six-city U.S. tour will be New York. 

For more information on the Misk Foundation, visit: www.misk.org.sa/en

EDITORS NOTE

Please contact [email protected] for all media enquiries and to discuss interview opportunities with representatives of the Misk Foundation.

ABOUT MISK FOUNDATION

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Foundation (the Misk Foundation) is a non-profit philanthropic foundation established by H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to discover, develop and empower Saudi youth to become active participants in the knowledge economy. Misk specifically focuses on four key areas: education, creative and digital media, technology, and culture and arts. Misk pursues this agenda both through its own programs, and through partnerships with local and global organizations. https://misk.org.sa/en/

SOURCE Misk Foundation