Four Muslim artists namely Ruby Jaffrey, Shayman Al-Shiri, Qasim Arif, and Mustafa Horton will participate in the opening of the charity art gallery Giving is Beautiful at the MAS-ICNA Convention which will take place this December 26 at McCormick Place in Chicago
Each of them will contribute a total of 3 original works consisting of Arabic calligraphy style, calligraphy-themed art, abstract realism, and abstract art.
The artists minted non-fungible tokens for their artwork on the popular NFT marketplace OpenSea and donate all royalties to Baitulmaal, the charity behind the art project.
Meanwhile, art gallery visitors can bid on digital art prints, a portion of the proceeds from the auction will also be donated to Baitumaal.
John Janney, Baitulmaal’s director of communications and chief curator for the Giving is Beautiful initiative, said that the long-awaited project is expected to both support the creative community while also benefitting people in need around the world.
There will be two other pieces to be featured at the convention. One of which is an immersive video installation created by videographer Chance Issa which shows footage of the delivery of humanitarian aid funded by Baitulmaal donors as well as clips of popular social influencers Khaled Beydoun and Linda Sarsour who both talk about their involvement in beauty in the world and fostering inner beauty through giving and other charitable acts.
Meanwhile, another piece of art is an interactive art installation featuring a vending machine specially made to offer a charitable occasion instead of snacks and sodas. Visitors will be provided with 30 different giving options, such as providing winter relief, access to water, support for orphans, and even educational assistance.
The outside and inside of the vending machine will be designed with colorful mosaic-themed art specially designed by artist and Baitulmaal graphic designer Mustafa Horton.
Art enthusiasts outside Chicago can view or purchase selections by visiting the site giveisbeautiful.org, which also provides offers for artists interested in joining the collection.
Baitulmaal itself is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides life-saving assistance, sustains life, and helps the lives of people in need around the world. The charity headquartered in Texas has domestic offices spread across several states such as California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey as well as international offices in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.
